More force to Europe

Expressing oneself with courage in favor of a strong Europe. It is the appeal of Msgr. Robert Zollitsch, President of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) in his address of June 14 in Düsseldorf on the occasion of a conference on Europe, organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation at the Wittgenstein Building. Msgr. Zollitsch said he hopes that Europe will become a "continent of hope". In order to do so, "we need brave and responsible Christians, who bear witness to Gospel proclamation in their everyday lives, so that the European Home may be stable and resistant". "The Church", he said, "will give its contribution to this regard". Follow the highlights of the address of Msgr. Zollitsch.Rediscovering values. "The crisis of the euro currency brought to the fore the question of solidarity in Europe. Until two years ago it was widely agreed that Europe should be based on solidarity. In times of crisis and indebtedness, we must delve into the significance of a free Europe based on solidarity", said Msgr. Zollitsch. The prelate highlighted the role of "European values on which Christianity is based". "Those who call for eliminating all traces of Christianity from European culture", he added, "will soon be facing a dead skeleton or a soul-less structure" as these very "traces" encompass "the source of dignity, freedom, social justice and solidarity of the human person",, and because "the care of the sick, of the weak and of those in need are the unique features of Christian faith since its origination". "Europe’s identity-creating bonds and forces" are based on a "common history, which has also been marked by conflicts", a "common culture" that "stemmed from shared religious beliefs, thus from a common value system" which "facilitated, favored and probably made possible the European unification process".Not only economy. With reference to the expansion of the European Union, Msgr. Zollitsch called for a clear profession of European values: "if we consider Europe a community of values, the requisites of future accession should include also availability to consensus on fundamental values, critical to Europe’s cohesion. That’s why also ecumenism in Europe is so important. Without an understanding between the Western and Eastern Churches, cultural and political unity between the East and West in Europe will be hard to implement. "A vision is needed in order to reach people’s hearts and trigger their enthusiasm for the European project", said the archbishop, who pointed out that "the unification process isn’t yet complete" and "it’s necessary to proceed with courage on the path already traced, changing our direction in case of miscontructions". Future prospects. Msgr. Zollitsch conveyed his "concern" for "the mutual attitude of European peoples" before the current crisis of the euro currency. "Fomenting prejudice and using nationalistic stereotyping are sterile behaviors that cause divisions between peoples. The Archbishop guarded against "bygone romanticism marked by the longing to revive the Christian Western world. I believe that Christian tradition has a renewing force for our continent, which today appears weary. A society that is rooted in evangelical message is worthwhile being lived: it is a society capable of conceiving a future. We cannot ignore that modern societies tend to ignore the relationship with the living God in the fulfillment of individual and collective lives. Before many doors erected across Europe, God has become a stranger andT a homeless – more than in any other world continent". Unity e multiplicity. The DBK president called upon policy-makers to step up their commitment for widespread acceptance of Europe. "Europe can find unity only through its multiplicity", he declared. In doing so, he continued, "solidarity requires the perception of one’s own responsibilities. I cherish the hope that if binding rules are imposed the crisis will make the Union stronger. In this way, the euro crisis might boost European unification by developing mutual relations of European peoples. This would represent", the archbishop concluded, "the prosecution of the thought of reconciliation and unification that has guided us along the path of integration for over 60 years".