Written by Canon Jack McDonald, Bishop Robert's adviser for EU affairs.

On Ash Wednesday, 14 February, Archbishop Justin accepted Bishop Robert's invitation to spend the day at the European Union institutions in Brussels. His aim was to report back to the top level of the European Union on his learnings from the visit to Ukraine which he had made the previous week. 

Meetings took place with Margaritis Schinas (Vice-President of the European Commission), Stefano Sannino (Secretary-General of the European External Action Service), Othmar Karas (Vice-President of the European Parliament), Nicola Censini (Coordinator of the Article 17 Dialogue between the EU and religious and philosophical groups), Caroline Read (Deputy British Ambassador to the EU) and Martin Shearman and Chloe Louter (British Ambassador and Deputy British Ambassador to Belgium). These encounters enabled Archbishop Justin to speak in depth about his impressions of the situation in Ukraine, which he described as "sombre but determined", and to outline the broad lines of possible diplomatic ways forward. We were also able to organise one meeting with ecumenical partners - he particularly wanted to discuss Catholic social teaching and so met with Father Manuel Prieto and Archbishop Noël Treanor (Secretary-General of the Commission of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of the EU and Papal Nuncio to the EU) and their staff.

Bishop Robert was delighted to welcome Archbishop Justin to the diocese and to accompany him throughout the day. A day of political and ecumenical encounter like this needs plenty of organisation behind it, and we are grateful to Dr Charles Reed (Archbishop Justin's adviser for foreign affairs) for his constant help. 

We love our diocese in all its variety and colour, and one interesting aspect to our diocesan life is the presence in Brussels of the EU institutions. Speaking to them and ministering to them is part of our vocation here.