A council of religions is born” “

“As European religious leaders, we pledge to work together to put an end to conflicts, to reaffirm our condemnation of terrorism, and to promote justice and peaceful co-existence among the various peoples, religions and traditions in Europe”. With this solemn declaration, the “European Council of Religious Leaders” was founded in Oslo on 12 November. Established by the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), the Council is composed of 30 members: five representatives for each Christian tradition and religion. The Council includes Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Catholic, Moslem and Jewish members, and a representative for each of the new faiths in Europe (Hinduism, Buddhism, Bahá’í, Sikh). How the idea of the Council was born. The idea of establishing an interreligious Council also at the European level was born at a meeting held in Paris in February in which – again at the invitation of WCRP – a select group of religious leaders took part; present at the meeting were the grand rabbi Samuel Sirat, vice-president of the European Conference of Rabbis, Cardinal Godfried Daneels, archbishop of Brussels, Metropolitan Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, and Mustafa Ceric, Reisu-l-ulema of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Parisian meeting was also attended by Msgr. Gunnar Stalsett, Catholic bishop of Oslo who was to host the newly founded Council for the first time. Religions for Europe. “The idea of establishing in Europe a forum where religious leaders can meet together and discuss common concerns – explains Jehangir Sarosh, WCRP moderator for Europe – was prompted by the challenges that Europe is having to face. I am thinking in particular of the process of forming the European Union, and its enlargement, especially to the countries of central and eastern Europe. I am also thinking of the question of immigration and the arrival of new religions in our continent as a result. This latter is an extremely delicate question because the meeting of different peoples and cultures may unleash new conflicts and tensions, but may also be a source of cultural enrichment. In response to the growing migratory phenomenon, Europe frequently risks becoming the theatre of new waves of anti-semitism, islamophobia and racism. To prevent all this, a dialogue that may involve all nations and in the first place the religious leaders needs to be fostered”. “Religions – adds Sarosh – wish to express to Europe a very simple message: they ask that the time may end when religions were used as weapons of war. The time has come for religions to work together, hand in hand, for the common good and for peace in Europe. There have been examples, also in the history of the recent past, that show that religions are able to do so. I think, for example, of the role played by the interreligious Councils in the peace negotiations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Kosovo and in Russia for the pacification of Chechnya”. The current challenges. The foundation of the European Council in Oslo ended with a final declaration signed by all the religious leaders present. “We acknowledge – says the document – the bloody history of conflicts in Europe and the attempts to use religions to foment ethnic conflicts, both here in Europe and in the world. Our religious communities have long been working to reject this abuse of religion”. In their final declaration the religious leaders also refer to the process of European integration and urge that the Union be based on “respect for its diversities and not on cultural uniformity”. In particular, they remind the European institutions of the need “to take account of the diversity of religious traditions and cultures and of the voice of their representatives”. A paragraph of the declaration is entirely dedicated to the main challenges faced by Europe today, including unemployment and social exclusion, the problem of refugees, the growth of xenophobia, the white slave trade, the new poor. “These challenges – write the religious leaders – demand concrete responses”. The religious leaders also reaffirm their rejection of “every abuse of religion” to foment hatred and violence and urge “a peaceful solution for every still unresolved conflict”. In particular, they refer to Chechnya, Iraq and the Middle East, and ask Europe to “contribute to the efforts of peace in every part of the world”. Maria Chiara Biagioni