The Catholic Church in the European Union
Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union
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
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
“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
“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34). Following Pope Francis, the Catholic Church in Europe reaffirms “our shared responsibility to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate”, migrants and refugees in our societies. … Continue reading
During the COMECE-organised interreligious conference “Shaping the Future of Work” held at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 27 November, Mgr. Antoine Hérouard, President of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission, officially presented the reflection on the changes in the labour world, encouraging the EU to shape the digital and ecological transformations Result of a one-year long process of consultation and dialogue started in … Continue reading
The COMECE Working Group on Migration and Asylum discussed the current EU challenges in the fight against trafficking in human being and in the protection of refugees. Held on 22 November, the working group gathered experts from Bishops’ conferences together with representatives of Catholic organizations and EU officials. The participants examined the post-2016 framework in the fight against the trafficking in human beings, calling the … Continue reading
COMECE reaffirmed the fundamental right to Freedom of Religion (FoRB) during a meeting at the EU Parliament on 5 November, highlighting the problem of religious illiteracy and the need to reinforce the EU mechanism for its protection. Organised by MEP Andrzej Grzyb (EPP), the event gathered Mairead McGuinness, Vicepresident of the EU Parliament, Jan Figel, EU Special Envoy on FoRB, and representatives of Churches, religious … Continue reading
Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, called on EU politicians to promote family-friendly policies during the FAFCE-organised conference “The Family: ecosystem for cultural life in Europe” held at the European Parliament on 6 November 2018. “The family is a place of trust and a source of solidarity – stated Mgr. Hollerich SJ. It is the environment where we are growing up, discovering our strengths … Continue reading
In view of the 2019 European elections and on the occasion of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) centenary initiative on the future of work, the COMECE Social Affairs Commission publishes the reflection paper “Shaping the future of work”. The document encourages the EU to shape the digital and ecological transformations of the world of work aiming to the common good. The reflection highlights the role … Continue reading
The COMECE Legal Affairs Commission, presided b H.E. Mgr. Hoogenboom, met on 15 October 2018 and exchanged views on EU and Church priority topics. In dialogue with European Commission representatives, experts discussed the significance of the Egenberger and IR judgments for Church structures and the implications of the Coman judgment for national legal systems. Experts also reflected on the actions carried out by the Church … Continue reading