The Catholic Church in the European Union
Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union
2018 Autumn COMECE Plenary Assembly. (Credit: EEAS)
The Assembly also provides an effective platform for exchange and concertation among the EU Bishops’ Conferences, engages in a dialogue with high-level EU representatives on current and future EU policies, and sets out the main lines of the activity of the COMECE Secretariat.
A single Bishop represents the Episcopates of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Republic of Finland. The Assembly also includes observers from the Episcopates of Serbia, Switzerland, Scotland, England and Wales.
The Apostolic Nunciature to the European Union, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the Council of Europe, and a representative of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) and of Justice and Peace Europe are invited to take part in the Assembly.
The Assembly elects COMECE’s President and four Vice-Presidents from among its members ensuring that they are representative of the geographical distribution of the Episcopates of the European Union. The Assembly also elects the Presidents of the COMECE Commissions on Social Affairs, Legal Affairs and External Action.
The Assembly gathers twice per year (during the Spring and Autumn). A seminal issue of the European integration process provides the core theme for each meeting.
The COMECE Spring Plenary Assembly opens today. 20 Bishops from all over Europe will attend the 3 day closed meeting, whose main theme is ‘the EU seen from the outside’. The lull in legislative activity during the elections and the resulting period of change and adjustment in the EU institutions offers an opportunity to take a look at the European Union from a fresh angle. … Continue reading
In the last few weeks, images of dramatic scenes have been piped into our homes with perturbing regularity. The upheaval in Ukraine has not only dominated the headlines and monopolised the attention of the people of Europe; it has also moved us deeply. It started with week-long protests and a dramatic struggle for sovereignty in Kiev and then in other parts of the country, and … Continue reading
Europe is a continent on the move. Internal migration and migration from outside, not least in pursuit of political asylum, has impacted on the lives of all communities within all Member States and communities of the EU. The Church is deeply concerned for the situation of refugees and asylum seekers, especially after the tragedy off Lampedusa. ‘Migration and Integration’ will be the main topic of … Continue reading
‘We have united for the better’. This sentence from the Berlin Declaration of March 2007 was recalled by Cardinal Marx, COMECE President, on the occasion of the opening event of the Autumn Plenary Assembly of the COMECE bishops, which took place from 21 to 23 November in Brussels. In his Speech dedicated to the ‘Current Challenges for the EU and the Contribution of Christians’, Cardinal … Continue reading
This is the statement of Cardinal Reinhard Marx after his election as the new President of the Commission of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in the EU. The Archbishop of Munich and Freising was elected by the Bishop Members on 22 March 2012 for a 3-year term of office as the COMECE Chair. He will be assisted by four Vice-Presidents: Mgr Gianni Ambrosio (Bishop of Piacenza-Bobbio, Italy), … Continue reading
In his opening Speech, COMECE President Bishop Adrianus van Luyn, whose mandate as a COMECE Chair is about to end, made a review of the events which have marked the European Union in the past months. In the context of the EU enlargement to Croatia and the start of negotiations with Serbia, he stressed the vital importance of reconciliation in the Balkan region, recalling that … Continue reading
The COMECE Spring Plenary Assembly will be held from Wednesday 21 to Friday 23March 2012 in Brussels. 23 COMECE Member Bishops will be present. The main topic of the Plenary will be « The European Year 2012 devoted to active ageing and intergenerational solidarity ». Besides, the Bishops delegate will renew the COMECE Permanent Committee by electing a new President and four Vice-Presidents during this … Continue reading
In the midst of the Financial Crisis of the Eurozone, the COMECE Bishops call on the European Union and its citizens to refrain from blaming one another; instead we must assume co-responsibility for finding solutions. They call on European leaders to adopt a long-term perspective to overcome the crisis. These are the main messages of the Autumn Plenary Assembly of COMECE, which took place on … Continue reading
Economic and Political Causes of the Debt Crisis in Europe Speech given by Emmanuel van der Mensbrugghe, Director of the IMF Offices in Europe, to the COMECE Bishops Good morning. It’s great to be back in Brussels, among such a distinguished group. Europe, of course, has a great legacy of economic cooperation and coordination. The process of European integration—culminating in economic and monetary union among … Continue reading
COMECE Spring Plenary starts today with 23 Member Bishops participating. The main topic of the Assembly is “Christian Churches in Maghreb and Mashriq”. COMECE hosts a public evening debate tonight with Cardinal Naguib at 19:30. More information to the event here. The following experts and institutional representatives will address the bishops’ plenary Assembly tomorrow: – Mrs Véronique ARNAULT, Director of the Human Rights & Democracy … Continue reading