The churches’ proposals” “” “

The plenary assembly of the Commission of the Episcopates of the European community (COMECE) opens in Brussels today. The bishop delegates of the Episcopal Conferences of the fifteen member countries of the European Union, meeting for their two-day assembly (28-29 November), together with delegates from the episcopates of the candidate countries, will review the debate going on in the Convention on the future of Europe on the drafting of the future European constitution. The discussion will also focus on the Union’s policies, in terms of agriculture, the challenge of enlargement and the problem of “global governance”. The European bishops will also have a meeting with the president of the European Commission Romano Prodi. They will then proceed to the election of their executive. The Italian Episcopal Conference will be represented at the plenary assembly by Msgr. Giuseppe Merisi, auxiliary bishop of Milan, in the place of Msgr. Attilio Nicora, who has resigned from the post of vice-president of COMECE, having been called to assume the post of president of the Administration of the patrimony of the Apostolic See. To review the assembly’s agenda we interviewed the general secretary of CEMECE, Msgr. Noël Treanor . What questions will you put to the president of the European Commission Romano Prodi? “First, we’ll submit to him the proposal formulated by COMECE for the European Convention. In particular, we would like there to be a reference to the religious heritage of Europe in the preamble to the future European constitution. Second, we hope that the content of declaration no. 11 of the final act of the Treaty of Amsterdam will be incorporated in the future constitution. This declaration, as you know, affirms that the European Union respects and does not prejudice the status of the churches, religious associations and communities and non-confessional groups as they are recognized in each member state. Third, we will ask that the future constitution recognize the religious freedom and right of the churches and of the religions to freely organize themselves in accordance with national laws. Fourth, we consider it necessary that provision be made for forms of structured dialogue between the Churches, the religions and the EU institutions. These proposals are contained in the letter that COMECE, together with the Conference of the European Churches (KEK), sent to the president of the European Convention, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, on 27 September”. Will you also tackle the questions linked to the Union’s enlargement? “We’ll undoubtedly ask President Prodi to reflect on what will happen in 2004, which we might consider a ‘key year’ for the European Union: it will be the year of the EU’s enlargement to 25 countries and of the elections for the renewal of the European Parliament. 2004 will therefore offer the EU the occasion to redefine its own objectives, both in terms of the service it performs on behalf of member states, and in terms of its mission in the world. The Union’s enlargement, in fact, is not a mere enlargement of the European market, but is something far more profound. The new countries that will come to form part of the EU will join a community of values. For the EU institutions this represents a challenge to ensure that the new enlarged Community fosters diversity. For the European churches too enlargement represents a challenge to promote dialogue and respect for religious differences among the faithful”. What do you mean by “structured dialogue” with the EU institutions? “In our view, a structured dialogue between the Churches and the European Commission ought to take three forms. First, it ought to provide for periodic meetings between the president of the European Commission and the presidents of COMECE and KEK: at least three or four meetings in the course of the five years of the legislature. Second, seminars are already being held twice a year for dialogue and exchange of views with the representatives of the EU institutions: these seminars ought to be continued and also involve the representatives of the churches. Third, we propose regular meetings between EU administrators and experts of the churches on particular aspects on the agenda at the Community level”. Ignazio Ingrao