COMECE, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, comprising
26 Bishops representing all Member States of the EU, welcomes the election of Pope
Francis. Below, please find the full statement from COMECE:
Rev. Patrick
H. Daly, General Secretary of COMECE joins the wider Church Family in welcoming the
election of Jorge Maria Cardinal Bergoglio as Pope Francis. ‘Right from the outset,
the European project has enjoyed the active support and interest of the new pontif’s
predecessors, all of whom closely followed developments within the constellation of
nations, which has become the European Union.
At this critical time when there
is deep confusion about Europe’s future, it may be an opportune moment for the new
Pontiff to inject fresh enthusiasm into the search for a vision of Europe. This vision
enshrines those Christian values, which so inspired the founding fathers of the European
project.
The Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Europa, which Pope Francis’
predecessor John Paul II published ten years ago still has a powerful message for
those working to shape the Europe of tomorrow. We feel sure that the Successor of
Peter will recognise with pride what has been achieved together by the European nations
and encourage Europe’s political leaders – and incidentally all of us at COMECE -
to continue, with solidarity and respect for subsidiarity, on the path towards unity
in diversity for all within the European family.’