WHAT IS THIS THREE DAY SESSION ABOUT?
Building on our inspiring last session, the group «Passion for Europe» will organize a
second 2-day session of dialogue and encounter at the Spiritual Centre “La Pairelle” to share
the Christian vision of Europe’s current situation and the long-term global challenges.
Our world has entered a time of uncertainty. Many distrust everything except traditional formulae
of independent nationhood, while others are convinced that the nation on its own cannot meet
the challenges which lie ahead. This difference is itself a challenge. The growing interdependence of
peoples depends on trust. This calls for respect for differing histories and, in particular, differing
experience of oppression. Respect for difference, however, cannot be enough. A vision of Europe
as trustee of the universal common good has much to offer. Its mission is to be both an example
and an advocate of this reality and part of that mission has always been an overcoming of its own
divisions, both between nations and within nations. They result partly from economic and social
inequality, arising from differing historical perspectives and from a growing distrust in
government in a complex technological world. Addressing these internal divisions
will help us overcome the harmful side effects of globalization and resolve disagreements
on how to deal with climate change, which affects people’s lives far beyond Europe.
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To Europe we can put the questions:
“Where is your vigour? Where is that idealism which inspired and ennobled your history?
Where is your spirit of curiosity and enterprise?
Where is your thirst for truth, a thirst which hitherto you have passionately shared with the world?”
Pope Francis, Nov 25, 2014, Council of Europe
second 2-day session of dialogue and encounter at the Spiritual Centre “La Pairelle” to share
the Christian vision of Europe’s current situation and the long-term global challenges.
Our world has entered a time of uncertainty. Many distrust everything except traditional formulae
of independent nationhood, while others are convinced that the nation on its own cannot meet
the challenges which lie ahead. This difference is itself a challenge. The growing interdependence of
peoples depends on trust. This calls for respect for differing histories and, in particular, differing
experience of oppression. Respect for difference, however, cannot be enough. A vision of Europe
as trustee of the universal common good has much to offer. Its mission is to be both an example
and an advocate of this reality and part of that mission has always been an overcoming of its own
divisions, both between nations and within nations. They result partly from economic and social
inequality, arising from differing historical perspectives and from a growing distrust in
government in a complex technological world. Addressing these internal divisions
will help us overcome the harmful side effects of globalization and resolve disagreements
on how to deal with climate change, which affects people’s lives far beyond Europe.
* * * * *
To Europe we can put the questions:
“Where is your vigour? Where is that idealism which inspired and ennobled your history?
Where is your spirit of curiosity and enterprise?
Where is your thirst for truth, a thirst which hitherto you have passionately shared with the world?”
Pope Francis, Nov 25, 2014, Council of Europe
The Speakers
HE Mgr Alain Paul LebeaupinHis Excellency Monsignor Alain Paul Lebeaupin is the Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union. He was ordained to priesthood on 1975 for the Diocese of Nice. He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1979. His diplomatic mission included the Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, the Dominican Republic and Mozambique. He was the Head of delegation of the Holy See to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE, now OSCE) (1989-1998). In 1996, he was concurrently appointed as Chargé d'Affaires of the Holy See to the European Community (1996-1998). He was then Apostolic Nuncio in Ecuador. In 2005, he became Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and Permanent Observer at the United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat. He has been Apostolic Nuncio to the EU since 2012. He holds a doctorate in civil law and masters in canon law and theology.
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Victoria Martín de la TorreVictoria Martín de la Torre is a Spanish journalist working as a press officer for the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament since 2008. Before arriving in Brussels, she worked as a reporter at the weekly magazine Tiempo for over a decade, covering EU-Arab World relations. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1998 and she got a MS degree at Columbia University School of Journalism (New York) in 1999. In 2003, she specialized in EU Foreign Policy at the College of Europe (Bruges). She is the author of two books: “Viaje a la ciudad de Belén. Cuna del amor, semilla de intifada” (A trip to Bethlehem, cradle of love, seed of intifada) published in 2008 and “Europe, a Leap into the Unknown”, published in 2014. She is also the founder and president of the Abraham Forum for Inter-Religious and Intercultural Dialogue in Madrid, which was launched in 2009.
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Philippe LambertsPhilippe Lamberts is a Member of the European Parliament from Belgium and the Co-Chair of the Group of the Greens. Lamberts graduated as an engineer at the Université Catholique de Louvain in 1986. Between 1999 and 2003 he was an adviser of Vice-Prime Minister Isabelle Durant on foreign affairs and defence. Lamberts was the co-spokesperson of the European Green Party between 2006 and 2012. He has been leading the Greens-European Free Alliance in the European Parliament since 2014, alongside co-chair Rebecca Harms and later Ska Keller. He is a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and the Committe for Industry, Research and Energy.
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Mgr Jean KockerolsJean Kockerols is a Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop in Belgium. He was ordained a priest in 1993 and was later the Dean of Brussels-South. He was appointed auxiliary bishop to the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel and titular bishop of Ypres by Pope Benedict XVI on April 3, 2011.
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Stephen RyanStephen Ryan is Deputy Head of the Asylum Policy Unit in the European Commission's DG HOME (Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs), a position he has held since October 2012.
From 2008 to 2012, Mr. Ryan held various positions in the Border Management/Return Policy and Asylum Units at the Commission's DG HOME, and as member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Cecilia Malmström (Home Affairs), with responsibility for legal and labour migration, integration, and asylum policy. From 1993 to 2008, Mr Ryan worked as an official in the Commission's DG COMP (Competition), holding a number of different positions, and has published on competition law/policy in several leading EU periodicals and textbooks. Mr Ryan is a barrister-at-law (Republic of Ireland, 1990). He holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) from University College Dublin (1988), and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Cambridge (1991). |
Andrea TilcheAndrea Tilche obtained his Doctoral Degree in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Milan in 1978. In 1998 he moved to the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra as Head of the Water Research and Monitoring Unit, and later moved to Brussels to lead the Water Key Action of the 5th Framework Programme. He is now Head of the “Climate change and natural hazards” unit within the Environment Directorate of DG Research & Innovation. As from 1st January 2013, he has been appointed Acting Director of the Environment Directorate of DG Research & Innovation.
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Jean Peyrony |
Phillipe HerzogPhilippe Herzog is the founder and honorary president of Confrontations Europe. Formerly a student of l’Ecole Polytechnique, Philippe Herzog started his career as an administrator at the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. He was also a Professor of economics, and taught at the University of Paris-X Nanterre (1973-2003). He was Member of the Political Bureau of the French Communist Party (1979-1996). He was a Member of the French Economic and Social Committee (1948-1989), of the Committee of Economic Analysis towards the Prime Minister (1997-2008), and Chairman of the Institute for Public Financial Education (2006). As a Member of the European Parliament (1989-2004), he was Chairman of the Committee on External Economic relations, and Vice-Chairman of the Committee of Economic and Monetary Affairs. He is now special adviser to the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Michel Barnier. Philippe Herzog has been awarded Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques, of the Ordre National du Mérite, and of the Légion d’honneur.
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José Ignacio García José Ignacio García SJ led the Jesuit European Social Centre from 2012 to 2016 (and its transition from OCIPE since 2009), conducting research and advocacy on migration, climate change and social justice. During this time he also coordinated the work of the Jesuit Social Ministry in Europe, assisting and promoting the Jesuit charities and organizations seeking to help vulnerable and marginalized people. Fr. Garcia currently serves as a Regional Director of JRS Europe.
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Martin Maier Martin Maier SJ is JESC's Secretary for European Affairs, a role involving networking and relationship-building with individuals and groups within the European Institutions. Fr. Maier previously worked as editor of the magazine "Stimmen der Zeit", rector of a European Jesuit Formation Centre, and pastor to a rural community in El Salvador. An expert in theologies of liberation, he is a guest professor at the Central American University.
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Michael Schöpf |
The Moderators
Jean Peyrony Jean Peyrony is director general of the Mission opérationnelle transfrontalière (Cross-Border Operational Mission — MOT) in Paris. His previous positions include: expert seconded by France to the European Commission (DG Regional and Urban Policy); head of mission in the Interministerial Delegation for Territorial Planning and Regional Attractiveness (DATAR), for territorial cooperation and cohesion policy-making 2007/2013; head of the regional observatory group in the Regional Office of Infrastructure of Île-de-France, where he was involved in formulating the 1994 master plan, and project manager for urban planning operations in Île-de-France and Réunion.
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Chiara Martinelli Chiara Martinelli has been working since 2011 in CIDSE as Advisor and leading CIDSE work on climate, agriculture and energy. CIDSE is the international family of Catholic social justice organisations. Chiara actively engages in CIDSE work on bringing about a paradigm shift towards a just and sustainable world, with a specific focus on public mobilisation and climate justice. She is also advising the CIDSE leadership and playing an active role in the coordination of the alliance. Since 2014 she is coordinating the campaign Change for the planet – Care for the people and being the contact point for CIDSE collaboration with other movements and allies in this joint effort to boost CIDSE call for sustainable lifestyles. Chiara's work in international development began with a one-year volunteer service in Benin (West Africa) working in a project for the socioeconomic promotion and empowerment of women. From 2008 until 2010, she worked in the Italian Catholic NGOs Network - FOCSIV as International Relations officer.
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Gyula Ocskay Gyula Ocskay has been working for Budapest-based CESCI (Central European Service for Cross-Border Cooperation) since its foundation in 2009 as secretary general. Previously, he was involved in cross-border development in Esztergom and lectured on political philosophy and political sciences at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University. He wrote his first essay on cross-border regionalism in 1992. Since then he has been dealing with regional issues and social and political theory of space. In 2013 he was awarded by Pálfi István award together with Luc Van den Brande for their work in cross-border issues.
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Peter Rožič Peter Rožič SJ has been JESC's director since September 17, 2017. He also acts as Social Apostolate Delegate for the Conference of European Provincials. A Slovenian national, Fr. Rožič holds a PhD in Political Science from Georgetown University. Before arriving in Brussels, he was an assistant professor at the University of Ljubljana and rector of the Residential College in Maribor.
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Michael Kuhn Senior Advisor in charge of Ecology & Sustainability and Education, Culture and Youth policy. Seconded by the Austrian Bishops’ Conference.
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Peter J. Verovšek Dr. Peter J. Verovšek is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Politics/International relations. He studied Government (high honors) and German as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College (AB 2006, summa cum laude). He then conducted research on the continuing effects of the memories of World War II in the politics of the former Yugoslavia as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar (2006-07), before receiving his MA (2008), MPhil (2010) and PhD (2013) in Political Science from Yale University.
After completing his doctorate, he spent three years as Lecturer on Social Studies at Harvard University (2013-2016), where he also served as co-founder and co-chair of the European Union Study Group at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies. He has also held appointments as a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities in Bad Homburg, Germany, at the Jean Monnet Foundation in Lausanne, Switzerland, and at the Normative Orders Cluster of Excellence at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. |
Organizers
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JESC - Jesuit European Social Centre
Our core mission at JESC is to reflect on the life, policies and practice of the European Union. We seek engagement which authentically expresses Christian faith, remains close to the poor and marginalised, analyses the social reality with competence, and advocates for justice in European political structures. In a context in which the EU is undergoing the most acute political and economic crisis of its existence, JESC seeks a critical but constructive engagement with the EU.
As a work of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials, JESC expresses the commitment of the Society of Jesus to a Europe where human rights, freedom, and solidarity are the foundation of integration.
“Passion for Europe”
A group of Christians of different nationalities and confessions involved in EU activities,
was formed as a place to exchange on Europe’s future,
based on Pope Francis vision for Europe and the Social Teaching of the Church.
Our core mission at JESC is to reflect on the life, policies and practice of the European Union. We seek engagement which authentically expresses Christian faith, remains close to the poor and marginalised, analyses the social reality with competence, and advocates for justice in European political structures. In a context in which the EU is undergoing the most acute political and economic crisis of its existence, JESC seeks a critical but constructive engagement with the EU.
As a work of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials, JESC expresses the commitment of the Society of Jesus to a Europe where human rights, freedom, and solidarity are the foundation of integration.
“Passion for Europe”
A group of Christians of different nationalities and confessions involved in EU activities,
was formed as a place to exchange on Europe’s future,
based on Pope Francis vision for Europe and the Social Teaching of the Church.
