COMECE Assembly calls on the EU to offer a renewed vision for justice and peace
On Friday, November 10, 2023, the bishops of the European Union, who gathered in Brussels for the Autumn Plenary Assembly of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), adopted a statement of peace within the context of a serious deterioration in international security. The main guest of the Plenary Assembly was His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head and Father of the UGCC. EU bishops: “We call on Europe to offer a renewed vision for justice and peace.”
The bishops express deep concern about the serious deterioration of international security and peace. “The world seemingly is returning to a dangerous dynamic reminiscent of some of the darkest periods of humanity that should have remained in the history books,” the statement reads.
Emphasizing Russia’s war against Ukraine, the pain of the Armenian people in the Caucasus, and the suffering of civilians in Israel and Palestine, the European Union bishops also expressed concern about the consequences for European communities of such international polarization and regional instability, “stirring up fears, weakening dialogue and threatening social cohesion.”
The members of the COMECE “strongly condemn all forms and manifestations of anti-Semitism, radicalization and xenophobia, which often […] lead to violent extremism and terrorism” in some European countries.
Given the European elections in 2024, the COMECE Assembly calls on EU leaders, as well as all European citizens, to strive to build “a Europe that utilizes its full potential to resolve conflicts and light lamps of hope, acting as a united, credible and unifying force, upholding democratic principles and the rule of law both within and beyond its borders.”
COMECE also calls on European and national political actors to be active creators of a renewed vision for stability, justice, and peace and to offer it to the European continent and the world. “Resisting the logic of war, the European Union must initiate new dialogue processes and develop a consistent diplomacy of peace, and lead the rebuilding of a global peace architecture based on effective multilateralism and respect for international law,” the declaration says.
The Declaration was developed after a series of productive discussions between prominent representatives of the EU and the Church. This dialogue provided the EU bishops with an opportunity not only to discuss the current crises in the European neighborhood but also to reflect on socio-economic and democratic challenges ahead of the 2024 elections.
His Eminence Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head of the UGCC, discussed the internal situation, causes, and impact of the current wave of violence in the Holy Land and as a result of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine.
Cardinal Pizzaballa emphasized the critical role of the Christian community in the region as a peacemaker in this horrible situation.
Sharing the pain of his suffering Ukrainian people, His Beatitude Sviatoslav reminded that “Ukraine is a young state, but it is an ancient European nation with a European identity.”
The COMECE 2023 Autumn Plenary Assembly was also attended by the vice presidents of the European Parliament, Othmar Karas and Pedro Silva Pereira. They outlined some of the main challenges facing the EU communities in the run-up to next year’s elections: peace and war, fighting poverty and inequality, migration and the environment.
Federica Mogherini, Rector of the European College and former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy offered a general overview of the polarization of the international community and the delegitimization of multilateral institutions.
The meeting also approved Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto as Secretary General of COMECE for a second 4-year term.
The Head of the UGCC paid a working visit to Brussels from November 7–10 to participate in the COMECE Plenary Assembly and meetings at the level of the European Parliament and the European Commission. His Beatitude Sviatoslav was accompanied by Bishop Stepan Sus, head of the Pastoral Migration Department of the UGCC, and Fr. Andriy Soletsky, head of the Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome.
Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome
