Freedom and dialogue

COMECE, the European body represented by EU-27 bishops held its plenary assembly in Brussels November 18-20 at a crucial moment for the EU, seeking greater solidity and project development. SIR Europe attended the final press conference. Follow the highlights of the meeting. The European Union in defense of religious freedom. A document on the promotion of religious freedom in EU policies is due to be issued in the upcoming months by the bishops of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE). The news was released by COMECE President Msgr. Adrianus Van Luyn, presenting the final press statement of the plenary meeting.”Religious freedom is a fundamental right which COMECE has been promoting for many years”, said Msgr. Van Luyn. The Council of the EU adopted on 16 November last a Resolution which restates the intention of the Union “to continue to give priority to the issues (of freedom of religion or belief) as part of the European Union’s human rights Policy” especially at bilateral and multilateral levels. The COMECE Bishops welcome this priority given to Religious freedom”. Msgr. Piotr Jarecki, auxiliary bishop of Warsaw and COMECE vice-president, said that the second draft of the document discussed by the bishops “is intended as a reflection on religious freedom in EU policies”. In fact, Msgr. Jarecki recalled, “there are still numerous cases of discrimination across the world, especially in India, China, Sudan and Iraq”. Moreover, the EU resolution “recognizes the right to practice one’s religion also when it is not the specific religion of one’s Country of residence”. “States are obliged to protect the faithful of minority religions and legislation ought to enforce religious freedom. Mature democracy depends on the acknowledgment of this right”, he concluded. A historical change for the European Union, in dialogue with the Churches. After the election of the European Parliament and the appointment of EU President and ministers, with the enforcement of the Lisbon Treaty (December 1st) “the European Union is finally equipped to face the urgent challenges of the next decade” the Bishops wrote in the final press statement. In these weeks EU Bishops’ Conference representatives have been working on concrete proposals on article 17 of the Treaty that envisages an “open, transparent and regular dialogue” between EU Institutions and the Churches. Msgr. Van Luyn pointed out, “by means of Article 17, the EU recognizes the identity and the specific contribution of the Churches and will conduct a dialogue with them on this basis. COMECE takes comfort from the already fruitful practice of dialogue with the EU institutions, which from now on can be intensified. “A tradition marked by relations and cooperation with institutions, based on the good will of both parties has been ongoing until today. Now there is also a legal basis”, explained COMECE Secretary father Piotr Mazurkiewicz, who thus summarized the positive aspects of this article: “It ensures the respect of the Churches at national level in their relation with the mutual states, it respects their identity and acknowledges their peculiarity”, without assimilating them to lobbies or NGOs. “Now – he added – dialogue will extend to many other ambits that will add uo to those addressed until today, to the light of the social doctrine of the Church”.The German case. The bishops have been informed on the ruling delivered past June 30 by the German Constitutional Court regarding the compatibility of the Lisbon Treaty (which starting December 1st will regulate EU life and give more strength to its institutions) with the Constitution in Germany. This ruling “sheds new light on the relationship between the States and the EU”, said the legal advisor of Germany’s Bishops Conference (CET) Mathias Belafi during the meeting with the press. Indeed, he said, “the ruling prevents the development of the democratic process and prevents the progress of European population”.Congratulations for the new appointments. The bishops, who followed the live TV broadcast of the new EU posts announced on Thursday 19, congratulated Mr Herman Van Rompuy on his appointment as the first President of the European Council as well as Ms Catherine Ashton on her appointment as High Representative for Foreign Policy of the EU. The Bishops “hope that these two personalities will promote a European Union which is conscious of its historical vocation for Peace and Justice in the entire world”. Added president Van Luyn: “We invite the two new political leaders to found their political action at the head of the EU on care for the common good and for human dignity”.