A determined ”yes”

For the first time, the plenary meeting of a European Bishops’ Conference was held at the COMECE seat in Brussels (Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of the European Commission). From November 5 to 8, Austrian bishops gathered in the Belgian capital to reaffirm their "clear yes" to Europe. This decision was underlined in the meetings with high officers of the EU Commission and welcomed by the European political realm, which invited the Church and the other organizations to repeat the initiative of the Austrian bishops, viewed as a means to draw the EU closer to the specificities of its Member States. The Austrian plenary closed with a press conference chaired by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, president of the Bishops’ Conference. Follow the highlights of the final statement released by the Austrian bishops.Solidarity to the European peace project. "The recognition of the Nobel Prize to the European Union is the acknowledgement that Europe is above all a project of peace " the bishops write, as "envisaged by the fathers of Europe". This is true even though today this dimension is taken for granted by the young generations, who grew up in times of peace". Austrian bishops reiterated the position expressed in 1944 in favour of the Country’s EU accession. "The enthusiasm expressed at the time, conveyed by a large part of the Austrian population, has cooled down with the passing of time, owing to disappointments linked to the ongoing crisis of the European Union", the bishops remark, whilst underlining widespread "euroscepticism", worsened by "a populist policy and by scarcely pluralistic information by the media. In these circumstances the Austrian bishops wish to give a tangible sign of their solidarity, which is also critical of the European Union. The Austrian bishops’ plenary, alongside with a set of intense colloquiums with European leaders, thus led to pronounce a "determined yes" to the European Union. The objective of dialogue: The colloquiums in Brussels mark "the accomplishment of dialogue of the European Union with the Churches and the religious communities", represented by COMECE, "as stipulated in the Lisbon Treaty". "The presence of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference in Brussels shows the European Union that the Catholic Church, as a universal Church active at many levels, contributes with her responsible influence across society. The greater the development of the EU’s political realm, the greater the importance of the common values and spiritual foundations inscribed within the Union. For this, during the meeting with the bishops, the representatives of EU bodies welcomed and also requested the Churches’ precious contribution. This emerged also in the meetings with EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, with the vice-president of the European Parliament Othmar Karas. It was the object of discussion with MEPs, with the director of the EU Commission’s Office for Dialogue with Churches and religious communities, as well as with other officers of the EU Commission". The bishops conveyed their stand "on questions of bioethics, and on the need for measures on work-free Sunday across Europe", and engaged in fruitful talks on policies for environmental sustainability, agriculture, for social support and the economy. As regards the question of global responsibilities the prelates addressed the question of "the worsening of the persecution against Christians and the right to religious freedom".The year of the faith. In their final statement the bishops referred to the recent pastoral letter issued for the inauguration of the Year of Faith called by Benedict XVI "to invite the faithful to deepen and bear witness to their faith, encouraging them to address themes regarding life of the Church in the light of Council documents". Numerous initiatives were promoted in Austria ranging from projects, conferences and publications "on the Second Vatican Council, from a new perspective", since "their a decreasing knowledge of the works of the Council", and also because "certain issues appear not to have been fully acknowledged and implemented for the faith at individual level and for the life of the Church". One of the most important initiatives to this regard is the "celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the constitution on the Sacred Liturgy ‘Sacrosanctum Concilium’, scheduled to take place in Salzburg on December 3-4 2013. Although the Year of Faith will officially end on November 24 2013, a wide range of initiatives on the fiftieth of the Council are scheduled to take place after that date". The document makes known that "for 2013 a set of events are being planned across Austria in remembrance of the conclusion of the works of the Second Vatican Council".