Council of European Bishops Conference meets Pope Francis
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Friday with the presidency of the Council of
European Bishops Conferences (CCEE) and was briefed on their work. Afterwards, the
CCEE President, Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, and other
senior members of the Council briefed journalists on their meeting.
Susy
Hodges spoke to the Vice-Secretary General of the CEE Father Michel Remery who told
her one of the key themes discussed during their encounter with the Pope was the question
of religious freedom and intolerance against Christians.
Listen to the extended
interview with Father Michel Remery:
Father Remery
says Pope Francis was “very interested and keen” to hear what they had to say during
their meeting and learn about “the issues of greatest concern.” Asked what those
greatest concerns were, he replied that threats to religious freedom along with growing
secularization are seen as some of the most serious “threats” and required an active
response from the Church.
“If you look at the Church in Europe you see that
we as the Church in many countries, we’ve become a minority as Christians and the
state has become more secularized. And it’s important for us as a Church to respond
to that and have an answer ready, to react to the situation which is occurring.”
“Religious
freedom,” Father Remery continues, “is under threat in Europe and it’s important
to keep raising this issue.”