A “Day of prayer for peace in Europe and in the world” with the aim of “manifesting together to other citizens that Europe is constructed not just on the political, economic, legal, social and financial terrain, but also by taking account of the religious dimension”: that’s the initiative being promoted in Brussels on 9 May 2006 by the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) together with the Union of European Conferences of Superiors Major (UCESM, representing 42 national conferences and 400,000 religious). The date of 9 May is not casual: it is intended to recall the Declaration of 9 May 1950, when some European countries solemnly pledged to respect the objectives of peace, social progress and solidarity, thus giving rise to the first nucleus of the future European Union. Details of the event are presented on the website http://www.ucesm.net. Prayers and reflections on religious life in Europe, as well as ecumenical events, are planned from the evening of 7 May onwards. Lectures will be given by the Dominican Ignace Berten and J. C. Lavigne (among others). A visit to the European Parliament and the presentation of the religious organizations present in the European institutions are also on the programme.
