In the right place

During the plenary assembly of the CCEE (Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe) held at Fatima (Portugal) from 3 to 7 October, the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences accepted the application of the only Catholic diocese in the Republic of Moldavia, Chisinau, and of the archdiocese of the Principality of Monaco (France) to join the CCEE, which is thus enlarged to 36 members. Below we publish the comment and thoughts of the bishops of the two Churches. We have finally arrived in the right place: as John Paul II said, Europe has a need to breathe with two lungs. The same goes for the Church of the continent. We form part of its second lung. Joining the CCEE was like entering a forum, a place in which to meet the universal Church, through the Churches of Europe. It’s almost a permanent synod in which it is possible to exchange views, discuss our problems and learn from the experience of others. I have long felt the lack of this type of dialogue. For our Church, the CCEE is also a lectern from which to expound our problems. We would also like Moldavia to do her best to enter the European Union and the CCEE offers us the chance, through COMECE, to be informed and follow the institutional processes, with a view to creating a “European” sensibility where it still does not exist and to give impulses in this direction to our society, at least in the fields in which we are able to operate. Personally I felt a great joy in meeting those for whom I feel profound esteem, in particular Cardinal Schönborn, a man of great culture and spirituality. Having regular contacts with men of this type is for me a genuine grace and a fine opportunity for personal growth. What can the Church of Moldovia offer, in turn, to the Churches of Europe? Its own experience in the social field with the witness of our activities. We have so much to say about children, the elderly and emergencies such as the trafficking of human beings, a new form of slavery whose origins we know and experience at close hand. It’s up to us, as a Church, to raise the world’s awareness of this dramatic emergency and to say a strong “no”.Anton CosaBishop of Chisinau (Republic of Moldavia) Sovereign and independent state, the Principality of Monaco has formed part of the UNO since 1993, of the Council of Europe since 2004 and maintains diplomatic and consular relations (71 countries have an embassy or consulate on their territory). It also has permanent representatives at the FAO and UNESCO; so it was not possible for the Church of Monaco to remain excluded from European relations. The Church of Monaco asked to join the CCEE by virtue of its long-standing relations, stretching over many centuries, with the Holy See, and the role of the Principality in the international community. Our membership of the CCEE will strengthen the affective and effective collegiality of the bishops between each other – so close to the heart of the great Pope John Paul II – and permit our Church to make its specific voice heard within the continent and its modest contribution to the building of a Europe proud of its Christian roots. The Church of Monaco has always had particular links with the Churches of France, Italy, Spain, Georgia and Lebanon. A permanent structure, called “Faith without frontiers”, already exists with the dioceses of Nice (France) and Ventimiglia-San Remo (Italy); it enables the bishops, priests and laity of the three dioceses to meet regularly to tackle some common questions.I’m delighted that our application to join the CCEE has been accepted. The first steps in this direction go back to November 2001, and various legal questions were then posed: among them the fact that Monaco – like Luxembourg and Moldavia – has no right to a Bishops’ Conference, since there’s only a single bishop on its territory. Once these difficulties were overcome, I was received into the CCEE with great fraternity.Bernard BarsiArchbishop of the Principality of Monaco