Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community
| Commissio Episcopatuum Communitatis Europaeae | |
| Abbreviation | COMECE |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | European Catholic Pastoral Information Service |
| Established | March 3, 1980 |
| Type | Association without lucrative purpose |
| Purpose | Represent episcopal conferences of EU member states at EU institutions |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
|
Region served
|
European Union |
|
Membership
|
Bishops delegated by episcopal conferences of EU member states |
|
President
|
Cardinal Reinhard Marx |
|
Main organ
|
Secretariat |
| Website | comece |
The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (Latin: Commissio Episcopatuum Communitatis Europaeae; COMECE) is the association of Catholic Church episcopal conferences in member states of the European Union (EU) which officially represents those episcopal conferences at EU institutions.
COMECE bishops are delegated by Catholic episcopal conferences in EU member states and has a permanent Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. It was established in 1980 and replaced the European Catholic Pastoral Information Service (SIPECA, 1976–1980). Discussions during the 1970s about creating an episcopal conferences' liaison organization to the European Community led to the decision, on the eve of the European Parliament election, 1979, to establish COMECE.
The objectives of COMECE are to:
COMECE's president is currently Cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich and Freising. It has first Vice-President Bishop Jean Kockerols and three other vice-presidents, currently Bishop Gianni Ambrosio, Bishop Czesław Kozon and Bishop Rimantas Norvila. The official who runs the office on a day-to-day basis is the General Secretary, currently the Rev. Dr. Patrick Daly. The General Secretary is appointed for a three-year term renewable term.
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