The Catholic Church in the European Union
Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union
Five years after its launch, the Commission proposes to make the Transparency Register mandatory for all actors interfacing with EU institutions on policies and legislation. According to the text, whereas their EU representations should register, Churches as such are exempted from this obligation.
This years’ International Workshop and General Assembly of Justice & Peace Europe held under the chairmanship of its President Mgr Jean-Claude Hollerich in Luxembourg explored the challenges of security facing Europe today in dialogue with representatives of politics, the military, EU institutions, civil society and the Church, including the General Secretary of COMECE. In their final declaration, the participants called to “build bridges of justice … Continue reading
Chaired by Mgr Hoogenboom, COMECE Legal Affairs Commission’s second meeting of the year had a fruitful exchange with the EU Commission on the impact of new General Data Protection Regulation on Churches. The meeting especially gathered legal experts from 10 European Bishops‘Conferences.
The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly voted against the adoption of a recommendation on ‘Children’s rights related to surrogacy’, based on a report by Petra De Sutter (Belgium, SOC). The report was recommending to draw up European guidelines to safeguard children’s rights in relation to surrogacy arrangements. Read the COMECE Opinion on ‘Gestational Surrogacy – The question of European and international rules’.
COMECE received Patriarch Gregorios III, the head of the Melkite Greek Catholic church, as well as Metropolitan George Abou Zakhem of Homs and Bishop Selvanos Boutros Al Nemeh of Homs of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate. The Bishop’s delegation came to Brussels to draw attention of EU high-ranking officials on Children’s situation in Syria.
COMECE welcomes the ratification by the European Union of the climate agreement signed last year in Paris. Following the deposit of the instruments of ratification to the United Nations on Friday in New York, the climate agreement can now enter into force. This raises hopes that the international community will be able to act quickly and responsibly in the fight against climate change. Now that … Continue reading
The sixteenth edition of the conference on the role of the Catholic Church in the process of European integration co-organised by COMECE together with partners in Cracow, on September 21-22, 2016 focused this time on four specific issues imperatively necessitating solidarity in the EU, namely the solidarity in security and defence policy, solidarity towards the challenges of migrations and asylum, solidarity in reference to the … Continue reading
On wed 7 September, about 400 participants took part at the church of Notre-Dame au Sablon, Brussels, in the Mass for Europe which was organised by COMECE on the occasion of the resumption of work by the European institutions. The Mass was presided by Bishop Jozef De Kesel, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and concelebrated by Mgr Jozef Hal’ko, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bratislava together … Continue reading
Ahead of the expected vote in the European Parliament in October, the Secretariat of COMECE welcomes the ratification by China and the United States of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The ratification by these two states, given their economic weight and their environmental impact, represents a significant step in the right direction. In an appeal addressed to the COP 21 negotiating parties in October … Continue reading
Regarding the recent debate around the pursuit of the TTIP negotiations, Cardinal Marx, the President of COMECE, said that “stopping the TTIP negotiations would not solve the current problems. A just global economic order requires common rules. The TTIP could be a way to achieve this goal”. COMECE reminds of the common position adopted last June by the Bishops of the EU and the US. … Continue reading