Towards a Change of Life-Style – Second Laudato Si’ Reflection Day organised by:
– CCEE – Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europæ
– CIDSE – International family of Catholic social justice organisations
– COMECE – Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU
– GCCM – Global Catholic Climate Movement
– JESC – Jesuit European Social Center
– Justice and Peace Europe
When? Wednesday 12 June 2019, 10:00 – 16:30
Where? Square de Meeus 19, 1050 Brussels
Towards a Change of Life-Style
When the encyclical Laudato Si speaks of an ecological conversion in order to bring about the necessary change to maintain «our common home, the earth», then it is clear that this does not just mean «spiritual change». This conversion also affects our lifestyle.
However, change of lifestyle is very often negatively connoted by many. He is seen as a «loss of the existing» and not as an «opportunity for something new».
Our starting point for this transformation should therefore be less considerations of how to safeguard the existing wealth in our societies, but to ask ourselves the question about the «good life».
In order to sharpen our view of what is necessary and what is possible, we would like to turn towards those initiatives and projects that are already trying to live this necessary change, however small.
It is these examples that can convince us rather than big words can and show, that a «good life» is not necessarily just a vision, but that it can be achieved, step by step. How can we invite people to join this «path to transformation»?
PROGRAMME
10.00 – 10.15 Welcome and introduction
– Fr. Olivier POQUILLON OP, General Secretary of COMECE
– Mr. Stefan LUNTE, General Secretary of Justitia et Pax Europe
10.15 – 10.30 Change of life-style. Political challenges and expectations for the next five years to come.
– Ms. Marcela Duftner and Ms. Renate Karmmer-Stark, Members of the City Council of Innsbrück, Die Grünen
10.30 – 12.15 On the Way towards a Good Life for all: Examples of Good Church Praxis in Europe
– Prof. Elena LASIDA, Eglise Verte (France)
– Prof. Ulrich BARTOSCH, KU Eichstätt (Germany)
– Ms. Beatrice van SAAN–KLEIN, DBK (Germany)
– Rev. Gabriele PIPINATO, Diocese of Padua (Italy)
– Ms. Margarida ALVIM, Casa Velha (Portugal)
12:15 – Input by Ms. Stefania Proietti, Mayor of Assisi
12.30 – 12.45 – Laudato Si’ Midday Prayer led by Fr. Luis OKULIK, CCEE and Fr. Peter ROZIC, Director of JESC
12.45 – 14.00 Lunch
14.00 – 14.30 The role of the Catholic Church towards a sustainable life-style
– H.E. Mgr. Jean-Claude HOLLERICH, Archbishop of Luxemburg, President of COMECE
14.30 – 15.00 Towards a Sustainable Europe in 2030
A contribution from the European Commission
– Mr. Saïd el-Khadraoui, European Policy Strategy Center, European Commission
15.00 – 16.00 Comments, observations and questions. Open debate
16.00 – 16.15 A possible form of future cooperation: The project of a «European Laudato Si’ Alliance»
16.15 – 16.30 Conclusions and closing remarks
Moderation
– Michael KUHN, Senior Adviser, COMECE
– Stefan LUNTE, General Secretary Justitia et Pax Europe
– Chiara MARTINELLI, Executive Advisor / Team leader Climate, Agriculture & Energy, CIDSE
If you are interested in participating in this public event, please complete the online registration form:
For any further information, please contact the COMECE Secretariat (email: – tel: +32) (0)2 235 0510.