The Catholic Church in the European Union
Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union
Reflecting upon the end of the Second World War, exactly 70 years ago today, 8 May, COMECE President Cardinal Reinhard Marx calls for a sense of collective responsibility and a spirit of service to enable Europe to face its present-day challenges such as the refugee situation and social injustice. “On this day, 8 May, what we remember most of all is the suffering that people … Continue reading
Press statement of the President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), Reinhard Cardinal Marx, on the tragedy in the Mediterranean. “We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery!” This was the call of Pope Francis to the European States, in his address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 25 November 2014, in which he encouraged “mutual … Continue reading
The COMECE Bishops have discussed the work programme of the new European Commission with President Juncker and Vice-President Timmermans. During their Spring Plenary Assembly from 18 to 20 March 2015 in Brussels, the bishops of COMECE had the opportunity to meet with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and his First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, and to discuss the work programme of the Commission … Continue reading
On the occasion of their Spring Plenary Assembly, the COMECE Bishops were received at the European Commission this 18 March. President Jean-Claude Juncker and the Vice-President of the EU Commission Frans Timmermans received the COMECE Bishops at the Berlaymont for more than an hour of discussion and exchange. Media Photo Gallery
Gestational surrogacy is an issue of increasing preoccupation and concern in contemporary political and legal debate across the European Union. Against that background, the COMECE Working Group on Ethics in Research and Medicine has published an “Opinion on Gestational Surrogacy: the question of European and International Rules” , which is presented today, 23 February, at an event hosted by MEP Miroslav Mikolasik at the European … Continue reading
Churches led wide-ranging discussions with the Latvian Presidency team on religious freedom and tolerance, climate change, migration, security strategy and conflict prevention and EU neighbourhood policy. Within a week of taking on the Presidency of the European Council, the Latvian Minister of Justice, Dzintars Rasnačs, received a delegation of representatives from the Christian churches of Europe to discuss the Latvian Presidency agenda. The meeting was … Continue reading
In the closing days of the Italian EU Presidency, Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentilioni met with a joint delegation of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) on 18 December in Rome. Delegates present at the meeting urged the presidency for concrete action on youth unemployment, migration, and freedom of religion and belief. The … Continue reading
An estimated 800,000 women, men, and children are victims of human trafficking within the EU today. Up to 60% of the victims originate from EU states. The EU and its member states urgently need to implement the legal framework already in place and to intensify cooperation with civil society and church organisations that work with victims at the grassroots level. This was one of the … Continue reading
On the occasion of Pope Francis’ visit to the European Parliament the President of the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), Reinhard Cardinal Marx, stated: Today’s visit to the European Parliament was the first encounter between the Pope and Europe as a whole. In his speech to the European Parliament, Pope Francis underlined the significance of European integration and the need to … Continue reading
Today bishops from across the continent of Europe visited Verdun as pilgrims to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Two simple services of prayer were held at the Ossuaire de Douaumont and individual bishops laid votive lamps in the chapel of the Ossuaire where the bones of 130,000 unknown soldiers repose. In the Cathedral Notre-Dame in Verdun we celebrated Vespers … Continue reading