Europe of the human person

Reconciliation and integration: a joint commitment against relativism, secularization and for the promotion of Europe based on solidarity and sensitive to human dignity; supporting “sound” secularism and dialogue with Community institutions. His Eminence Cardinal Péter Erdö, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and president of Ccee (Council of European Bishops Conferences) outlined the Catholic Church’s priorities in the Continent. Follows the report by Giovanna Pasqualin Traversa.How can Churches contribute to the European Integration Process today?“For the past two-thousand years, long before politics and diplomacy, Christianity was the driving and integrating force within the Continent’s culture and civilization. On these grounds, the Church is not secondary to politics. Rather, it represents a solid basis for integration founded on the centrality of the individual, on solidarity and on subsidiarity. This is a ‘sound’ form of integration, since Christianity didn’t wipe out national character nor individual cultural identity. On the contrary, it strongly contributed to their formation. I therefore believe that our mission should continue through meetings, prayer initiatives and concrete charity. European Churches ought to act jointly, so as to transmit the much-needed brotherhood between nations on a spiritual plane, in order to implement peaceful and reconciled coexistence. The Church cannot refrain from its duty of expressing its stands on issues pertaining to justice and solidarity, along with those regarding natural values and ethical questions: life, families and the human person in particular. This is done not only in the framework of European legislation or of the relationship with EU institutions, but also in the population’s daily life”. Which are the priorities of intervention?“It is necessary that Eastern and Western Churches, and at ecumenical level all European Christian Churches, jointly prevent the decay of our culture’s anthropological basis and combat conscience manipulation. We ought to show that the Gospel can establish a dialogue with all cultures. We must recover the much neglected reasoning based on the promotion of the individual and of the common good, discarding utilitarian approaches representing individual drives and interests. Europe lost its ability to see the entire picture. This entailed a lack of co-responsibility. A consequence of this anthropological disaster, which the Church is called to address, is the EU’s prevailing financial and economic approach, that apparently inspires all political elaborations”.According to the Church, what are the limits to this outlook?“It is a partial parameter, which doesn’t enable an appropriate and veritable perception of reality. By considering the economic aspects only, institutions and the productive system are loosing track of other fundamental elements such as the quality of life, the respect for human dignity, environmental protection, the importance of silence and more humane life and working conditions. As a Church, we ought to pass the message that a ‘higher’ and more comprehensive economic approach includes solidarity, mutual trust and the quality of human relations, viewed as important factors for growth”. In his recent trip to the U.S., the Pope declared that local Catholics could be a stimulus for European Catholics. He also underlined the positive value of American secularism… “The so-called ‘American secularism’ is the product of the social and political tradition marking a separation between State and Church which isn’t necessarily hostile. In Europe there are different forms of separation. In some Countries this separation is expressed in a structural diffidence or aversion against the Church. In post-Communist Republics, State secularity, intended as Church-State separation, is a recent phenomenon and isn’t generally against religious freedom. Indeed, Church mistrust is expressed every now and then. However, it shouldn’t be viewed as part of Countries’ constitutional structure. Suspicion and a negative attitude mark the paradigm of secularism in some West-European Countries such as France. It should however be said that it’s very hard to actually compare the two continents, since these are historically different environments, and as relates to our continent, it is very diversified internally”. What do you consider ought to be the features of a sound “European secularity”? “A liberal attitude which doesn’t interfere with Church affairs is not sufficient. The State ought to grant to all of its citizens the possibility of practicing freedom of worship. It should equally identify appropriate ways to ensure, also from the economic angle, the appropriate performance of Church institutions whereby the values of faith are viewed positively, notwithstanding the distinction between religious and civil spheres. The U.S. secular model that encourages Church activity also under the economic profile, cannot be exported to Eastern European Countries since it entails resorting to public and private resources, which this region doesn’t dispose of. I also believe there isn’t a single secular model that is valid for all. There are differentiating factors such as religious composition, the secularization degree along with the historical, cultural and institutional traditions pertaining to each State. I therefore agree that EU constitutions view religious issues as pertaining to the jurisdiction of the single Member States. At the same time, I consider it equally important that the latter, because of the solid values that religions transmit to societies, don’t confine religious practice to individual private spheres. A just secularity envisages the sound cooperation between Church and State”. A few years ago Hungary became EU Member along with other East-European Countries. What did this entry represent and what does it continue representing? “We have always considered ourselves Europeans. This is why we don’t feel as if we returned to Europe, as some say. On the contrary, we started to be members of an alliance of States called ‘European Union’. From the economic standpoint this adhesion didn’t have a very positive spin-off. However, despite the delusions compared to the expectations preceding adhesion, we strongly hope in the EU, seen as the guarantor of Peoples’ peaceful coexistence. There still are remnants of nationalism which ought to be overcome. Adhesion did however facilitate human contacts. The freedom of movement from one Country to the other is an important conquest for East-European population. This certainly encourages closeness, reconciliation between peoples and the purification of memory”. Why is this problem felt so strongly in Central and Eastern Europe? “The Peoples of this region experienced centuries of suffering and wounds inflicted by the Turks, the Austrians, the Germans and the Russians. Some of them were also marked by tragic conflicts in recent times. We do however believe that this past should be viewed with a conciliating approach. This is why East-European Churches attentively follow this integration and pacification process. For this purpose, different Catholic Bishops Conferences promoted initiatives to spread information on our common history and identity, and signed reconciliation declarations. One of these, is the declaration signed by Hungary’s Bishops with Slovakia’s Bishops Conference ‘We Forgive and We Plead Forgiveness’, on the wake of a similar gesture made some decades ago by Polish and German Bishops. We also intend to continue the dialogue with the bishops of Central Europe in order to deepen the reflection on issues pertaining to pastoral care and the common challenges which the Catholic Church ought to address in the EU, for the harmonious development of the entire continent”. What are these challenges, in particular?“Above all secularization that, according to our experience, isn’t a merely peaceful process, an almost natural one as is the case of Western Countries. Secularization is expressed also in acts of hatred and concrete acts of violence against the Church and its symbols. It is necessary to understand the significance of this phenomenon and respond with a truly Christian approach: with serenity and firmness”.