Group photos of the COMECE bishops taken during the 2024 autumn plenary assembly held in Brussels. (Photo: Ada Lushi/COMECE)
On the occasion of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, EU bishops will exceptionally gather in Nicosia, Cyprus, for the Spring 2026 Plenary Assembly of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), taking place from 21 to 24 April 2026. The meeting will focus on the current situation in the Holy Land and the Middle East, as well as on the challenges facing the Church and Christian communities in the region. Download the COMECE Contribution to the Cypriot EU Presidency
Wednesday, 22 April
Hosted by the Maronite Archeparchy of Cyprus, the bishops of the European Union will address the current situation in the Holy Land and the Middle East, with particular attention to the condition of Christians in the region.
Card. Pizzaballa participating in the Autumn 2023 Plenary Assembly, Brussels. (Photo: COMECE)
In the morning, this discussion will be enriched by a dialogue with H.E. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who will join the Assembly by videoconference from Jerusalem. He will provide an update on the ongoing conflict, which since 2023 has involved an increasing number of actors, causing growing loss of life, suffering and destruction, as well as contributing to worsening geopolitical stability in an already fragile context.
Together with Cardinal Pizzaballa, the bishops will also reflect on the situation of Christians in the Holy Land and in the rest of the region, as well as on the role that the Catholic Church and the Europea Union can play in fostering dialogue, diplomacy and the promotion of peace.
In the afternoon, the bishops will be received by His Beatitude Georgios III, Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus. Discussions will focus on the situation in Cyprus, whose northern part has been under occupation since 1974, and on the consequences this has for the Christian community living in that part of the island.
Thursday, 23 April
Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of Culture, Vasiliki Kassianidou. (Photo: The Chancellery of the Prime Minister/PAP S.A)
In the context of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the COMECE bishops will meet Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou, Cypriot Deputy Minister of Culture. They will exchange views on the ongoing EU Presidency and present to its representative a COMECE document containing a number of suggestions and policy recommendations regarding the priorities of the EU Presidency. The contribution is available here.
The bishops representing the EU Episcopates will also meet Dubravka Å uica, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean. Such dialogue session will cover a broad range of topics, including migration, regional cooperation, sustainable development and security in the Mediterranean. Particular attention will be given to policies and initiatives aimed at fostering a region characterised by partnership, stability and human dignity, rather than confrontation, geopolitical tension and mistrust.
EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Å uica. (Photo: EC)
Issues related to the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the role of the European Union’s external action in its neighbourhood and globally will also be addressed in a meeting with Dr Christian Gsodam, Advisor for Strategic Communication and Foresight at the European External Action Service.
Friday, 24 April
The COMECE Assembly will include a dedicated session on migration and asylum, with particular focus on the proposed Return Regulation, on which the European Parliament has recently adopted its negotiating position, thereby opening the trilogue phase with the Council and the Commission.
The bishops will also discuss the European Union’s external action, with particular attention to the issue of rearmament, which has gained central importance in the agendas of the EU and its Member States since the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Finally, the bishops will reflect on ethical issues, especially those related to health, also in view of a reflection paper on mental health currently being prepared by COMECE and due to be published in the coming weeks.
A divided island
The Assembly will also provide an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Christian communities on the island, their challenges and the prospects for gradual reconciliation among all communities. In this context, on Wednesday, 22 April, the COMECE bishops will visit the city of Nicosia, including the area north of the Green Line. On Thursday, 23 April, they will visit Maronite churches in the villages of Karpasha and Kormakitis, in the northern part of the island, where they will meet members of the local maronite community and listen to their experiences and concerns.
Prayers
The work of the Assembly will be accompanied by moments of prayer. On the first day, the bishops will concelebrate the Mass for Europe at the Latin Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace in Nicosia. On the second day, they will celebrate Holy Mass in the village of Kormakitis, in the northern part of Cyprus.
Media
The COMECE Plenary Assembly is a closed-door event. Journalists and media professionals wishing to cover the event and interview the bishops are strongly encouraged to contact the COMECE Press Office in advance.
Download the COMECE Contribution to the Cypriot EU Presidency [EN]
