A life for Europe” “” “

On the vigil of Pentecost 2004, Bishop Pierre Raffin of Metz (France) officially closed the diocesan phase of the process of beatification of Robert Schuman, “father of Europe”. The canonical inquiry was instigated by a group of French, German and Italian laypeople, members of the association “St Benedict, patron of Europe”. The process opened on 9 June 1990. After having heard some two hundred witnesses, and made a critical analysis of all the public and private writings of Schuman the man of politics, the inquiry was then transferred to a theological commission charged with the task of examining whether there was any spiritual and moral contradiction to the faith in these writings. The volumes of the testimonies and writings (running to some 50,000 pages) have now been sent to the Congregation for the Cause of Saints. Robert Schuman, French Minister of Social Affairs, in a historic declaration on 9 May 1950, proposed to the States that had fought against each other during the Second World War, that they should place in common their production of coal and steel, which had been the cause of centuries-old hostility between France and Germany. From the reconciliation between these two countries was born the first European Community and from it, successively, the present European Union. In this action, Schuman was closely supported by two fervent Christians: the German Konrad Adenauer and the Italian Alcide De Gasperi (the 50th anniversary of whose death falls this year – cf. SIR n. 56), and by a layman respectful of the religious beliefs of the three: Jean Monnet. Robert Schuman exercised his political commitment as an apostolate: he applied in his public life the same principles as in his private religious practice. Brought up in two cultures, both French and German, Schuman experienced in his own personal life the tragedy of Franco-German hostility. Schuman’s commitment cannot be understood without knowing his deep spiritual life. In him Christian faith and political action formed a unity, albeit in the distinction between both spheres. The spirituality that animated Schuman placed at the centre the Word of God that guided his every action. From the Eucharist, to which he had daily recourse, he drew comfort for the difficulties of the day ahead; from his mother he inherited genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Schuman had a deep consciousness of the role played by Christianity in the formation of democracy. In his book and political testament “Pour l’Europe” he writes: “Democracy owes its existence to Christianity. Democracy was born the day on which man was called to realize in daily commitment the dignity of the human person in his individual liberty, in respect for each person’s rights and in the practice of brotherly love towards everyone. Never before Christ had similar concepts been formulated”. Robert Schuman continues to bear witness today that politics too can be a path to sainthood.