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Churches call for commitment to common European values amidst Covid-19. “Let us remain united”

As COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Europe and the world, presidents of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) have issued a joint call stressing the importance of unity, calling all Churches, communities and political leaders “to show our commitment to European values”. The joint statement titled “Let Us Remain United”, issued on Thursday, … Continue reading »

Ethics, Research & Health, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

New technologies, “Rome call for Artificial Intelligence ethics”

“The scope and acceleration of the transformations of the digital era have in fact raised unforeseen problems and situations that challenge our individual and collective ethos”, stated Pope Francis in his message addressed to the participants of the international workshop “The ‘good’ algorithm? Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, Law, Health”, organised on 26-28 February 2020 at the Vatican on the occasion of the 26th General Assembly of … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

News

COMECE Legal Affairs Commission: focus on new EU dossiers

The COMECE Legal Affairs Commission gathered experts from EU Bishops’ Conferences on Thursday 5 March 2020 in order to address current EU legal matter of particular relevance for the Church. Legal advisors updated each other and reflected on the continued impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on the Catholic Church in the Member states. This topic will be the focus of the upcoming … Continue reading »

Plenary Assembly, Press

Press Release

Covid-19 outbreak: COMECE cancels its Assembly and postpones its 40th anniversary celebration

In line with the “social distancing” precautious measures recommended by the health authorities to limit the spread of the “Covid-19″virus, COMECE cancels its Spring Assembly and postpones to October 2020 the reception for the celebration of its 40th anniversary. The two events were expected to take place in Brussels on 25-27 March 2020, with the participation of H.Em. Card. Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of … Continue reading »

Press

Press Release

Coronavirus, COMECE and CCEE Presidents raise a common prayer to God

In response to the difficult time communities all over the world are facing due to the Covid-19 virus outbreak, H.Em. Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ and H.Em. Card. Angelo Bagnasco, respectively Presidents of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) and of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), raise a common prayer to God for help, comfort and salvation. … Continue reading »

Policy Areas, Press, Youth policies

Press Release

COMECE presents recommendations for a more inclusive EU Youth & Education Programmes

COMECE presented its recommendation paper on “Inclusive Youth and Education Programme” during a working lunch held in Brussels on Wednesday 4 March 2020 and organized by the COMECE’S Youth Platform member, Don Bosco Youth-Net, together with Caritas Germany and the Bavarian Youth Council. On the occasion of the ongoing negotiations on Erasmus and the European Solidarity Corp (2021-2027), the document provides technical recommendations to the … Continue reading »

Migration & Asylum, Policy Areas, Press

News

Cardinal Hollerich calls EU Bishops’ Conferences to launch relocation projects for refugees in Greece

“An invitation for the whole Church to awaken new evangelical energies of welcome in each of the member countries of the European Union”. With these words, three leading Cardinals of the Catholic Church outline in a letter to EU Episcopal Conferences a strong call for relocation projects concerning refugee families stuck indefinitely in Lesbos and other reception camps in Greece. In the letter, H. Em. … Continue reading »

Ethics, Research & Health, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

World Day of the Sick: COMECE welcomes EU plan against cancer

On the occasion of last week’s World Day of the Sick, COMECE welcomes “Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan”, recently launched by the European Commission to propose actions for all stages of the disease. Pope Francis: “solidarity, subsidiarity […] and cooperation to ensure that everyone has access to suitable treatments for preserving and restoring their health”. Recent statistics show that every year, in the European Union, 3.5 … Continue reading »

Policy Areas, Press, Social & Economic Affairs

Press Release

Catholic NGOs and COMECE on human rights violations in a globalised economy

In the follow up of the Future of Work Reflection, on 27-28 January 2020 COMECE hosted a 2-day capacity-building seminar gathering Catholic-inspired organisations to discuss possible ways to improve people’s working conditions in the global value chain. The event comes after two years of work in which Catholic grassroot organisations and Christian social movements collected cases of human rights violations in the globalized economy. Based … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

COMECE facilitates Albanian Church delegation’s visit to the EU

In the context of the current debate on the future of the EU enlargement process, COMECE received H.E. Mgr. George Frendo OP and H.E. Mgr. Gjergj Meta, respectively President and General Secretary of the Albanian Bishops’ Conference on 3-4 February 2020. They met with high-level representatives of the EU and of the Church to exchange on challenges and opportunities for Albania’s EU integration. The visit … Continue reading »