The force of memory

There is “a fairly widespread culture in European affairs which relegates manifestations of one’s own religious convictions to the private and subjective sphere” denying individuals engaged in faith and in Church-related institutions their public space. His Eminence Cardinal Sean Brady, leader of Ireland’s Catholic Bishops Conference, pronounced this statement on the occasion of a meeting of politicians and economists held Sunday August 23rd at the “Humbert Summer School”, in Ballina, a city in Northern Ireland, among the Country’s most important summer events.Source of wisdom. “Ireland owes a lot to the European Union, It is difficult to believe we would enjoy the political stability in the North or the economic progress in the South we do today without it”, were the Cardinal’s opening words. “An important dimension of the European project”, His Eminence pointed out, “is the power of memory”. Memory shapes “who we are and how we act in the present. If we live apart from our memory we detach ourselves from our deepest roots”. Positive memories are “a source of wisdom and strength in the face of new and challenging situations”. Christian values and Europe. European values stem from Christian memory. The Cardinal recalled that the Second Synod of Bishops in Europe in 1999 identified three points of action for European institutions: “to protest against the violation of human rights of individuals, minorities and peoples; to pay utmost attention to everything that concerns human life from the moment of its conception to natural death and; to pay attention to protect the family based on marriage”. In 2003, in his subsequent reflection on the Synod, Pope John Paul II acknowledged that the institutions of Europe promoted the unity of the continent and were at the service of humanity. He noted with approval the aim of the EU at that time to adopt a common fundamental “Charter”, and went on to ask that any such Treaty would include a reference to the “religious and Christian Heritage of Europe”. “Much progress has been made in these areas”. And the “Catholic Church” – the Cardinal pointed out – as indicated by various Papal and Synodal reflections, is generally positive towards the European project and its founding ideals”. Qualified support. But this is “a qualified support”. “As the recent referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland suggests”, His Eminence warned, “at least some of those who were previously enthusiastic about the founding aims of the EU, both social and economic, are now expressing unease. The reasons for this are complex”. One reason may be the “loss of Christian memory” in European institutions and policy. The Church is concerned about the “prevailing pragmatic attitude” within the EU that compromises on essential human, moral and social values “on the basis of the lowest common denominator”. “Such an approach – Cardinal Brady remarked – ends up with Christians as such being denied the right to intervene in public debates”. “The same might be said of positions taken over stem-cell research, the status of same-sex unions, the primacy of the family based on marriage, the culture of life – the prevailing culture and social agenda within the EU, would at least appear to be driven by the secular tradition rather than by the Christian memory and heritage of the vast majority of member states”. The soul of Europe. In this context – the Cardinal continued – it is not surprising that we might speak of a European continent that is losing confidence in its future. From its foundation the EU is a historical, cultural and moral identity even before it is a geographic, economic or political objective. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, ‘it is unthinkable that we can build an authentic common European house by disregarding the identities of the peoples of this continent of ours…It is an identity built on a set of universal values in which Christianity played a role in moulding them”. Such values today constitute “the soul of Europe”. “Without respect for its Christian memory and soul – Cardinal Brady declared – the European project is doomed to loose social cohesion”.