Category Archives: Press

Policy Areas, Press, Social & Economic Affairs

NEWS

COMECE Social Affairs Commission: reflection on the future of work

COMECE Social Affairs Commission and Catholic-inspired organisations exchanged with experts and EU officials on the transformative shift undergoing in the world of work. During the two-days meeting, under the presidency of Bishop Gianni Ambrosio, participants focused on the ways digitalisation and other trends are shaping the European labour market and impacting the dignity of workers. Based on the discussion with the invited speakers – including … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Abidjan Summit: towards a new authentic mutual partnership?

Political leaders of the European Union met with their counterparts from the African Union in Abidjan to reinforce their partnership and focus on the «Youth» of both continents. Together with African Bishops (SECAM), COMECE followed the 5th AU-EU Summit, a key moment to strengthen the ties between the two continents on the basis of a fair and authentic mutual partnership. In their joint statement published … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Eastern partnership: towards dialogue and stronger cooperation?

EU Heads of State and political representatives met with their counterparts from the six Eastern European countries in Brussels to review their partnership. They pledged to strengthen cooperation and to engage in a comprehensive and forward-looking dialogue. The participants of the 5th Eastern Partnership Summit reaffirmed “the importance of inclusive engagement of all parts of society” as key to address common challenges to human security, … Continue reading »

International Religious Freedom, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Syriac-Catholic Patriarch visits COMECE

A high-level delegation of bishops from the Middle East visited COMECE and met with Christian organisations to talk about the condition of Christian minorities in Syria and Iraq. His Beatitude Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Syriac-Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, together with Mgr. Antoine Chahda, Archbishop of Aleppo, highlighted the dramatic situation of Syrian and Iraqi people, shattered since many years with widespread violence. The two bishops … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

COMECE contribution to the planned EU Strategy for Iraq

COMECE welcomes the commitment of the EU to elaborate a Strategy for Iraq and submits recommendations to policy-makers to support Iraqi people in rebuilding their country. As part of the worldwide network of the Catholic Church, COMECE is in regular contact with Iraqi Bishops. In close dialogue with them, COMECE elaborated a contribution to the planned “EU Strategy for engagement with Iraq” with an analysis … Continue reading »

Migration & Asylum, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Mediterranean Sea: Migrants and refugees should be protected at all stages of their journey

According to a recent report published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), almost 3,000 migrants and asylum seekers died attempting treacherous boat crossings to Europe so far this year. For COMECE, “migrants and refugees should be protected at all stages of their journey.” Despite the EU efforts to address the challenges of the migration crisis on the basis of its European Agenda, migrants and … Continue reading »

Policy Areas, Press, Social & Economic Affairs

NEWS

World Day of the Poor: Pope Francis calls to tackle the causes of poverty

“We need to hear the cry of the poor and commit ourselves to ending their marginalisation“, said Pope Francis in his Message for the World Day of the Poor on Sunday. The Holy Father recalled that the care for the poor is at the very heart of the Christian faith. He encouraged all of us to embrace a culture of encounter “that breaks through their … Continue reading »

Policy Areas, Press, Social & Economic Affairs

Churches welcome the European Pillar of Social Rights

COMECE and CEC welcome the inter-institutional proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights to be signed today at the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth that is taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden. COMECE and CEC consider the European Pillar of Social Rights as a vital and further step towards the European Social Market Economy, therefore we welcome the high-level consensus set by the … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

COMECE participation to Vatican’s conference on Nuclear Disarmament

In a high-level conference on Nuclear Weapons and Disarmament organised in the Vatican on 11-12 November 2017, Pope Francis condemned the use and possession of nuclear weapons. Pope Francis encouraged the 350 participants, including representatives from COMECE, to explore the connections between integral human development, peace and nuclear disarmament, in order to build a world without nuclear weapons. Participants to the International Symposium pointed to … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

Joint Statement of EU and African Bishops’ Conferences ahead of the upcoming AU–EU Summit

Ahead of the 5th summit of the African Union and the European Union – Abidjan, 28–29 November 2017 – the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences in the European Union (COMECE) and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), have published today a joint Statement entitled “Africa and Europe shall work as one for the youth of our continents”. COMECE and SECAM – whose … Continue reading »