European Church delegation meet with Taoiseach

A delegation from the Conference of European Churches (CEC), which the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is a member of, and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) met with An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, in Dublin yesterday in the context of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The delegation was led by the President of COMECE, Monsignor Mariano Crociata, Bishop of Latina in Italy, and the Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, representing CEC. The delegation also included leaders of local churches, which included Very Rev Dr David Bruce, who represented the Moderator. Other ministers also attended – Very Rev Dr Charles McMullen and Rev Dr Karen Campbell – in their respective roles as President of the Irish Council of Churches, and General Secretary of the Council.

During the meeting, the delegation presented its key concerns and recommendations regarding the priorities and programme of the Irish EU Presidency under its “Strength with Unity” agenda.

Topics discussed included social cohesion, shared European values, peacebuilding, competitiveness and sustainability, migration and asylum policies, the Multiannual Financial Framework, humanitarian and development cooperation and a credible, citizen-centred EU enlargement process.

The Christian leaders encouraged the Irish EU Presidency to strengthen the European Union’s capacity for consensus-building by fostering social cohesion and unity, renewing the commitment to the EU’s founding vision.

The delegation also emphasised the need to address poverty, as well as to nurture civic space by countering exclusion and growing polarisation within European societies.

Significant attention was devoted to the promotion of a just and lasting peace in the EU’s neighbourhood and beyond. Recognising the importance of strengthening European defence in the context of growing international turmoil and the erosion of multilateralism, the delegation of European Churches encouraged the EU Presidency to support the development of a European peace strategy, providing a deeper and broader framework focused on peacebuilding, conflict prevention and reconciliation.

The Church Leaders also acknowledged the efforts of the Irish EU Presidency to promote prosperity and competitiveness, underlining that economic growth must always serve people, respect creation and pursue the common good. COMECE and CEC stressed that these principles should also apply to technological innovation, including Artificial Intelligence.

In view of the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework, the next long-term EU budget, Churches encouraged the EU Presidency to preserve strong support for social cohesion, humanitarian action and development cooperation.

Addressing the future of the European integration project, the COMECE-CEC delegation called for further advancing the EU enlargement process, not only as a geopolitical necessity but also as a source of hope for citizens across Europe.

Participants expressed hope to continue engaging in constructive dialogue with the Irish government on issues of shared concern during the six-month mandate of the EU Presidency and beyond.

The meeting with An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, formed part of the long-standing dialogue under Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which provides for an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the European Union and Churches and religious communities.

The visit to Dublin also offered an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between COMECE, CEC and their Irish member Churches, whose support and contribution were indispensable in preparing and successfully organising the meeting with the Taoiseach.

During the visit, the COMECE-CEC delegation participated in a prayer service at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, County Kildare.