Being a minority

With an interview with Mgr. Czeslaw Kozon, Bishop of Copenhagen (Scandinavia) and with Mgr. Nikólaos Fóscolos, Archbishop of Athens (Greece), SIR Europe is continuing its special feature dedicated to the reflections of European bishops on the process of European integration and on the Church’s thought on the European common home (cfr SIR Europe 62-63-64-65-66-67/2011).What opinion and what expectations do the Catholic in your Country have vis-à-vis the European Union?Mgr. Czeslaw Kozon: “The opinion of Catholics regarding EU would mirror that of Danes in general, which has a taint of euroscepticism in some regards (e.g. opposition to the euro currency). There is thus no specific Catholic opinion. As many Catholics are of foreign origin, there may among them be some from other more ‘traditional’ EU-countries, who would be more in favour. It is hard to notice any expectations”.Mgr. Nikólaos Fóscolos: “The Catholic Church in Greece is a small minority counting about 50,000 Catholics in the midst of a total population of about eleven million (11,000,000), which is in its great majority Orthodox Christian. In the past few years the number of Catholics has greatly increased through immigration from various countries throughout the world and for various reasons. Right now, the number of Catholics in Greece is estimated at three hundred thousand (300,000). What Catholics think about the European Union, therefore, is not uniform. The Greek Catholics, as they are not an ethnic minority, have the same opinion as the Orthodox Christians: for the great majority of the Greeks, the European Union is the institution that collects a lot of money and that distributes a lot of money. The average Greek citizen wants to belong to the E.U. and to benefit from being a member without knowing, however, about his responsibility. For the Catholics who came to Greece looking for a better life, the European Union seemed like a dream, an earthly paradise. However when they reach our country (the South East gate to the European Union) they might not find hell but they surely find purgatory…”.Public opinion is based on correct information: do you believe that, in your reality, there is appropriate information on the EU institutions and on the European Churches? Mgr. Czeslaw Kozon: “Knowledge about the EU is very important and lacking in large parts of the population, also among Catholics. More could be done to spread information about COMECE and KEK the activity of whom is largely unknown”.Mgr. Nikólaos Fóscolos: “ For the three decades since Greece entered what was then the European Community and is now the European Union, there has never been accurate information on the nature of the European Union. The people are confused. Our politicians have never wanted to inform accurately our people about the structures of the E.U”. How can the Church in your country contribute to Europe?Mgr. Czeslaw Kozon: “The Catholic Church as a minority can hardly contribute to the European Union. In some circles, limited as they may be, there is a fear of Catholic influence in the EU, and some try to discourage churches to engage themselves in the EU”.Mgr. Nikólaos Fóscolos: “The Catholic Church in Greece, being a minority, has few opportunities to make a contribution to Europe. Its reality and conditions of existence are such that they are not even understood by the Catholic hierarchy of other countries. In spite of this, with the few means at its disposal (media, internet), it informs the people about the activities of the COMECE, and of the CCEE”.What balance would you strike concerning the work which has been implemented by the European Churches in the EU? Mgr. Czeslaw Kozon: “Although unknown to large parts of the public, I think the work of the European Churches is important, as I can see from my own experience in COMECE. This works consists in getting information, follow legislation and in trying to influence decisions”.Mgr. Nikólaos Fóscolos: “Examinig the history of the CCEE and of the COMECE we see how those two institutions have grown along with the E.U. and have contributed to improve certain laws trying to infuse a Christian spirit in the European legislation”.