The "constitutional" crisis that followed the Irish referendum in June, the conflict between Russia and Georgia, the "dramatic financial crisis" on whose economic, social and political consequences "we can only venture a few assumptions": these are, according to mgr. Adrianus Van Luyn, president of the Commission of the EU’s Bishops Conferences (Comece), in opening the Autumn plenary meeting in Brussels this afternoon, the serious and unexpected events that have occurred since the earlier meeting of the European Bishops, last Spring. "Current challenges for Europe" is the subject of the plenary meeting (until 14th); items on the agenda include the report on climate change and the Christian lifestyle; Sunday as a holiday in the Directive on Working Time; the Lisbon Treaty; the financial crisis; Christian refugees in the world; the partnership between the EU and Russia after the Georgian crisis. And it is precisely on the financial crisis that the president of Comece focussed his report. A crisis that is above all a crisis of confidence: "How can we regain confidence in the fundamentals of an economic and social system that has been so dramatically disrupted?", he wondered, highlighting the need for "better rules and laws" and "more expertise at a European and worldwide level to "prevent the globally-connected financial systems overheating any further". (continued)
