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Press Release No. 12/0914.05.12 10:33  CSC Plenary, Serbia, 2012 Church and Society Commission of CEC reflects on the vision for the future of Europe and CEC The annual plenary meeting of the Church and Society Commission (CSC) of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) took place in Novi Sad, Serbia, from 9-13 May. Panel discussions updated the participants on the state of the EU accessing process for Serbia as well as on how the churches are engaged with this process. Mr. Vincent Degert, Ambassador of the EU delegation to the Republic of Serbia, stressed the progress made by Serbia towards the EU Integration process. The Deputy Director of the Serbian European Integration Office, Mr. Srdjan Majstorović, underlined the weight of the transformational power of the EU Integration process on the Serbian political and economical landscape. Mr. Milorad Bjeletić, Deputy Director of the Belgrade Open School, emphasized that from the perspective of the civil society, the populist parties no longer have a strong role in today’s Serbia. All speakers underlined the importance of the churches in this process, be it through their social and educational work or through their values oriented interventions in the public sphere. Bishop Irinej of Bačka, who invited and hosted the Commission on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church, underlined the need of reconciliation as well as the preservation of Serbia’s own identity in the integration process. “There are examples on the basis of what the common future and reconciliation could be built”, he said, like the renewal of the Serbian Orthodox Seminary in Prizren, or the rebuilding of many churches and historical monasteries with the participation of Albanians. The present CEC Member Churches in Serbia underlined that the role of the churches in the public sphere needs strengthening within society. The issue of property rights still remains a burning issue for the churches. The representative of the Slovak-Evangelical Church A.C, Rev. Vladislav Iviciak, underlined the importance of the reconciliation process and advocacy for the marginalized people in the Serbian society. The CSC members reviewed and adopted during their statutory session the working program for 2012/2013 which focuses on social policy, human rights, globalization, education and bioethics. The Commission drafted and adopted its response to the consultation paper of the Revision Working Group of CEC. The Commission recognizes the need for a change in the definition of the mission of CEC, its structure and organization. While there were different views on some general organizational questions addressed in the consultation paper, the members of the Commission and the Associated Organizations unanimously stressed the importance of not losing the highly appreciated work of CSC in the future framework of CEC. “The work of CSC is a kind of ‘brand’ for the whole work of CEC in many Churches” as it was said in the plenary. During the meeting CSC also adopted some needed changes in its Statutes while enforcing its commitment to respect and deepen its 1999 agreement with CEC. “To hold our plenary meeting in Serbia was very much encouraging and refreshing” concluded Serge Fornerod, the Moderator of CSC, “because it connected us back to the roots of the EU construction and what this is all about: reconciliation and dialogue.
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.
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