The first meeting between the new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) took place in Rome this week, signalling the Vatican’s readiness to listen to Europe’s concerns.
On 7 August 2025, Bishop Nuno Brás da Silva Martins, Vice-President of COMECE and Bishop of Funchal, spoke to L’Osservatore Romano following the audience. “The very fact that the Pope received us in this first week is significant,” he said. “We already had an appointment with Pope Francis, but we did not expect Pope Leo XIV to take the initiative and confirm the meeting himself.”
