{"id":4140,"date":"2019-02-27T12:30:04","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T12:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/combonimission.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=4140"},"modified":"2019-02-26T17:21:42","modified_gmt":"2019-02-26T17:21:42","slug":"4140","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/2019\/02\/27\/4140\/","title":{"rendered":"European Bishops\u2019 call to vote: \u201cBuilding the EU is the duty of all citizens\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>The Commission of the Bishops\u2019 Conferences of the European Community released a document that addresses the upcoming European elections of May 23-26. Church support to the \u201cCommon European Home\u201d, even though it\u2019s not perfect. The human person at the centre of political life. Necessary reforms and a set of key-issues: family, migration, development and rights. The \u201cprofile\u201d of a good candidate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A strong, determined, committed invitation to support the European integration process also through participation in the important election of May 23-26. In a message from COMECE, the Commission of Bishops\u2019 Conferences of the European Community, Christians are called to contribute to the development of the common good that extends beyond particular and national interests. \u201cWe call on all citizens, young and old, to vote and engage during the run up and at the European Elections.\u201d The Message released 100 days before the vote for the renewal of the Euroepan Parliament is titled \u201cRebuilding community in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The vote of EU citizens, called to assume political \u201cresponsibility\u201d, writes COMECE, chaired by Msgr. Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg, \u201cwill condition the political decisions impacting on our day to day lives during the next 5 years.\u201d For \u201ctwo millennia\u201d the Catholic Church \u201chas been part of the European construction\u201d, notably \u201ccontributing through its Social Doctrine.\u201d Thus the bishops addressed European citizens in this phase leading up to the election for the renewal of Parliament: while ten years ago \u201cthe entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon opened an array of new possibilities\u201d, \u201cthe current mood seems less optimistic.\u201d It is therefore necessary to make \u201cpolitical choices\u201d for a \u201crenewed fraternity\u201d that will foster \u201crenewed brotherhood\u201d thereby \u201crelaunching the European project.\u201d It is of the essence that \u201call believers and all people of good will\u201d go to vote, and that they \u201cdo notfall into the temptation of inward looking\u201d but \u201cexercise their rights towards the construction of Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By making their own political opinion heard, every person has the capacity \u201cto steer the Union\u201d \u2013 that \u201cis not perfect\u201d \u2013 in the direction they want to go. The EU needs a \u201cnew narrative of hope, involving its citizens in projects perceived as more inclusive and better serving the common good\u201d, state the COMECE bishops. However, first of all it is important to vote, because \u201ceach opinion counts\u201d when choosing the persons that as of next May will \u201crepresent our political opinions.\u201d It will be necessary that after the elections citizens \u201cdemocratically monitor and accompany the political process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Extending their gaze to the near future of the EU the bishops underline that EU citizens and institutions will need a \u201cspirit of responsibility\u201d to \u201cwork together for a common destiny\u201d, \u201cgoing beyond divisions, disinformation and political instrumentalisation.\u201d The reference of COMECE bishops in their document is to the election campaign that will need to focus on \u201cEU policies\u201d as well as on \u201cthe ability of candidates to elaborate and apply them.\u201d The bishops hope that the election will \u201cbring forth different visions\u201d, beyond \u201csterile confrontations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIntegrity, competence, leadership and commitment to common good\u201d are necessary qualities \u201cfor those individuals looking to fulfil a mandate at the EU level. The bishops highlighted some themes that are particularly dear to them. These include \u201csocial market economy\u201d, politics for the reduction of poverty, based on the idea that \u201cwhat works for the less fortunate works for all\u201d, along with \u201c a renewed effort to find effective and shared solutions concerning migration, asylum and integration.\u201d In this respect two emphases were made: integration \u201cis a matter not only for people entering the EU\u201d, but \u201calso for EU citizens moving to a country other than their own.\u201d This leads to the question: how to better welcome each other in Europe?\u201d\u00a0 Moreover, migration and asylum are not independent issues, in fact they are linked with \u201csolidarity, a human-centred perspective, and effective economic and demographic policies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVoting at these Elections also means taking responsibility for the unique role of Europe at the global level\u201d, states the COMECE message. \u201cFor instance, care for the environment and sustainable development \u2013 write the European bishops \u2013 cannot be limited to the EU borders, and electoral results will impact the decisions affecting the entirety of mankind.\u201d A \u201cstrong Union on the international stage is also necessary for the promotion and protection of human rights in all domains and for a solid contribution of the EU as a multi-lateral actor to peace and economic justice.\u201d Following a reference to address by Pope Francis on Europe\u2019s future, the document states: \u201cVoting might only be a first step, but a most necessary one.\u201d \u201cWe call on all citizens, young and old, to vote and engage during the run up.\u201d The document concludes: \u201cVoting is not only a right and a duty, but an opportunity to concretely shape European construction!\u201d (Sarah Numico)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Commission of the Bishops\u2019 Conferences of the European Community released a document that addresses the upcoming European elections of May 23-26. Church support to the \u201cCommon European Home\u201d, even though it\u2019s not perfect. The human person at the centre of political life. Necessary reforms and a set of key-issues: family, migration, development and rights. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4140\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/combonimissionaries.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}