(Photo: COMECE)
Amidst a backdrop of global unrest, representatives of the Catholic Church in the EU are urging global leaders to prioritize peace and end ongoing conflicts. The plea was voiced during a significant gathering in Nicosia, Cyprus.
During the meeting organized by the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), a statement inspired by Pope Leo XIV was released: “Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!”
Nicosia was chosen for this meeting partly to acknowledge Cyprus’ rotating presidency of the EU Council. The bishops also engaged with the Cypriot deputy minister of culture, Vasiliki Kassianidou, to address the island’s longstanding division.
The partition of Cyprus into a Turkish-aligned north and a Greek-aligned south dates back to 1974, following Turkey’s invasion to thwart a coup aimed at unification with Greece. This event marked a near-conflict between two NATO allies.
The bishops used their visit to urge the EU to actively work towards resolving this division, stressing that while the threat of conflict may have diminished, the separation continues to impact communities, particularly in accessing religious sites.
In addition to Cyprus, the bishops turned their focus to the plight of Christians in the Holy Land. A discussion with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was held via video link. Concerns were raised about the dwindling Christian presence in the region, echoing a warning by a Benedictine abbot that the Holy Land risks transforming into a “Christian Disneyland”.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
