EU Special Envoy for religious freedom finally appointed

The European Union has announced the appointment of Mairead McGuinness as its recent Special Envoy for Freedom of Religious Belief outside the EU.

McGuinness has a background in Irish politics and served because the European Commissioner for Financial Services between 2020 and 2024. Her appointment to the role was welcomed by the Catholic Church.

Mgr Mariano Crociata, President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), said in a press release, “COMECE knows Ms McGuinness well and has had the privilege of working closely together with her during her time as a Member of the European Parliament, including in her capability as First Vice-President accountable for the implementation of the dialogue with Churches and spiritual communities.”

Crociata also urged that the brand new post be supplied with all the resources that it must be effective.

This particular Special Envoy role has been vacant since 2024, an indication based on some that the EU has been dragging its feet on the problem of non secular freedom.

Earlier this 12 months the European Parliament passed a resolution affirming its commitment to fighting “Christianophobia”, together with other types of prejudice and discrimination. That resolution also noted that, while the EU had appointed someone to combat “Islamophobia”, nobody had been chosen to cope with anti-Christian prejudice.

While welcoming the appointment of McGuinness, Human Rights Without Frontiers said it was concerned that historically the EU had not taken religious freedom as seriously because it could have.

In a press release the group said, “It can’t be kept silent that through the 10 years and a couple of months of existence of the post of EU Special Envoy for freedom of faith or belief on the planet, the mandate has only been carried out for five years despite all of the pressing calls of MEPs and civil society. This shows a persistent lack of political will to defend freedom of faith or belief outside the EU.”