The fear of being lost” “

From the study of pathology to the role of believers in the process of European integration; from the Protestant influences on Slovene culture to the challenges of globalization: Franciscan Father MIRAN ŠPELIC , professor in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Ljubljana, interviewed by Gianni Borsa, tackles any question that leads him to know the history of the Church, that of his nation and Europe in the third millennium. Father Špelic, Slovenia has only recently become a member of the EU. What are the hopes of its people? What is the situation in your country? “Of course the Slovene people have followed with close attention the process leading to membership of the Union, and the hopes of economic prosperity and democracy have grown in public opinion. In fact the social and cultural situation in Slovenia was fairly good since the time of the Yugoslav Federation; but improvement is always possible! One thing is certain: we did not experience the phase of so-called ‘enlargement’ as a ‘return’ to Europe, because we have always felt ourselves to be within the continent, even in the Communist period. We have cultivated our culture and our traditions. Now the real problem being felt is the risk of losing our own identity within such a large Union and in close contact with other peoples, languages, cultures and legal systems”. What steps should the EU take to respect its many diversities? “I’m convinced that the first step to take is that of mutual knowledge, in respect for the specific identity of each. Study, informal meetings, travel, tourism: everything may help to bring closer together such different peoples and traditions, present in the 25-member Union. I see other dangers on the horizon, however: in Slovenia, for example, we fear a ‘brain drain’, i.e. the transfer abroad of the better educated youth, in the search for better jobs and higher salaries. We also fear losing our economic independence with the possible arrival of multinationals that buy up our firms and decide on the future of our workers”. But, drawing a balance sheet between the positive and negative features, do you think EU entry is a step forward for Slovenia? “I would definitely say so. This new chapter in our history needs to be embraced with realism and prudence. It ought besides to stimulate us to do our best, to be alert and resolute, so as not to be engulfed in the ‘great Europe’. We think of our return to democracy, after the end of communism and re-won independence: it appears solid to us today, but it can never be taken for granted, neither in Slovenia, nor in the other countries of the continent, nor in the United States. We cannot help observing, indeed, that democracy today tends to be transformed into plutocracy, into the government of the few, the rich and the powerful, who with money and ownership of the mass media may influence public opinion”. What could be the role of Christians in this regard? “I have followed with interest the process that led to the European Constitution and I regret that at the end no reference to the ‘Christian roots’ of the continent was included in it. I am convinced however that we believers must ourselves be the charter on which the Christian roots of Europe are written, roots that are living because they are present in us, in our actions, in our personal and community witness. Each European civilization has sooner or later encountered Christianity, and remained marked by it to the depths of its being. The same should be the case today. The history of the christianisation of the Slovene peoples, whose roots can be traced back to the seventh and eighth century AD, teaches us that the transmission of the faith is often channelled through culture, through fruitful action in daily life”. What role is played by Slovene Catholics in this process? “The Church had an essential task in the period in which the country won and reinforced its own independence. Those were tough years… Now I think Catholics have been sidelined a bit from social and public life, also due to their own fault. We have not always been prepared to tackle the contingent problems and be protagonists in public life. I believe the right road is that of convinced and profound faith that is expressed in the life of the nation, to enable it to grow, and that inspires us to be, when necessary, a critical and credible voice”.