Bishop Mariano Crociata, President of COMECE (left), speaking at a press conference following the meeting with the Taoiseach, with Archbishop Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin. Photo: John Mc Elroy. The Catholic Church is not seeking to advance its own interests within the European Union but to help the bloc remain faithful to the values on which it was founded, COMECE President Bishop Mariano Crociata has said.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic after meeting Taoiseach Micheál Martin as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Bishop Crociata said the Church’s engagement with European institutions was rooted in its pastoral mission and concern for the common good.
At a press conference following the meeting, the bishop said: “We do not have interests of the Church regarding the European Union, but we promote the real essence of the European Union” and its founding purpose. The meeting at Government Buildings, held under the Article 17 dialogue between EU institutions and Churches, focused on values, competitiveness, security and defence, migration, humanitarian aid and enlargement.
Asked how Europe should balance the Irish Presidency’s emphasis on competitiveness and security with the Church’s vision of peace and human dignity, Bishop Crociata said politicians were often tempted to present such priorities as competing forces. Instead, he said, the task of politics is to find “a balanced point”, achieved through dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy directed towards peace rather than allowing defence alone to shape Europe’s future.
He argued that the same principle should guide technological development. “The problem is the centrality of the person,” he said, warning that Europe must remain capable of governing artificial intelligence so that it does not “go out of hand”.
On migration, Bishop Crociata said the debate should move beyond slogans and focus on better governance and the root causes that force people to leave their homes. “We need to go beyond slogans,” he said, adding that while public opinion can often appear polarised, everyday relationships between migrants and local communities are frequently far more positive than political debate suggests.
Turning to the Holy Land, he said European Churches “should do much more” than provide humanitarian assistance alone, arguing they should also use every institutional avenue available to encourage dialogue and help move the region towards peace.
“To look for unity is not to look for harmony just for the sake of harmony,” he said. “It is a necessity.”