• Pope’s Francis’ visit to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, 25 November 2014, was an event of great significance for all the inhabitants of the European continent. The Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), represented in Strasbourg by its President, Cardinal Peter Erdő, who was a member of the papal entourage, corresponds for the Catholic Church to the Council of Europe, an institution which represents a good forty-seven European nations. Also present at Strasbourg were Mgr Duarte da Cunha and Fr Michel Remery, respectively General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary of CCEE.
     
    The Pope’s desire expressed to the Council of Europe, that the path to peace may be evermore developed and sustained by all the nations on the continent, was received by those present with great enthusiasm.
    The Holy Father also addressed the assembly asking Europe: “Where is your vigour? Where is that idealism which inspired and ennobled your history? Where is your spirit of curiosity and enterprise? Where is your thirst for truth, a thirst which hitherto you have passionately shared with the world? The future of the continent will depend on the answers to these questions”.
     
    The Holy Father underlined the importance of CCEE’s work, stating: “There are in fact a number of pressing issues which I am convinced can lead to mutual enrichment, issues on which the Catholic Church – particularly through the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE) – can cooperate with the Council of Europe and offer an essential contribution”.
     
    The Church in Europe, helped and supported by CCEE, thanks the Pope for the profondity of his addresses to the European Parliament and to the Council of Europe. Both testify to the Church’s pastoral care and attention for people, for families and the European peoples. CCEE wishes to take seriously the Holy Father’s appeal, hoping that others, too, will pay heed to it.

    Source: CCEE Press