Thirteenth Annual European Prayer Breakfast

 

 

The European Parliament played host the thirteenth annual European Prayer breakfast last month, in an event attended and supported by Labour MEPs, past and present. Despite having to pull-out at the last minute due to ill-health, London MEP Claude Moraes had been of two principal sponsors of this years' event which attracted over 300 people from all twenty-seven EU member states and beyond. Former Labour MEP Terry Wynn, a Methodist lay minister, filled-in for Claude as the event's co-host.

 

This year's was one of the biggest in the event's history and perhaps the largest-attended throughout the Brussels' parliament's year. 

 

A number of the MEPs attending, including co-host Terry Wynn are current or former members of the European Parliament's ecumenical prayer breakfast intergroup, which is the oldest such intergroup (equivalent to a Westminster all-party group) in the European Parliament, founded over thirty years ago.

 

Those who contributed to event came from the Parliament the European Commission but also from non-EU countries, such as former Albanian foreign minitser Lulzim Basha. Among the other attendees was Belarusian presidential candidate Vital Rymasheuski, as well as invited guests from across the political spectrum, including many from the Socialist and Democrat group in the European Parliament, to which Labour and its European allies belong. 

 

Music was provided by well-known American singer and Seventh-Day Adeventist minister Wently Phipps, making his second consecutive appearance at the event. On this occasion Phipps certainly lived-up to all the expectation following last year’s performance, as his deep baritone voice could be heard from across the expansive Parliament building in the early morning, finishing his performance with a rendition of 'Amazing Grace', in time for the arrival of this year’s special guest speaker, Parliament President Jerzy Buzek. Phipps, who has performed for 5 American presidents, was due to appear with Slovenian MEP Alojz Peterle the next day to perform at a special event at a prison in Slovenia. Speaking about it later Peterle commented that the prison concert had indeed been one of the more special and memorable events of his career.

 

This year was not the first time a serving President (speaker) of the house had addressed the prayer breakfast as the main guest-speaker. President Buzek, a former prime minister of Poland and 'Solidarity' activist, who's term as president finished this week, spoke of the need for pluralism and tolerance in a Europe where the presence of Christianity in public life was no longer an automatic feature in some EU Member States. In his speech the long-serving MEP spoke of how Christianity in various forms had stood firmly in opposition to the various totalitarian regimes of Europe's recent history. Buzek, from Poland's tiny Lutheran minority, spoke of the need for tolerance and pluralism in European society and politics, where not only different religious, but also other forms of minorities needed to have their voices heard and their rights protected. Previous guest speakers have also included royalty and visiting prime ministers.

 

Following the prayer breakfast there were other events in and around the Parliament on different, related issues. A lecture was given by author Os Guiness on the theme 'Lord, make me an instrument of you peace', as well as a seminar on human dignity and later in the evening a dinner was held for young Christians in EU affairs, which was addressed by Terry Wynn and local Belgian officials.

 

There's a full year until next the 2012 prayer breakfast, but it could yet be bigger still.

 

 

 

Paul Hagan works for Labour MEP Peter Skinner in the European Parliament.

He is a supporter of CSM and a member of Northern Ireland CLP, but writes in a personal capacity. He has volunteered to assist the organisation of the Prayer Breakfast for the past two years.