Bishop builds bridges with council of Europe

The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, the Rt Revd Geoffrey Rowell, has just returned from a visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg during which he was warmly welcomed by the Secretary General, Walter Schwimmer, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly and several heads of departments. He also visited the Court of Human Rights.

He has described his visit as "an opportunity to have valuable exchanges" and he expects that the discussions he had will result in further contact and co-operation between the Council of Europe and religious bodies, including the Church of England.

During his visit, Bishop Geoffrey was briefed on the work of the Court of Human Rights by a British judge, and he concluded his time with a meeting with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly who is a member of the Old Catholic Church with which the Church of England is in full communion and which works closely with the Diocese in Europe.

The Council of Europe is a wider body than the European Union (it includes all European nations except Monaco and Belarus) and is especially concerned with culture, religion, and social issues.

The visit was arranged through the Church of England Chaplain in Strasbourg, Canon Alex Gordon, and the Revd John Murray, a non-stipendiary priest whose day job is within the Council of Europe.