Category Archives: Press

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

Invitation

Western Balkans and the EU: next steps…?

Lunch Debate

Following the recent EU-Western Balkans Summit and in view of the upcoming meeting of the European Council, COMECE and the European Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung invite you to join a discussion entitled “Western Balkans and the EU: next steps…?”. This lunch event will take place at the COMECE Secretariat on Thursday, the 14th of June 2018 from 12:00 to 14:00. Representatives of the Church, youth … Continue reading »

Policy Areas, Press, Social & Economic Affairs

Invitation

“Populism and renationalisation – a test for Europe and its democracies”?

Together with the Catholic Centre for Social Science (KSZ), COMECE co-sponsors a 2-day reflection event “Populism and renationalisation – a test for Europe and its democracies” that will take place in Mönchengladbach, Germany, on 14-15 June 2018. Europe faces challenges that have led to a polarisation of views, undermining cohesion within the EU and shaking our confidence in the resilience of out democracies. This year’s … Continue reading »

Plenary Assembly, Press

Press Release

Vatican, Pope Francis receives COMECE new Presidency

Pope Francis received the newly elected COMECE Standing Committee today 18 May, 2018, in the Vatican City. The audience gave the possibility to Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, to present to the Holy Father current points of dialogue between Bishops’ Conferences and political authorities of the EU. During a two-days visit to the Vatican, COMECE Standing Committee met several Holy See and European … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

EU-ACP partnership, COMECE gathers religious actors and policy-makers

COMECE hosted a dialogue meeting between faith-based actors and policy-makers in preparation of the upcoming negotiations on the future cooperation 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, discussed ways of shaping the future relations between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. The event … Continue reading »

Policy Areas, Press, Social & Economic Affairs

NEWS

COMECE participation to the Katholikentag

Approximately two-thousands people attended the flagship event on the future of Europe entitled “In Diversity divided”, co-organised by COMECE, together with Renovabis and the Catholic Social Science Centre (KSZ), on 11 May 2018 in Münster, Germany. The dialogue took place in the context of the 101st German Catholic Day (Katholikentag) and allowed participants of different backgrounds and expertise to exchange on ways to strengthen the … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

COMECE meets with the Bulgarian EU Presidency

Church-EU Dialogue

A delegation from COMECE, together with CEC, met in Sofia on 8 May with the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Ekaterina Zakharieva, to exchange views on the priorities of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency. On this occasion, the COMECE delegation led by H. E. Mgr. Christo Proykov, Bishop delegate from Bulgaria, presented a joint reflection elaborated with his Bishops’ Conference on the … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

COMECE contribution in view of the EU-Western Balkans Summit

Following the recently published “EU Strategy for the Western Balkans”, the EU perspective of the Western Balkans seems to be gaining new momentum. The political representatives of the 28 Member States will meet their Western Balkans counterparts at the Summit in Sofia on 17 May 2018, the first of its kind in 15 years. In view of this Summit, COMECE elaborated a contribution in dialogue … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Cardinal Bassetti’s first official visit to the EU: a sign of courage and hope

“I dream of a new Europe based on solidarity and courage, capable of being a common home for everyone”, stated H. Em. Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti during his first official visit to the EU institutions as President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) on 22-25 April. As a sign of the great interest of the Italian Church for the European project, Cardinal Bassetti, together with Mgr. … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

President of COMECE Hollerich meets EU Commission President Juncker

COMECE President, Archbishop of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Hollerich S.J., met yesterday, 18 April 2018, with Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU Commission. During their first official meeting since the election of Mgr. Hollerich in March 2018, the two leaders exchanged on current European challenges and explored ways to strengthen the dialogue between the Church and the EU in order to put back the human person at … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference Cardinal Bassetti’s official visit to the EU

A delegation led by H. Em. Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), will come to Brussels on 22-25 April 2018 in order to exchange with high-level officials on the realities of the EU from the perspective of the Italian Church. Cardinal Bassetti’s visit shows the European dimension of the Italian Church, strongly committed to face current challenges and work for the … Continue reading »