Europe must respect life, from conception to natural death, and must have a positive attitude about its future.
German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), told this to ZENIT following a press conference in the Holy See Press Office this morning, Oct. 27, 2017, that included Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, and Vatican Press Office Director, Greg Burke.
They were presenting the ‘Rethinking Europe’ International Conference being held in the Vatican, Oct. 27-29, 2017.
Rather than being a ‘classic congress,’ ‘Rethinking Europe’, the German Cardinal and member of the C9 explained, will be a dialogue. It is meant to foster a frank and open discussion between stakeholders willing to work for the common good and to put, the person, with its human dignity, at the center of public policies.
According to a press release, around 350 participants, from 28 delegations of all EU countries, among which high-level EU politicians, cardinals, bishops, priests, ambassadors, academics, representatives of diverse Catholic organizations and movements and from other Christian denominations, will be participating in this dialogue.
Participants gathered in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall today, Oct. 27, for the first time, and continue dialoguing in workshops tomorrow, before joining the general debate ending with the papal address.
The COMECE is made up of bishops delegated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of the 28 Member States of the European Union.
***
On the NET:
Pope Francis’ address to European Parliament: https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2014/november/documents/papa-francesco_20141125_strasburgo-parlamento-europeo.html
About the COMECO: http://www.comece.eu/site/en/whoweare
