EUROPEAN UNION
On July 12 the annual meeting between political institutions and religious leaders
While the European Union and its Member States are trying to stanch the losses of the economic crisis, the workdays of the "social" Europe of peoples, of families, of the young and the elderly, of mothers and students, workers and patients, churches and associations, continue. The political realm has consequential decision-making responsibilities and its leaders – who are still required competence and rigor – deserve support and respect from the citizens. At the same time, policymakers must preserve an attentive and receptive glance to the needs of society – on local realities, on families, on the infinite cultural, ideological, religious diversity that make up the European patchwork – to identify the answers to its needs and demands.For this reason, while watching carefully what happens in the EU "palaces" on the euro-issue (i.e., the outcomes of the Eurogroup of 9 July and the next meeting of Finance Ministers of the single currency fixed for July 20), an important meeting has been scheduled for July 12 between EU leadership and the representatives of major faith communities in the continent.It is the traditional yearly meeting whose legal basis lies in the founding documents of the European Union (the Treaty of Lisbon places it within EU "primary law"). This "structured dialogue" with the Churches has been developing in recent years as a high-profile summit, whereby the spiritual leaders are heard with respect and attention by politicians as the custodians of the religious sentiment of peoples and community leaders who are particularly active in the areas of solidarity, culture, education, peace, and defense of rights: all values that believers should seek to realize in their everyday life and which are also the basis for the construction of community identity. The theme chosen for the encounter of July 12 is "Intergenerational Solidarity: Towards a framework for the future society in Europe". For the year 2012, which the EU has proclaimed the European Year for Active Aging and Solidarity between Generations, debates will focus on demographic development, on the ongoing aging in the 27 States, in reconciling work and family life, on combating unemployment, and on the support to weak brackets. The EU will be represented by Commission president Barroso, Council President Van Rompuy, and EP President Schulz. The Christian churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Reformed, Anglican), Islam, Jews, Hinduism and the Bahá’í believers will be led by twenty representatives, including bishops, rabbis, imams and people working within the charitable and ecumenical spheres. Among the participants figure Mgr. André-Joseph Leonard, archbishop of Malines-Brussels, Chrysostomos II, Orthodox Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and Cyprus, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, President of the Conference of European Churches, Kristine Jansone, general secretary of the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe, Mohammed Moussaoui, President of the French Council of the Muslim Faith. The EU Commission emphasized on the eve of the summit that it will follow the Europe 2020 strategy aimed at boosting economic competitiveness and employment, promoting social inclusion and countering poverty, increasing education levels, improving environmental sustainability and the quality of life. These are areas in which the Churches’ teachings and experiences can be shared with the political Europe.
