Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto (General Secretary of COMECE) together with the bishops and the staff of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference. (Photo: RKKERK.NL)
On Tuesday 11 November, the Dutch Bishops’ Conference welcomed Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, Secretary General of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), for an in-depth exchange about COMECE’s activities, its dialogue with the EU institutions, and its recent contributions to the EU policy-making process.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to discuss some of COMECE’s most impactful initiatives and highlighted its ongoing commitment to fostering dialogue and collaboration with national bishops’ conferences across Europe.
H.E. Theodorus C.M. Hoogenboom, Auxiliary Bishop of Utrecht and President of COMECE’s Legal Affairs Commission, shared insights into the work of this Commission, including its focus on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and its implications for the Church across the European Union, as well as more generally EU laws’ impact on the daily activities of the Church. Ms. Yvette Brederveld, legal advisor to the Dutch Bishops’ Conference and Dutch member of the COMECE Legal Affairs Commission also gave a lively contribution to the discussions.
The visit also included a meeting with the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Netherlands, H.E. Mgr. Jean-Marie Speich.