An “inescapable task” for the oriental and western Churches: “On us is incumbent the grave responsibility to make the young the living and future members of the Church and of society in Europe”. This responsibility was reaffirmed by Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, during the eucharistic celebration according to the Byzantine rite that opened the third day of the 10th Symposium of European bishops recently held in Rome on the theme: “Youth of Europe in the process of change. Laboratory of the faith”. The theme discussed by the 90 bishops and 35 young delegates from all over the continent during the third day of the symposium on 26 April was “Itineraries of formation”; the moderator was Msgr. Virgilio Bercea, bishop of Oradea Mare. “Will the new Europe be ‘with’ or ‘without’ the Church?” asked Card. Moussa I Daoud, expressing his concern about “the religious indifference and dropping out of the Church of so many people, the decline in vocations, and in religious practice”. If the identity of Europe is based on already acquired values such as “democracy, openness and dialogue”, it’s also true that other problems remain such as “secularization, atheism, materialism and some divisions exacerbated by the difficulties in coming to terms with the phenomenon of immigration, which brings with it the temptation to return to the past and to become self-enclosed”. Yet in this situation, the cardinal stressed, there are “religious roots that are still bearing fruit”, a “precious treasure that Pastors have the duty to rediscover and turn to account” : the new evangelization depends on them. Among the other positive aspects the prefect recalled the flourishing of new movements and associations, the numerous young people “who are knocking on the doors of the oriental Churches”, and the great welcome that the western Churches reserve, in their contexts, for the oriental Churches. “The evangelizing mission he concluded may derive force from the exchange of gifts between Christian West and East”. But he also expressed his regret that, in spite of appearances, the Churches are only babbling to each other: there’s a need for a more patient and trustful dialogue. The eucharistic celebration was enlivened by polyphonic choirs from the Collegio Pio Romeno of the Greek Catholic Church in Rome.
