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At the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity the delegates of the European Bishops’ Conferences and the representatives of the other Christian Churches met in Rome from 24 to 27 January. It was the first stage of a spiritual journey towards the Third European Ecumenical Assembly that will culminate in Sibiu in Romania in 2007. To coincide with this ecumenical meeting, on 27 January 2006 at the proposal of the Slovene Bishops’ Conference (SBC) the Council of the Christian Churches in Slovenia has proclaimed 2007 Year of Holy Scripture for the whole country. The President of the SBC, Archbishop Franc Kramberger, the paroh of the Serb-Orthodox Church Peran Boskovic and the bishop of the Evangelical Church Geza Ernisa signed a document in which they invite Christians, the political and cultural authorities in Slovenia, and all people of good will, to rediscover the Word of God as source of our life and also as a blessing for the whole of human civilization. The Christian Churches have pledged to cooperate and seek their common roots on the foundation of Holy Scripture. The document of the Council of the Christian Churches in Slovenia was read out in all Catholic parishes on 29 January 2006, Holy Scripture Sunday. During the Year of Holy Scripture, Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, will host an international congress on the Old Testament, held under the auspices of the International Organization for Old Testament Studies, from 12 to 20 July 2007. (http://www.iosot2007.si/temp/). Slovenia will be the first of the new member states of the European Union to host this congress, in which some of the most distinguished professors in biblical studies in the Orthodox world will participate for the first time. Indeed, the participation of Orthodox delegates in the congress will have a great significance from an ecumenical point of view as a way of bringing our two Christian Churches closer together. The courage of meeting together is needed as the first step in a process of reconciliation and rapprochement. What’s needed is the determination to overcome the barriers and, on the basis of our common faith in Jesus Christ, seek the ways that unite us. The presence of us Christians in Europe will only be incisive and illuminating if we have the courage to pursue with determination the path of reconciliation and unity, as urged by Benedict XVI in speaking to the participants at the preparatory Commission of the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly, which met in Rome on 26 January. If the light of Christ is to shine upon everyone, and give hope of renewal and unity in Europe, we need to have the courage to accept the Word of God. In this way we will let the Gospel message enter our life and receive strength and wisdom for changing our course. For Christian Europe it’s not enough to mention the Christian roots in the Constitution: we need to be converted and believe in the Gospel. Christians have the duty to bear witness to their faith in the contemporary cultural and political context, characterised by secularisation and indifference, and to foster and disseminate the ethical values that form part of the great European spiritual heritage. There’s no time to lose. We need to act now. Illuminated by the enduring Gospel message, we need to dedicate ourselves with courage, so that the light of Christ may shine forth and illuminate everyone, in particular those who have the responsibility of leading the destinies of the European continent towards the future.
