Anglicans in Europe - before and after the summer elections
SINCE 2022 it has been my privilege to act as adviser on EU affairs to Dr. Robert Innes, Bishop of Gibraltar-in-Europe and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s permanent representative to the European Union, a part- time post generously funded by Lambeth Palace.1 The title “adviser for EU affairs in the Anglican permanent representation to the EU” sounds impressive until we look at how other Churches organise their representation to the EU.
The most impressive by a large margin are our friends in the Roman Catholic Church: COMECE (we say “comisay”) is the Commission of the RC Bishops’ Conferences of the EU. Since 1980, it works from a large building near the European Parliament and has sixteen full-time advisers as well as other support staff.
The current papal nuncio to the EU, Archbishop Noël Treanor, was the secretary-general of COMECE before becoming the Catholic bishop of Down and Connor; he is as impressive and as great a friend to Anglicans as the current secretary-general, Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto. It is difficult to overstate the closeness of the Anglican and Catholic representations in Brussels: when the Archbishop of Canterbury visited us in February this year, he spent a very enjoyable hour at COMECE for a discussion on social teaching. It was a real highlight in a relentless working day.
* Full article available in printed copies.
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Jack McDonald
Is adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and Canon Theologian of the Diocese in Europe.