A year since Gdansk

Recurs in these days the first anniversary of the first “Catholic Social Days for Europe” held in Gdansk October 7 to 9. For three days 350 delegates from 29 countries delved into themes considered crucial for the European agenda – the dignity of the human person, the family, the European social model, the role in institutions, Europe’s responsibility for global common good – whilst including conclusions and proposals in a synthetic final Message, read under the three crosses in front of the entrance of Gdansk’s shipyard. It was the clear reiteration of the message that “Solidarity is the future of Europe”, which in the words of prophet Joel reaffirmed that our generation was tasked with addressing the challenge of developing a strategy for the common good, based on the Pauline principle: “Through charity may you be at each other’s service”. The stages of a journey. The determination to provide, as Christians, a significant contribution for the promotion of the common good in Europe, to the light of the Gospel and of the Social Doctrine of the Church, was an evident background in the preparations leading to that event, as it also constituted the path leading to it. I would like to recall some of the steps that strongly marked that path: the pilgrimage organized by COMECE to Santiago di Compostela in 2004, which contributed to paving the way for the historical enlargement of the European Union which took place on May 1 2004; the celebration of the centenary of the Social Weeks in Lille in 2004, which its President wished that it be marked by European participation (almost a quarter of all participants) and content; the creation of the IXE network – the Initiative of Christians for Europe – consisting of lay organizations from different European countries, which established the elaboration of unitary documents on the occasion of the major events of the Union’s agenda; COMECE’s Congress of Rome in 2007, with the important Report of the Sages and the final Message for the 50 years of the Treaty of Rome, presented to the Summit of the Heads of Government and State in Berlin. Increasing signs. It’s certainly still early to say whether the consistent signs of religious awakening experienced across Europe will become a significant force enabling cultural transformation for the creation and consolidation of a relevant movement in the public sphere. But I wish to recall some of the events occurred over the past year: the presentation of the appeal on the question of the cross in public buildings in Europe to the European Court of Strasbourg by a coalition of three significant European lay organizations (Acli, Social Weeks of France and the Central Committee of German Catholics) past May 9, the 60th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration; the presentation to the European Parliament of a significant document with concrete proposals for combating poverty and social exclusion in Europe, undersigned by Caritas Europe, Eurodiaconia, COMECE and the CEC Church and Society Commission; the initiative jointly undertaken by PPE and by COMECE of holding a one-day symposium on Caritas in Veritate at the EP; the extraordinary success of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe in determining the overturn of a resolution project that enabled a group of Christian MEPs to convince combined political forces on the need to protect one of the founding values of European identity, the freedom of conscience and the right to objection. Memory and the future. In this sense, the memory of Gdansk and the path undertaken until now is fulfilled by the news arriving from Zagreb, where the CCEE assembly decided to revive the project of the European Social Weeks with an organic and systematic approach. It is my hope that two urgent questions will be taken into account. The first relates to the need of a prestigious venue that will host the encounter of all movements involved in the realm of public services within Churches across the continent, since diversities are often marked by poor communication which prevents the accumulation of richness and the establishment of critical mass necessary to accompany this much needed common public “shift” on the European scenario.The second relates to the need to create and consolidate a specific and authoritative location for the encounter of political and ecclesial representatives and institutional leaders, in order to trigger ongoing debate and discernment on the long-term strategies that need to be adopted along with short-term solutions and actions. The urgent need for such cooperation was clearly indicated by the EP outgoing president Poettering on the Westerplatte esplanade during the meeting in Gdansk and it represents a crucial junction, so as not to forget the great human and professional energies ongoing and active across all institutions.