Europe: Mediterranean Youth Council in Brussels “to tune in to the EU and plan future synergies”

The Governing Board of the Mediterranean Youth Council, the pioneering initiative born of the meeting of Bishops and Mayors of the Mediterranean (Florence, 23-27 February 2022), convenes today, 3 April, (until tomorrow, 4 April) in Brussels. The project was strongly encouraged and supported by the Italian Bishops' Conference. "It brings together more than 30 young men and women from 19 countries bordering the Mediterranean, with the aim of fostering the spiritual dimension, strengthening pastoral activity to face today's challenges, and building fraternal relationships. It is an authentic way of "investing" in young people, as Pope Francis says, also pursued by other bodies such as the La Pira Foundation and the John Paul II Foundation. Members of the board include Emile Fakhoury (Lebanon), Maher Dridi (Tunisia), Aleks Birsa Jogan (Slovenia) and coordinator Pilar Shannon Perez Brown (Spain).

The voices of young people. “We are travelling to Brussels to visit the European institutions and discuss issues that concern the future of young people, our commitment to this cause and the future of the Mediterranean region, which comprises several EU countries that play an important role with regard to peace-building, development and integration," Aleks Birsa Jogan told SIR. “We are also keen to have a better understanding of the functioning of the EU, its mechanisms, its offices, and to present our Council during the scheduled meetings.

We will tell everyone that the young people of the Mediterranean region want to live in peace, in inclusive societies where dialogue and the common good are paramount.

Indeed, one of the objectives of the Council is to unite the ecclesial communities of the Churches bordering the 'Mare Nostrum' in order to promote their unity, coexistence and ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. “For our part, through our work, we are committed to bringing Europe, Asia and Africa closer together, sharing the inherent and constitutive values of the Mediterranean region. In our small way, in our homes, in our schools, in our associations, we dedicate ourselves to prayer, to asking God for the gift of peace and the conversion of hearts. I would add that we also participate in the social and political life of our countries. An important European vote will take place next June. Voting is an important exercise of participation and citizenship.”

COMECE, the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union, recently issued a statement on the European elections in which the bishops encourage "young people to exercise their vote in the coming European elections and so construct a Europe that assures their future and does justice to their genuine aspirations. We also encourage young European Catholics who feel the call to engage in politics to follow this call – the bishops write -  preparing themselves well, both intellectually and morally, to contribute to the common good in a spirit of service to the community." According to Pilar Shannon Perez Brown, coordinator of the Board, "this visit will be an important opportunity to meet with the representatives of the EU institutions in Brussels and to explain to them our project of the Mediterranean Youth Council in order to establish and plan future synergies and collaborations with young people working in the field of peace-building for a more just and united society".

The meeting in Brussels, she told SIR, “will also be a time to engage with the European institutions. We young people want to share our experiences, the cultures of our countries of origin, and also listen to what the European institutions have to say to us.”

The next event. Msgr. Giuseppe Baturi, Archbishop of Cagliari and Secretary General of the Italian Episcopal Conference, will accompany the delegation to the European capital. The agenda features several meetings, including those with Msgr. Mariano Crociata, President of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), and Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. The Mediterranean Youth Council is set to meet again in the Italian town of Fiesole on 16 April for the inauguration of its new headquarters. The Council's web portal is currently under construction. It will include a section on lifelong learning, information and news, as well as material related to the topics discussed.
Daniele Rocchi