The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union launched the COMECE Youth Net on Wednesday 5 October 2022. “This new consultative body – states Cardinal Hollerich – will promote the concrete participation of young European Catholics in shaping EU policies”.
Stemming from the success of the two COMECE Catholic Youth Conventions on the Future of Europe (June 2021 and June 2022), the Youth Net was launched by COMECE President H.Em. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ in the context of the European Year of Youth.
This new body involves young delegates from the Catholic Episcopates of the European Union. Aged between 18 and 35 years old, their mandate will last two years.
The Youth Net will accompany the work of the Secretariat of COMECE and be consulted on various policy dossiers, bringing the youth perspective in all dimensions of EU policymaking, as well young people’s diverse sensitivity on current political and social challenges.
In launching this new initiative, Cardinal Hollerich invited each young delegate to “make the Youth Net a place of true fraternity, an example of how we can be brothers and sisters, aware of our unique cultural identities, truly united in diversity”.
“This new consultative body – states Cardinal Hollerich – will promote the concrete participation of young European Catholics in shaping EU policies”. The President of COMECE also stressed the importance of empowering young people at all levels of our societies, while acting with and across all generations for the Common Good in the EU.
In the next months, the members of the COMECE Youth Net will reflect on the promotion of EU common values, such as democracy and fundamental rights, and present their contribution to the COMECE Assembly in 2023.