EU Bishops mourn Fr Paul Huot-Pleuroux, first General Secretary of COMECE

Fr Paul Huot-Pleuroux

The Commission of Bishops Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) has announced the death on Monday, 15 April, of Fr Paul Huot-Pleuroux, who was the first General Secretary of COMECE at its foundation in 1980. He occupied this position until 1989.

A Priest of the diocese of Besançon (France), Fr Huot-Pleuroux had first been General Secretary of the French Bishops Conference (1971-1977), then Joint Secretary of the Council of European Bishops Conferences (CCEE, Saint Gallen, Switzerland) (1977-1980), before assuming in Brussels the position of General Secretary of the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) from 1980 to 1989.

Fr Paul Huot-Pleuroux belonged to the pioneering generation of Church representation to the European Institutions. He launched COMECE, established its working methods as well as the initial contacts with European institutions.

After the end of his mandate, he continued his work of communicating the message on Europe through daily radio slots between 1998 and 2010 on the European news broadcast by Christian Radio RCF (France). The transcription of these 270 bulletins which featured on RCF radio over this period have been published in two volumes by COMECE under the Title 'L’Europe qui se construit'.

In a statement, COMECE, its President Cardinal Marx, the member bishops and the COMECE Secretariat said they wish to "pay tribute to Fr Paul Huot-Pleuroux and they proudly follow in his footsteps."

A Mass in his memory will be celebrated this Friday 19 April at 12noon, at the Chapelle de la Résurrection rue Van Maerlantstraat 22-24, in Brussels.