🇪🇺🇨🇮 Irish EU Presidency | European Churches meet with Prime Minister Micheál Martin

A delegation from the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) met Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin on Thursday, 9 July 2026, in the context of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Download the COMECE-CEC Joint Contribution [EN] 

Ecumenical delegation meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the context of the Irish EU Presidency, 9 July 2026, Dublin. (Photo: Irish Bishops’ Conference/John McElroy)

The delegation was led by H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, Bishop of Latina, President of COMECE, and H.E. Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, representing CEC. The delegation also included leaders of local Churches.

During the meeting, the ecumenical delegation presented its key concerns and recommendations regarding the priorities and programme of the Irish EU Presidency under its “Strength with Unity” agenda.

Topics discussed included social cohesion, shared European values, peacebuilding, competitiveness and sustainability, migration and asylum policies, the Multiannual Financial Framework, humanitarian and development cooperation and a credible, citizen-centred EU enlargement process.

Christian leaders encouraged the Irish EU Presidency to strengthen the European Union’s capacity for consensus-building by fostering social cohesion and unity, renewing the commitment to the EU’s founding vision.

The ecumenical delegation also emphasised the need to address poverty, as well as to nurture civic space by countering exclusion and growing polarisation within European societies.

Significant attention was devoted to the promotion of a just and lasting peace in the EU’s neighbourhood and beyond. Recognising the importance of strengthening European defence in the context of growing international turmoil and the erosion of multilateralism, the delegation of European Churches encouraged the EU Presidency to support the development of a European peace strategy, providing a deeper and broader framework focused on peacebuilding, conflict prevention and reconciliation.

The ecumenical delegation acknowledged the efforts of the Irish EU Presidency to promoteprosperity and competitiveness, underlining that economic growth must always serve people, respect Creation and pursue the common good. COMECE and CEC stressed that these principles should also apply to technological innovation, including Artificial Intelligence.

In view of the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework, the next long-term EU budget, Churches encouraged the EU Presidency to preserve strong support for social cohesion, humanitarian action and development cooperation.

Addressing the future of the European integration project, the COMECE-CEC delegation called for further advancing the EU enlargement process, not only as a geopolitical necessity but also as a source of hope for citizens across Europe.

Participants expressed hope to continue engaging in constructive dialogue with the Irish government on issues of shared concern during the six-month mandate of the EU Presidency and beyond.

The meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin formed part of the long-standing dialogue under Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which provides for an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the European Union and Churches and religious communities.

The visit to Dublin also offered an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between COMECE, CEC and their Irish member Churches, whose support and contributiuon were indispensable in preparing and successfully organising the meeting with the Taoiseach.

During the visit, the COMECE-CEC delegation participated in an ecumenical prayer service at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

The ecumenical delegation consisted of:

COMECE

• H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, President COMECE

• Mr Marek Mišák, Secretary of the COMECE Commission on EU External Relations

• Mr Alessandro Di Maio, Press Office Manager COMECE

CEC
• H.E. Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin

• Rev. Frank-Dieter Fischbach, General Secretary CEC

• Rev. Dr Peter Pavlovič, Study Secretary CEC

Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference

• H.E. Mgr. Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and President of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference

• H.E. Mgr. Dermot Farrell, Archbishop of Dublin and Vice-President of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference

• H.E. Mgr. Kieran O’Reilly, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, and Delegate to COMECE

• Rev. Dr Gary Carville, Coordinator, Council for Migrants, Refugees and Justice & Peace and the Council for Ecumenism

Irish Council of Churches

• Very Rev. Dr Charles McMullen, President of the Irish Council of Churches

• Rev. Dr Karen Campbell, General Secretary, Irish Council of Churches

• Rev. Dr Janet Unsworth, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland

• Very Rev. Dr David Bruce, Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland