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Ethics, Research & Health, Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

European Court of Human Rights: a key decision on surrogate motherhood

The Grand Chamber Judgment clarifies that there is no obligation to recognise parental ties if there is no biological link. The European Court reaffirms the State’s exclusive competence to recognise a legal parent-child relationship and the State’s prerogatives in safeguarding its public order. The Judgment of the Grand Chamber in the case of Paradiso and Campanelli v. Italy clarifies that the Italian authorities’ withdrawal of … Continue reading »

Migration & Asylum, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Migration : UNHCR welcomes moral stand of Bishop Zsifkovics

Migration : UNHCR welcomes moral stand of Bishop Zsifkovics UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency pays tribute to the moral stand of the Bishop of Eisenstadt and COMECE member who, in 2015, “refused to allow a border fence to keep out refugees to be built on church land, and helped to change Austrian government policy on border security.” The Eisenstadt diocese gave temporary shelter to 1,000 … Continue reading »

Ethics, Research & Health, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Mental health in Europe and Christian ethics: An Opinion of the COMECE Working Group on Ethics

In an aging European society, mental health is an increasing concern with strong economic and social impact. Brain disorders affect one in three Europeans and have an estimated cost of €800 billion a year. In order to help Europe to tackle the issue, COMECE publishes its reflexion and proposals. Back in 2008, the European Commission had launched the European Pact for mental health and well … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Churches: “which response to terrorism in Europe?”

“One of the causes of the jihadi Salafism development is the lack of alternative proposals by our society” said Br Olivier Poquillon, Secretary general of COMECE, in his intervention to 5th European Catholic-Orthodox Forum. The European Catholic-Orthodox Forum is an initiative promoted by the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) along with the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the accordance of the Orthodox Churches present in Europe. … Continue reading »

Migration & Asylum, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

World Day of Migrants and Refugees

Pope Francis issues a vibrant call in favour of Child migrants and several Bishops conferences in Europe have launched statements and initiatives to encourage Christians and political leaders to act. • The Call of Pope Francis More and more children are crossing borders on their own. Child migrants travelling alone are among those at the highest risk of exploitation and abuse, including by smugglers and … Continue reading »

Press

Press Release

Antonio Tajani elected President of the European Parliament

MEPs elected Antonio Tajani on 17 January for a two-and-a-half-year term as head of the European Parliament. According to his predecessor, Martin Schulz, the new President will have to face the following challenges: “Adapting Europe to globalisation, strengthening the rule of law and refining the balance between freedom and security”. COMECE will pay particular attention to these three issues. COMECE welcomes the debate that took … Continue reading »

Press

NEWS

Cardinal Bagnasco visits COMECE

From 9 to 13 January, H.E Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco (President of the Italian Bishops Conference and of CCEE) is visiting Brussels with a group of 30 young priests from the Archdiocese of Genoa, Italy. The visit, in addition to having a pastoral character, is also the occasion to extend and deepen knowledge of the policies of the EU and in particular the activities of COMECE … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

Maltese EU Presidency: Revitalizing faith in the European Project

On Friday 6 January, a joint delegation from the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) met with the Prime Minister of Malta, Dr Joseph Muscat, and representatives of the government of Malta at the start of their six month Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting was convened to discuss common concerns, … Continue reading »

Migration & Asylum, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Dublin IV Reform: “insufficient progress”

The reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) proposed by the EU Commission, despite some positive developments, does not implement the expected higher protection standards in what should be a fair asylum system. This is the assessment formulated by COMECE together with Christian Churches and organisations working in the area of migration & asylum in a response submitted to the EU Commission and the … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

Cardinal Marx on the Berlin attack

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the President of COMECE and of the German Bishops’ Conference, expresses his compassion for the victims and calls for unity after yesterday’s act of violence against the Christmas market in Berlin (19 December 2016): “The news from Berlin have deeply shocked me. The violence on the Christmas market is the opposite of what visitors were seeking. My compassion goes to the relatives … Continue reading »