Enlargement of EU Seen by Bishops as a Cause for Hope

BRUSSELS, Belgium, DEC. 12, 2002 (Zenit.org).- The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community seems bullish on the expansion of the European Union.

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In a statement entitled “Hope, Trust, and Solidarity,” COMECE voiced optimism about the entrance of 10 new member states to the union.

The document was published on the occasion of the Copenhagen summit, which has gathered EU leaders to conclude talks for the accession of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The two-day summit ends today.

The heads of state will also have to study Turkey’s request to fix a date for the opening of talks for its accession.

The bishops see these accessions as the realization of “a hope particularly cherished by the Church” in terms of the reconciliation between East and West.

But they also state that the accession of new member states should not lead to new divisions in Europe, nor to the construction of a “fortress Europe.”

Finally, the bishops encourage believers and citizens to engage in the debate on the future of Europe, particularly in the European Convention.

COMECE is a commission of the Catholic bishops’ conferences of EU member states.

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