The necessary pedal” “

An interpretation of the signs of the time in the life of the European Churches was offered by two churchmen, one Orthodox, the other Catholic, at a recent meeting on ecumenism (Italy, 26-31 July). The two speakers in question were Bishop Athanase Hatzopoulos of Achaea, representative of the Greek Orthodox Church at the European Union, and Msgr. Aldo Giordano , general secretary of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE). Community of values. “The unification of Europe – declared Hatzopoulos – provides an opportunity for collaboration and rapprochement between the Churches and religious communities in the context of dialogue on the contribution of religion both in the public sphere and in private life”. In response to the interest shown by the European peoples in their own future, “the Churches – he continued – must also help those Churches that have not yet developed their own activity in this sector to boost this interest”. It would be mistaken, according to Hatzopoulos, “to leave to politicians alone the task of deciding on our future, only to rue this abdication later. Europe is the common home of us all; this message has been understood by many Orthodox. It’s an unique occasion for making each person feel responsible for what is happening in Europe”. Greatest common denominator. “The process of European reunification”, “intercultural and interreligious dialogue”, “the question of religious identity”, and “the desire for spirituality”: these are the four signs of the times identified by Msgr. Aldo Giordano. “The Churches – said Giordano – are following with particular interest the process of European unification, because they perceive that it may give Europe greater peace, stability, justice, security, solidarity and brotherhood”. It goes without saying – he continued – that “the Churches are not interested in a ‘fortress’ Europe: what they want is a more stable continent to better realise the exchange of gifts with the other regions of the earth and contribute to justice and peace in the world”. The CCEE secretary also commented on the attempt to construct Europe “on a minimum common denominator”: “is this the right way – he provocatively asked – to proceed or has the time come to find a consensus on the greatest common denominator to explore the deepest richness each may give?”. Dialogue and identity. “After 11 September and the war in Iraq – pointed out Msgr. Giordano – religion has become fashionable, but what’s new is the fact that politics are appropriating intercultural and interreligious dialogue for their own ends, with the risk of imposing their own rules and criteria on it”. In this sense, “the Churches – explained Giordano – are called to regain control of this dialogue, in the light of their own experience and with intrinsically religious criteria”. Another problem is that of identity. “If we are not conscious of whom we really are – warned Giordano – we cannot dialogue. But, at the same time, the need to safeguard our own identity may lead us to enclose ourselves anew in self-isolated and self-sufficient fortresses”. “Bicycle lamp”. The fourth sign of the times today, according to Msgr. Giordano, is “the desire for spirituality” that is growing in Europe. It is linked “to the quest for the meaning of life and responses to suffering and death”. “Spirituality – he said – is like a magnifying glass between us and the Gospel, that magnifies the words that the Holy Spirit indicates for the ecumenical task. I would like to end with the image of the bicycle lamp: only if we pedal do we generate the light to go forward. In ecumenism, the pedal of love and faith is essential”.