Presidents of the Bishops´ Conferences of all EU Member States addresses on Wednesday 18 November 2020 a message of hope and a call to solidarity to the EU institutions and the Member States in this painful and uncertain historical moment marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. The EU Bishops’ Conferences state: “We strive to build a universal fraternity that leaves no one out”.

In the light of the recently published Pope Francis’ letter on Europe, the message “Regaining hope and solidarity” written by the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union addresses mostly the fight against Covid-19 and the common efforts we are all called to make to ensure a fair, just and person-centered recovery.

Through this message, the Catholic Church in the European Union restates its full commitment to the construction of Europe. Together with its founding values of “solidarity, freedom, inviolability of the human dignity, democracy, rule of law, equality and defense and promotion of human rights – state the Bishops – [the European project] has brought peace and prosperity to our continent”.

“Together with other sister Churches and ecclesial communities, with members of other religious traditions and people of goodwill – continue the message – the Catholic Church in Europe strives to build a universal fraternity that leaves no one out”.

In this difficult and painful moment, the Catholic Church calls on all of us, including the EU institutions and the national governments, to act in solidarity and hope, unity and dialogue, trust and responsibility. “Faith – the Presidents state – calls us to go out of ourselves and see in the other, especially in those who suffer and stand on the margins of our streets, a brother and sister and also to be willing to give our lives for them”.

The statement was elaborated upon the initiative of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), starting from a meeting convened on 30 September 2020 gathering for the first time all the Presidents of the EU Episcopates.

Click here to read the message by the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences.