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27 October 2023
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HOLY LAND | COMECE President assures Jerusalem Patriarch of EU Bishops’ closeness and support
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24/10 - The President of EU Bishops Mgr. Mariano Crociata addressed a letter to Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa expressing solidarity and closeness with all the people suffering from the devastating wave of violence unfolding in the Holy Land. COMECE: “We will continue appealing to the EU to make every effort to contribute to a de-escalation of the situation”.
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📑 Read the letters [1 – 2]
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ETHICS | SoHO Regulation: COMECE releases Position Paper ahead of final trilogue negotiation
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25/10 - A position paper on the proposed regulation on quality and safety standards for substance of human origin (SoHO) has been released by COMECE in view of the inter-institutional negotiations between the EU Council and the Parliament.
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While acknowledging “the great importance of substances of human origin for modern medical care”, as well as the principle of voluntary and unpaid donation included in the draft regulation, COMECE calls upon the EU Member States to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the draft through an in-depth debate specifically on the handling of fertilised oocytes (in vitro/in vivo), as well as embryos and fetuses, and the relationship of the SoHo Regulation with national regulations when ethical issues are involved.
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📑 Read the Position Paper [EN – IT]
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INVITATION | Join the Mass for Europe on 8 November in Brussels!
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27/10 - In the context of the 2023 Autumn Plenary Assembly of COMECE, we invite you to participate in the Mass for Europe, to be celebrated at the Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon (Place du Grand Sablon, 1000, Bruxelles) on Wednesday 8 November 2023 at 19:00.
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The Holy Mass will be presided by the President of COMECE, H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, and co-celebrated by the Bishops delegated to the COMECE Assembly by the EU Episcopates.
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The participation to the Holy Mass is open to the public.
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NEWS | President Mgr. Crociata meets with the EPP Interreligious Dialogue Working Group
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25/10 - The President of COMECE, H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, was received by the EPP Group's Interreligious Dialogue Working Group during a meeting at the European Parliament in Brussels. Mgr. Crociata emphasised that in facing today's challenges, the Church is not a spectator, but an active participant. "The spirit of the Conference on the Future of Europe must find new forms that nurture dialogue and closeness between citizens and institutions - he stated. We need time for this, but we also need a way of doing politics that does not look only to what is convenient in the short term".
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HOLY LAND | The Secretariat of COMECE joins Pope Francis' heartfelt appeal for peace
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27/10 - The Secretariat of COMECE joined Pope Francis’ call to a day of Prayer, Fasting and Penance for Peace in the Holy Land and in the rest of the world, on Friday 27 October 2023. In the Chapel of the Secretariat, COMECE offered a moment of prayer, meditation and contemplation, invoking the gift of peace to a world plagued by violence.
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NEWS |Delegation from Mozambique visits COMECE to exchange on integral human development
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24/10 - Our adviser Marek Mišák received a delegation from Mozambique to discuss natural resources management, the humanitarian situation as well as perspectives for socio-economic human development in the country. The visit was facilitated by CIDSE and Brot für die Welt.
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NEWS | General Secretary at the European Parliament exchanges on the European Solidarity Corps and Civil Service in Europe
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24/10 - COMECE General Secretary Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto participated in the event "European Solidarity Corps and Civil Service in Europe" held at the European Parliament in memory of late president David Sassoli. The conference featured the participation of H.E. Mgr. Noël Treanor, Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union, as well as of various MEPs and representatives of the Focolari Movement.
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COMECE has been an early supporter and contributor to the policies that shaped the European Solidarity Corps and the Civil Service in Europe.
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EDUCATION | COMECE: "Need to prioritise education in view of 2024 EU elections"
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24/10 - Our adviser Emilio Dogliani participated in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the European Federation for Catholic Adult Education held in Vienna on 23-24 October. He highlighted the need to make Education a priority in the EU Member States in view of 2024 EU elections, strengthening cooperation on formal, non-formal and informal education, including adult education. (Photo: P. Rinnerthaler)
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CALL TO ACTION | Catholic actors are strongly encouraged to participate in the ELSiA Living Laudato Si’ Survey. Deadline: 31 October
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21/09 - COMECE encourages Catholic dioceses and organisations across Europe to participate in the European Laudato Si’ Alliance (ELSiA) survey, which aims to gain an understanding of how Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter “Laudato Si'” has been received across Europe and the initiatives it has inspired. Deadline : 31 October 2023
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CAMPAIGN | COMECE reaffirms Church's commitment to contribute to EU policies that fight against Human Trafficking
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18/10 - On the EU Anti-Trafficking Day, COMECE reaffirmed the commitment of the Catholic Church to support the victims of Human Trafficking and to contribute to EU policies that fight this criminal phenomenon.
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NEWS | Jewish-Muslim dialogue meeting in Spain features participation of COMECE
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16/10 - COMECE was pleased to participate in a panel discussion on interreligious dialogue in Europe, in the context of the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue meeting held in Seville (Spain) on 15-16 October.
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During the event, COMECE adviser José Luis Bazán stated that "a common understanding of brotherhood in line with Pope Francis' Encyclical Letter 'Fratelli Tutti' should start with daily life relations between individuals and families of different faith, not only at institutional level".
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The panel featured the participation of: the Community Rabbi of Vienna Schlomo Hofmeister; the OIC representative to the EU, Ambassador Ismat Jahan; the Imam Yahya Pallavicini, and the Council of Europe Special Representative on antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of religious intolerance, Alexandre Guessel.
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The event was organised by the Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council and KAICIID, with the cooperation of the Spanish Foundation “Tres Culturas”.
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NEWS | Mgr. Crociata blesses St. Joseph statue donated by FAFCE
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25/10 - H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, President of COMECE, blessed a statue of St. Joseph with Christ Child in the Chapel “Saint Benedict and Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross” located within the premises of COMECE, in Brussels.
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The statue has been donated to the Chapel by the Federation of European Catholic Family Associations (FAFCE) as "a symbolic contribution to this synodal period, where Catholic Families see in St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, not only the paternity that they already leave in their daily lives, but also the paternity they search in their pastors. Together with their pastors, families are protagonists of the life of the Church and they work for peace and to rebuild our wounded communities, in Europe and beyond", said FAFCE in a note.
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The statue was realised by artist Jesús Arevalo, winner of the European Art Contest organised by FAFCE. The blessing of the statue took place in the context of the three-day assembly of FAFCE.
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Next at COMECE
COMECE will receive a Church and youth delegation from Colombia. The meeting is facilitated by Don Bosco International.
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COMECE General Secretary will participate in the CCEE-CEC Joint Committee to be held in Belgrad, Serbia.
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Mass for Europe to be celebrated at the Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon (Place du Grand Sablon, 1000, Bruxelles) at 19:00. The Holy Mass will be presided by the President of COMECE, H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, and co-celebrated by the Bishops delegated to the COMECE Assembly by the EU Episcopates. The participation to the Holy Mass is open to the public.
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8-10 November
The 2023 Autumn General Assembly of COMECE will take place in Brussels. The event will be presided over by President H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata. The Assembly will feature the participation of: His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament Othmar Karas and Pedro Silva Pereira, as well as Federica Mogherini, former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
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COMECE will participate in the CCEE meeting on Migration and Asylum to be held in Szombathely (Hungary).
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COMECE will participate in the 5th European Dialogue Policy Forum by KAICIID to be held in Rotterdam (The Netherlands).
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15 November
Autumn meeting of the COMECE Commission on the External Affairs of the European Union. The meeting will presided over by H.E. Mgr. Jan Vokál. The meeting will be online.
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COMECE General Secretary will participate in an ELSiA Eco-spirituality workshop to be held at the Taizé community.
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17 November
Autumn meeting of the COMECE Commission on Culture and Education. The meeting will be presided over by H.E. Janusz Stepnowski. The meeting will be held online.
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Online meeting of the COMECE Youth Net.
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Participation in the Prosperes Consortium final conference on the protection of places of worship. The event is to take place in Łódź (Poland).
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27-30 November
COMECE President and General Secretary, H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata and Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto respectively, will participate in the CCEE Plenary Assembly to take place in Malta.
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Autumn meeting of the COMECE Commission on Ethics. The meeting will be presided over by H.E. Mgr. Anton Jamnik. The meeting will take place in Brussels.
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COMECE will participare in the International Conference "Freedom of Religion in Public Space“ to be held in Prague (Czech Republic)
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30 November-2 December
Adviser Alessandro Calcagno will participate in the CCEE meeting of Bishops’ Conferences legal advisers.
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4 December
COMECE Standing Committee meeting to be chaired by H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata.
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The Catholic Church in the European Union
Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences
of the European Union
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