Category Archives: Press

Migration & Asylum, Press

Invitation

“Catholic Action against Trafficking in Human Beings”

COMECE and Don Bosco International are pleased to invite you on 19 February 2019 from 13h00 to 14h30 to participate in the “Catholic Action against Trafficking in Human Beings”, a dialogue meeting hosted by MEP Teresa Jiménez-Becerril at the European Parliament. This event will gather Churches and civil society representatives together with policy-makers and other active stakeholders in the field of anti-trafficking. It will take … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Press

Press Release

A renewed EU-ACP partnership: How to support development through investments?

On 4 February 2019 COMECE hosted a dialogue meeting between faith-based actors and policy-makers in the context of the on-going negotiations on the new partnership between the EU and the ACP countries. Stakeholders from the European External Action Service, European Commission, European Parliament, as well as faith-based actors from the field, including entrepreneurs and youth representatives, discussed how public authorities in the EU and in … Continue reading »

Ethics, Research & Health, Press

NEWS

COMECE publishes reflection on “Robotisation of Life”

The quick development of new technologies based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leading COMECE to publish the reflection “Robotisation of Life – Ethics in view of new challenges”. The document reaffirms the primacy of the human person and promotes a right-based and person-centred approach in reviewing the main principles that define the relationship between human persons and robots. Produced by an ad-hoc working group on … Continue reading »

Press

Press Release

Church-EU Dialogue: COMECE meets with the Romanian EU Presidency

A delegation from COMECE, together with CEC and CROCEU, went to Bucharest on 28 January 2019 to meet Teodor-Viorel Meleșcanu, Foreign Affairs Minister of Romania, on the priorities of the Romanian EU Council Presidency. Led by H.E. Mgr. Cornel Damian, Auxiliary Bishop of Bucharest, and Fr . Olivier Poquillon op, General Secretary of COMECE, the delegation presented a joint reflection elaborated with the Romanian Bishops’ … Continue reading »

International Religious Freedom, Press

NEWS

EP gives new impetus to Freedom of Religion outside the EU

The European Parliament adopted on 15 January 2019 the resolution on the EU guidelines and the mandate of the EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion outside the European Union. COMECE welcomes the adoption of this resolution as it enhances the community dimension of the fundamental right to religious freedom, including the recognition of legal personality to communities in the framework of International Law (Art. … Continue reading »

Press

NEWS

Strengthening synergies between COMECE and its member Bishops’ Conferences

The General Secretaries of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU gathered at COMECE on 17 January 2019 in order to exchange views on key questions for the Catholic Church in the European Union and to enhance their synergy in addressing the many challenges European citizens are called to face in 2019. The meeting, organised for the second consecutive year by COMECE, was an occasion of … Continue reading »

Migration & Asylum, Press

Press Release

COMECE Standing Committee calls EU Member States to take their responsibilities towards migrants in distress at sea

COMECE welcomes the solution reached today among some EU member states, with the intervention of the EU, that have accepted to receive some migrants who were for days stranded at sea, rescued and brought to a Maltese harbour. The deep concern expressed by the Bishops’ Conference from Malta with regards to the situation of these migrants is shared by COMECE: we can’t remain “deaf to … Continue reading »

Press

NEWS

Pope Francis: “politics must be at the service of peace”

On the occasion of the 52nd World Day of Peace, Pope Francis highlighted the need for politics to be at the service of peace and urged all persons of goodwill to contribute to help build the common home “grounded in law and in frank and fair relations between individuals”. Pope Francis stated that political responsibility belongs to every citizen, in particular to those who have … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Press

Press Release

70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Statement of the President of the COMECE Legal Affairs Commission

On the date marking the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Mgr. Theodorus C.M. Hoogenboom, President of the COMECE Legal Affairs Commission, recalls its legal and political significance for the Church. In this context, during the year 2018, COMECE organised and participated in various high-level events on the topic of Fundamental Rights, including: – Criminalisation of circumcision: putting the fundamental rights’ system … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

COMECE recalls core human rights principles in major EP Dialogue Seminar

“The hierarchisation of human rights is a grave obstacle to their promotion and protection”, reaffirmed COMECE during the Article 17 TFEU Dialogue Seminar on “Religion and Human Rights within the EU: A Shared Responsibility”, held at the European Parliament on 4 December with representatives of churches and religious communities. The event took place on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of … Continue reading »