The 700 antennae ” “

“From the Atlantic to the Urals you have worked to strengthen in your listeners the consciousness of common Christian roots and stimulate in them dedication to the service of peace. You have thus given a valuable contribution to the building of Europe on ethical and spiritual foundations, by fostering understanding and rapprochement between the peoples of our continent”: with these words john paul II welcomed the 70 directors of the European Conference of Christian Radio (CECR), who recently met in Rome to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the organization’s foundation. “I exhort you – the Pope continued – to persevere with generosity in this important mission. May your voices, in the variety of your respective programmes, continue to bear witness to Christ, salvation of the world, and to proclaim his Gospel of peace to everyone”. RECOUNTING LIFE THROUGH THE RADIO. “Radio stations and the media in general – said LUIGI BARDELLI, chairman of the European Conference of Christian Radio, on opening the work of the 11th Colloquium in Rome – have the task not of inventing life, but recounting it, commenting on it, and helping to share experiences, both the sorrowful and joyful ones. This task has been performed by our radio stations over the 10 years that have elapsed since the foundation of the CERC and we hope to continue it in the years ahead”. “Ten years ago – recalled Bardelli – the managing directors of radio stations in four countries – France, Spain, Portugal and Italy – had the happy intuition of establishing the CERC in order to tackle together the problems of communication in Europe, overcoming linguistic and psychological barriers. Today the CERC has a membership of almost 700 radio stations distributed in 15 countries that will soon be increased to 20”. “We are – emphasized the CERC chairman – lay radio stations of Christian inspiration, which officially collaborate with the EU and with the Council of Europe, in open dialogue with everyone to help foster co-existence between peoples on the basis of those principles that everyone claims to pursue and to share: justice, peace, development in freedom and in democracy, and respect for all races, religions, traditions and customs”. On this terrain, Bardelli continued, “we intend to work and make our contribution, without concealing the problems and contradictions that certain choices of life involve, and without resigning ourselves to a minimalist Europe in the name of a presumed toleration, incapable of indicating higher aspirations”.” There will – concluded Bardelli – be many possible methods or formats, as we say, different for the various situations, but all with the same aim of spreading the Word, sometimes silently, sometimes proclaimed from the rooftops”. FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE URALS. To the four founder countries that in 1994 set up the European Conference of Christian Radio – France, Spain, Portugal and Italy -, others have been added over the years, to reach the current number of 15. From the Iberian peninsula, where Radio popular transmits – Cadena Cope from Madrid and Radio Renascenca from Lisbon – we pass to RCF – Radio Chrétienne en France – and the Circuito Corallo in Italy or the RCF in Brussels and the KRO – Katholieke Radio Omroep – in Holland. Through Austria (Radio Stephansdom) and Slovenia (Radio Ognjisce), “the Christian view of the world”, shared by the radio stations that form part of the CERC, has now spread to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Poland, and even extended as far as Latvijas Kristyigais Radio in Riga, in Latvia. It’s a network that has expanded in tandem with European unification and has helped to promote this process, by reflecting in the Colloquia held each year on the European identity and cultural diversity, on East-West cooperation in the continent, on human rights in the Europe of citizens and on the Christian roots of the new political situation taking shape. “Fostering a European conscience and mutual understanding between peoples, in the form of a real Christian humanism”, and helping to “defend human rights, in particular freedom of expression, and the promotion of democracy” are, in fact, the fundamental principles of the CERC, and their continuing relevance today was also confirmed at the 11th Colloquium in Rome. Christian radio stations – said Bardelli – are “conscious of a great responsibility at a time when Europe is faced by major decisions if it wants to progress towards a world of solidarity and genuine peace”.