“The human person – way for Europe” was the title of the 7th Ecumenical Assembly of Gniezno, held in the ancient Polish capital from 15 to 17 June. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, addressing the over 600 participants from all over Europe, underlined the need “to oppose the threats of the contemporary world against human dignity and freedom”. The most important challenge today, said the cardinal, is posed by progress in the field of genetics and hence of bioethics. The former Director of the Vatican Press Room, Joaquin Navarro Valls, and the President of the Polish Federation of Pro-Life Movements, Pawel Wosicki, also spoke of these problems. The Assembly ended with a Message in which the delegates vigorously re-affirm their conviction: “The measure of Europe consists of its humanistic character, and that cannot be otherwise”. With regard to current tensions between the Christian and secular visions of man, the participants agreed that “The Gniezno Assembly is proof that dialogue between these two visions is possible, despite the fact that full agreement between them does not seem possible”.
