Opening our hearts to God

In the framework of the economic and financial crisis that has hit many European countries, the Church “wishes to indicate the way out. In order to reach this way out it is necessary to open our minds and our hearts to God. This would bring a different understanding of social life, determined by solidarity and gratuity”. With these words, Cardinal Péter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, President of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE,) opened on September 29 the CCEE Plenary Assembly in Tirana. Follows excerpts of his address. The financial situation of many European countries is marked by a serious crisis, which has serious consequences on the life of individuals and families. Many people – with no fault on their part – are without a job, and they are often indebted beyond their means, overburdened by taxes and unable to purchase essential goods for their own sustenance. Through her works and her word, and, most of all, thanks to the commitment of Christian faithful in the public realm, the Church endeavours to indicate a way out. In order to reach this way out it is necessary to open our minds and our hearts to God. This would bring a different understanding of social life, determined by solidarity and gratuity, as the Holy Father reminded us two years ago in his Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate.One of the most visible symptoms of the crisis in Europe is the economic collapse. But the ethical and anthropological crisis that nests in the lives of the families, in educational structures, in the media… has deeper and more insidious roots. Social tensions, family crises, drug consumption by the youth, abortion and euthanasia often indicate the presence of a “culture of death”, signalling that the profound meaning of life is non-acknowledged. Surging aggressiveness and violence are widespread, notably among the youth, while insecurity abounds. Indeed, true peace, offered to us in Jesus, cannot be reduced to the mere lack of violence. It requires justice, and more importantly, it is charity. Today, experts examining the situation of religious freedom in the world have found that Christianity has become the world’s most persecuted religion. Of this we are gravely concerned. There cannot be true security and solidarity when religious freedom is not fully granted. My thoughts go to all Christians persecuted in different corners of the world. I wish to convey to them the vicinity of the Church in Europe, and we assure them of our prayers. We are aware of your difficult situation and we will never forget you! At the same time, we call upon all democratic governments and upon the European Union, that so often have been concretely committed in the defence of human rights, to be more demanding with the governments of those countries where religious freedom fails to be implemented. The fact that today there are no such clamorous cases of persecutions in Europe shouldn’t make us forget that our societies are not without problems. An upsetting high number of Christians in Europe have been the object of discrimination on religious grounds, indirectly or manifested, at the workplace or in the social environment, as registered by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe. Moreover, as known, also in our Countries, the influence of anti-Christian sentiment rapidly spreads amidst social communication media, in schoolbooks and amidst the public opinion… In all of these cases Christian faith and the Church are often treated unfairly, within the framework of distorted news. It is equally worrying that social networks pages with Christian content are regularly excluded or censored. Given this scenario the Church in Europe is equally committed for the regeneration of our societies, through the proclamation of the Good News, in renewed, updated forms, as the idea of a New Evangelization best describes. It is a clear sign that the proposal of the Holy Father to incessantly continue proclaiming Christ, even when the tide appears to flow against us, found us available and in agreement with the decision dictated by the urgency of a new evangelization.