• Pope Francis met COMECE Standing Committee in Santa Martha at the Vatican last Tuesday in preparation of “Rethinking Europe”, the major high-level Forum of Dialogue that COMECE is organizing in collaboration with the Holy See in Rome between 27-29 October 2017, marking the 60th anniversary of the signature of the Treaty of Rome.
     
    During a two-days visit to Rome and the Vatican City, COMECE Standing Committee met several European and Vatican authorities in order to discuss the main challenges of the European Union and the ways the Church can support the European project in a moment in which Europe itself seems to be at a crossroads.
     
    Members of the COMECE delegation were President Card. Reinhard Marx, the four Vice-Presidents Mgrs. Jean Kockerols, Gianni Ambrosio, Czeslaw Kozon, Rimantas Norvila and General Secretary Fr. Olivier Poquillon OP.
     
    “Rethinking Europe will be the start of a process of dialogue between the Churches representatives (both bishops and seculars) and the politicians who have political responsibility and take decisions” – said Cardinal Marx.
     
    The Dialogue of Rome aims to promote deeper reflection on the future of the European Union, in order to recover the thrust and the enthusiasm that Pope Francis indicated to the members of the European Parliament and on the occasion of the conferral of the Charlemagne Prize.
     
     
    The main message of the Church is to put the human person back at the heart of the European public policy and the Dialogue of Rome will be a milestone of this process.