Saint Paul cathedral in Thessaloniki, Greece. (Photo: Trabantos/Shutterstock
The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) is organising a conference titled “Politics as an Area for Expressing Christian Values in Everyday Life,” scheduled on 15-17 May 2024, in Thessaloniki, Greece. The event is open to the public and includes the official signing of the Declaration “Europe, be yourself!”. Programme | Ceremony
This event is held in cooperation with the Conference of European Churches (CEC), the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki, and the School of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
It will feature reflections and political dialogue in anticipation of the upcoming European elections in June 2024. The conference aims to explore, examine, and promote Christian values in society, politics, and social sciences. Participants will explore the role of Churches as identity formers, engaging in public discourse on social and ethical questions such as the ongoing crises affecting peace, climate, society, and economy.
The event will be an opportunity to discuss how Churches can play a role in these areas, inspiring the faithful to contribute to the building of a humane and socially coherent Europe. The conference will also address the growing reality of religious illiteracy among political decision-makers and ways for Churches to claim and safeguard space for faith as a legitimate element in European political discourse.
Given the 2024 European Parliament elections, the conference aims to offer an opportunity for Churches to express their firm commitment to European values and the EU acquis, and to redefine a framework of priorities for a sustainable future of Europe.
Among the speakers will be H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, President of COMECE, and Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE.
Attendance is free, and everyone is welcome to join the event at the Faculty of Theology in Thessaloniki. The event will include a ceremony where the declaration, ‘Europe, Be Yourself! – An Address to European Institutions, MEP Candidates, and Political Parties,’ issued in March 2024, will be officially signed. The declaration can be accessed here. For more information, please download the conference program and the opening ceremony schedule.
