What solidarity?” “

The plenary assembly of the French Episcopal Conference (CEF) opened at Lourdes on 4 November, on the theme: “The Catholic Church in France today. From one century to another: relations with the State, presence in society”. Two main issues were addressed by the President of the French bishops, Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, in his opening speech: the secular state (see also Sir no.74/2003) and the reform of the structures of the Episcopal Conference. The assembly is being attended by some 150 bishops, of whom 116 in office, 14 in retirement and 14 representatives of other episcopal conferences. Exponents of other Christian confessions were also invited to attend. The assembly will end on Monday, 10 November. We present some passages from Archbishop Ricard’s speech. Solidarity in danger. “People often speak of the secular principle being under threat, but what’s under threat is the willingness of the French to show solidarity in their lives. To establish this social and national solidarity, there’s a need for strong values and a conception of man and human relations as far as possible shared. The Catholic Church intends to participate in this collective endeavour, without allowing its contribution to be reduced to the safeguard of the cultural heritage, and by testifying to her own faith in Christ”. “Our work must – Ricard continued – be concentrated on three points: relations with the public authorities in respect for the neutrality of the State and its responsibility to guarantee religious worship, the approach to the secular principle starting out from our reflection and experience, and our contribution to a better social life in France”. “We live in a society that absolutises the individual, his aspirations and his desires. In this perspective, what solidarity can there be between the generations? What solidarity between different professional categories? What integration in city districts to ensure they do not become ghettos? When solidarity declines, when the common responsibility is weakened, then violence increases, in our schools, in our factories, in our housing estates. We need to recognise that there is a crisis in the transmission of values that does not just concern the family, the school or the Churches but that attacks the fundamental values on which the Republic is based. It’s a challenge that is not only up to the State. The Catholic Church is called to play its part by bringing the message of Christ, and by teaching man to live in solidarity”. Reform of the structures. Another issue touched on in Archbishop Ricard’s address is that of the reform of the structures of the Episcopal Conference: “privileging the responsibility of the bishops and their common work; simplifying the complexity of our functions; promoting synergies between committees, services and commissions, and ensuring agility in tackling the new problems that will not fail to arise. These are the objectives of our desire for reform”. “Reform isn’t an end in itself: it is placed at the service of the mission entrusted to us. May the breath of the Spirit also be visible in the structures of our Conference and in the way it works”. International solidarity and migrations. Africa, Iraq, Holy Land, Colombia, “from these tragedies we can draw a lesson: to build peace, we cannot ignore rights. The local churches testify to their courageous commitment to peace in the face of the conflicts that touch them”. “Many Christians find in the Gospel the courage to act, often in the face of strong opposition, to defend people’s right to receive asylum in our country. To those who wonder at the Church’s commitment in this field, let us recall the words of Christ: ‘I was a stranger and you took me in’. These migratory movements cannot but grow as a result of demographic trends; they need to be considered in their true dimensions. The Church is fully involved in her mission, offering her own catholicity and openness to universality”.