An indissoluble tie

“It is impossible to dissociate Europe from Christianity, above all because Christianity is the main key for under standing our continent in its totality. This is the “undeniable fact” on which Cardinal Josip Bozanic, Archbishop of Zagreb (Croatia), based his “Report on the Relationship between the Word of God and Europe, presented to the Synod of Bishops, presently taking place in the Vatican. During the second general congregation which took place in the afternoon of October 6, dedicated to “continental relations”, Cardinal Bozanic, who is also Vice President of the CEEC (Council of European Episcopal Conferences) presented to the Synod Fathers a panorama of the “ties” between the Bible and the Old Continent. Ample extracts follow. That which unites us. “Between the Bible and Europe” said Card. Josip Bozanic – there’s an indissoluble tie. Everything which made European culture and its civilization great – Europe of the thousands of Cathedrals, Europe as custodian of art treasures, Europe with its high profile of Christian charity that was able to express concrete signs of solidarity and service to the poor – has the Bible as its point of departure”. The Archbishop of Zagreb recalled, “themes such as the dignity of the person, the recognition of human rights, the separation between Church and State – to give just a few examples – have their basic source in the Bible. Social justice, law, a refusal to make false images of God, have their foundations in the Bible”. It is the Bible that “unites the East and West, North and South of the Continent, as also the diverse Churches of the Christian Community”. Signs of interest. “In Europe today”, Cardinal Bozanic continued, we can note a renewed interest in the Bible”. For this reason “it is necessary to start again from God and the event of His revelation, and at the same time have the courage of a new and more mature proposal of Lectio divina”. A “Lectio” which, for the archbishop, signifies “listening to God who acts in history. This permits a “reading” of the life of the Church in Europe as the place where He reveals himself”. In this perspective, Bozanic added, “one must ask how to read the divergence of opinion within the Church, the conflicts between peoples – but also how to react to the cultural marginalization of Christianity, the search for freedom outside of the presence of God. Now if Christianity is the major unifying force embracing all Europe, we must recognize God’s action as it is revealed also in our wandering off course, in our disagreements as well as in communion”. All this “leads us towards a Christianity that does not let itself become involved in the games of politics and economics to the point that it becomes unrecognizable. The responsibility of Christians in Europe”, the Cardinal stressed, “is to make sure that we do not limit ourselves to a purely political and economic interpretation of events”. From this derives “the invitation to practice the Lectio divina”: “To be Christian, to practice Christianity means to be Lectio divina”.Crisis of identity. Despite signs of “renewed interest” for the Bible, Europe is going through a “crisis of identity” on various levels. “It seems” said Card. Bozanic, “that Europe wants to flee from the revealed God and is searching for the source of its identity within the humanum, a concept that is intentionally vague”. But “Europe without God”, the Archbishop commented, “risks developing into a nest of anxiety”. It is “the Word” that “restores hope and joy”. The Cardinal feels that, “refusal of the Word is leading Europe towards a culture of discouragement and in security. In fact, a culture that breaks with the Christian celebration, is risking its very joy and pushing Europe into a civilization of suffering and sadness that feels the weight of old age and death. The Word gives back to Europeans the ability to celebrate life. Where the Celebration of Christian mysteries exist, the Church is young and guarantees youth to Europe as well”.Memory and heritage. Card. Bozanic made a final reflection based on his personal experience. “We who come from that part of Europe which has been dominated by various dictatorial regimes, the last of which was Communism, have realized that the pastors and the faithful were able to resist in the face of the cruelty and horrors of ideologies only by relying on the Word of God. Filled with the Spirit of Christ inspired by the Scriptures, many Catholics and European Christians of the twentieth century were able to discern between good and evil, they were able to resist against the challenge of totalitarianisms. The Holy Scripture permitted them to discover not only the weaknesses of others and of themselves, but above all the hope that flows from the very Word – hope in life which is stronger than death and destruction”. For “us Europeans”, Bozanic concluded, “reclaiming the memory and heritage of Christianity – learning from past generations – means a return to the roots of our historical identity, drawing from the living source of the Word of God”.