England and Wales: four UK Bishops met with COMECE and EU leaders in Brussels. “We will remain part of Europe”

(Brussels) Four Bishops from England and Wales have recently travelled to Brussels to meet with representatives from EU institutions and discuss “issues of concern” at a key time in negotiations for the UK’s exit. An official statement from the Bishops lists the issues addressed: the “importance of upholding human rights in all trade deals”; prisoner transfer rights; Northern Ireland and border issues with the Republic of Ireland; the rights of EU nationals in the UK and UK citizens in European countries”. The brief message released by the Catholic Bishops at the end of the visit reads: “the UK is still part of the EU and during the transitional period before the UK leaves there are vital issues to resolve. We will continue to have a relationship with the EU and its institutions in the future so these face-face meetings are invaluable”. Indeed, “we will remain part of Europe even when the UK leaves the European Union”, the Bishops pointed out. It is decisive for the fate of the EU that the promotion of the human being is placed “at the centre of the European project and the policies adopted by its institutions”. The Bishops also met with the Apostolic Nuncio Mgr. Alain Lebeaupin; the Vice-President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) Mgr. Jean Kockerels; and the Secretary General of the Conference of European Churches Heikki Huttunen.