Following the Fall Plenary Assembly of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), the Commission’s General Secretary, Father Manuel Barrios Prieto says the Bishops wanted to express their closeness to those who suffer and to bring an end to war.
By Christopher Wells and Deborah Castellano Lubov
In a Note issued by COMECE President Archbishop Mariano Crociata, Bishops representing the Episcopal Conferences of the European Union say they, and their Churches, “make ourselves a living and active part of the prayer for peace, expressing our closeness and solidarity with the Church and with all suffering people, especially in Gaza and the Holy Land, in Ukraine, and in Sudan.”
The Bishops were taking part in this week’s Fall Plenary Assembly of COMECE, where the ongoing wars in Palestine and Ukraine were central topics of discussion.
In an interview with Vatican Radio, COMECE General Secretary Father Manuel Barrios Prieto spoke with Deborah Castellano Lubov about the Bishops’ deliberations.
Seeking a stable and just peace for all
Father Barrios Prieto noted that Bishops heard from observers from Ukraine, who spoke about the difficulties and suffering of the Ukrainian people.
At the same time, Bishops are also concerned about ongoing conflicts in other parts of the world, including in Gaza and Sudan.
That concern, Father Barrios Prieto said, led to an appeal that expressed the Bishops’ closeness to those who are suffering, and to those seeking an end to war. The Bishops called on the European Union “to do all they can to bring these wars to an end, and to obtain for everybody a stable and just peace”.
Engagement with European institutions
During the Fall Assembly, Bishops also had the opportunity to hear from representatives of civil institutions, including the Vice-president of the European Parliament, Antonella Berna, who is in charge of a dialogue with the churches.
“She came to our plenary assembly, and we obviously spoke of how to improve this dialogue between the institutions and the Church,” Fr Barrios Prieto explained.
He also highlighted a meeting with Commissioner Magnus Brunner, who is tasked with implementing the article 17 of the Treaty of Lisbon, which calls for a dialogue with the Church.
Father Barrios Prieto noted that Brunner is also involved with issues of migration and asylum, which the secretary general indicated is “a very important topic for the Church.”
On this topic, he noted “good” discussions on how to improve the integration of asylum seekers into European society, and on how to address other issues related to migration, including the recently signed pact on migration and its implementation.
Improving dialogue
Asked about concrete suggestions as to how the Church can dialogue better with the EU and other European institutions, Fr Barrios Prieto said dialogue always begins with the Church’s own social teaching.
“This is what we always put in the front of all our dialogues with the European institutions, the dignity of the human person,” he said.
At the same time, the Church is aware of the rise of populism in the European Union, as well as difficulties concerning the “return policy” for people who are not in Europe legally and issues of human trafficking.
“But we always put in front of everything the importance of respecting the dignity of the persons who come to us,” Fr Barrios Prieto insisted.
