Cec-Kek" "
Ensuring dialogue between the European institutions and the Churches of the continent: that’s the request made by the Conference of the European Churches (CEC-KEK, an organization that represents 126 Churches of Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic tradition) on the conclusion of its consultation “The Constitution of the European Union and the Churches” promoted in Brussels in recent days by the KEK’s “Church and Society” Commission. The over 60 participants, church leaders and experts from 25 countries of the continent, placed the emphasis on the importance of “an open, transparent and regular dialogue [of the European institutions] with the Churches and the philosophic and non-confessional organization, as established in art. 51, para 3, of the draft Constitution”. They also asked the Intergovernmental Conference and their respective governments that this article “be maintained unvaried”. “In any case said Sabine von Zanthier, representative of the work group on legislation of the above-cited Commission dialogue must ensure that the Churches can contribute with their own points of view and opinions to specific questions, though the decisions remain the task of the institutions”. The “points of contact” between the latter and the Churches could be numerous, so we need to “seek new mechanisms for an effective dialogue with the European Parliament and Council”. “The Union’s enlargement to ten new members it was also pointed out challenges the political organizations and equally the Church to renew East-West dialogue”. “It’s not only the East that must adjust to the West remarked the chairman of the “Church and Society” Commission Rudiger Noll , the West too must change. A new debate on shared values and on their applications is needed; and such a dialogue leads, in the end, to the debate on the very conception of Europe and of its objectives”. “The Churches are ready to play a substantial role in this process”.
