Archbishop Treanor died suddenly on 11 August 2024 and had been serving as the Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union for just over a year and a half. He was also a Bishop emeritus of Down and Connor, Ireland, and had served before that asSecretary-General of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE).
Speaking at the event, Archbishop Gallagher praised Archbishop
Treanor's enthusiasm and perseverance in his service as a Nuncio to the
EU, saying "he undertook the role of Nuncio to the EU out of the
conviction that the Church has a unique contribution to make to the
European Project, a contribution which requires people and pastors of
faith to make tireless efforts to preserve the founding insights and
principles that brought about so magnificent a vision" for the
continent's future.
He recalled how Abp Treanor had only
served in his mission at the EU for a relatively short time, with many
plans and ideas for the future he had to leave to his successors, "but
his memory and example remain, and will be a source of encouragement for
us and for all who cherish and share a Europe where the values of the
Gospel can regenerate the Institutions from their Judeo-Christian roots
upwards."
Archbishop Gallagher also quoted Pope Francis' own words on the theme when addressing the European Parliament during his visit to Strasbourg, France, on 25 November 2014, when he expressed words of hope and encouragement for all European citizens, echoing the sentiments and commitment Archbishop Treanor reflected in his diplomatic and pastoral outreach: "It is a message of hope, based on the confidence that our problems can become powerful forces for unity in working to overcome all those fears which Europe – together with the entire world – is presently experiencing. It is a message of hope in the Lord, who turns evil into good and death into life. It is a message of encouragement to return to the firm conviction of the founders of the European Union, who envisioned a future based on the capacity to work together in bridging divisions and in fostering peace and fellowship between all the peoples of this continent. At the heart of this ambitious political project was confidence in man, not so much as a citizen or an economic agent, but in man, in men and women as persons endowed with transcendent dignity."