A society to be invented” “

So far 85 leading personalities from the religious, political and cultural world of Europe and 4000 enrolments have been registered for the 15-day event, which will comprise round tables, thematic meetings, exchanges, and six forums on the burning issues of the European Union: family, peace, freedom, democracy, economy and poverty. This year the Semaines sociales in France, to mark the centenary of their establishment (1904), have chosen as their theme “Europe, a society to be invented”. The meeting will be held in Lille, European capital of culture 2004, from 23 to 26 September. “From sustainable development to the family and religious freedom – says a presentation of the event issued by the French Episcopal Conference – the participants are invited to respond to the great challenges of the construction of a European society enlarged to 25, sharing their experiences and proposing new initiatives”. WHAT ROLE FOR CHRISTIANS IN SOCIETY? After the inaugural ceremony to be held on Thursday 23 September, in the presence of the chairman of the Semaines sociales in France, Michel Camdessus, and the president of the European Commission Romano Prodi, the discussions will begin in earnest on the following day. The involvement of Christians in society will be reviewed. “Since the dawn of the 20th century – says the presentation of the event – in a regime of separation between Church and State, Christians have become involved in businesses, in political parties, in the trades unions, in mutual societies and in various associations. They have had the shared concern to live their faith at the heart of the world. What conclusions is it possible to draw from their commitment? What is their role, now and in the future, in the perspective of a 25-member Europe”. At Lille the participants will also evaluate the fact that with the variety of Churches – Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox – the Christian presence in Europe is by definition plural, i.e. characterised by “diversities and convergences”. Andrea Riccardi, of the St. Egidio Community, will describe ways of common commitment on the front of peace and justice and in situations of tension and violence. Moreover, to emphasise the “ecumenical needs in the 25-member Europe”, the leaders of the main Christian Churches of Europe will also be present at Lille. A EUROPE OPEN TO THE WORLD. Many issues of crucial social importance will be placed at the centre of debate in the six Forums being organized as part of the Week. One forum will discuss the economy and sustainable development, posing the question whether it is possible to “invent new and less onerous formulae for the world of work. Another forum will discuss the family, “new models of family life” and family policies, in the conviction that families “are the bearers of the future and must be listened to in their concrete needs as well as in their deeper aspirations”. Another forum is being dedicated to poverty and the challenge of immigration to trace the commitment of a Europe called to live in the dimension of openness and sharing. “Europe – says the presentation of the Forum – has its particular vocation, that derives from its history and its values: it is the vocation of combating poverty. But this challenge cannot stop at its frontiers. Europe signifies openness, as John Paul II has written. Europe cannot be a closed or isolated territory ( Ecclesia in Europa, no. 111). Tackling the request for more massive immigration requires the realization of structures of hospitality and asylum worthy of the values on which Europe has founded its unity”. A EUROPE AT THE SERVICE OF PEACE. Three forums are being dedicated to the issues of peace, freedom and religions, and democracy. “The need for a new international order founded on an ethics of peace – says the presentation – means that Europe has an essential responsibility. The recent debates on the legitimacy of preventive wars and on the draft European Constitution reveal the difficulties of having a common foreign and security policy. Why do our countries fail to find agreement on these questions? How can we guarantee peace and tackle the new threats of terrorism?”. At Lille the forums will also evaluate the new situations that have been created in Europe with the growth of fundamentalism and intolerance. The questions will be posed: can a truth be respectful and missionary at the same time, valid for everyone and yet different for each? How can Christians define what is specific about their faith? At a time when Europe is seeking its own way, could the concrete replies already given to these questions inspire Europe’s future political decisions?