Being there, as leaders” “

Moving Europe beyond the crisis, Sortir l’Europe de la crise, Europa aus der Krise führen, Wyjœcie Europy z kryzysu, Sacar a Europa de la crisis. Whatever the language used to express it, the efforts the EU is making at this stage are under everyone’s eyes: “Moving Europe beyond the crisis” is a must, giving hope and a future back to the 500 million citizens that have been hugely affected by the repercussions of a long, tough recession. And the leading religious communities of the old continent – first and foremost, for its history and tradition, Christianity, with Islam, Hebraism, Hinduism and other confessions – are taking on such responsibility. This has been reiterated by the religious leaders, during their meeting with the EU’s institutions in Brussels on 30th May, the yearly meeting that has been established under article 17 of the Lisbon Treaty and that this time was focussed on the citizens’ role in the EU integration process.The religious communities, represented by bishops, rabbis, imams, spiritual leaders, confirmed they are fully confident in the European project (despite a few faults that can be found in there), which is considered to be able to “build bridges” between peoples and states, to open nations up to a “charitable dimension” in their international relations, to stand up in support of people’s fundamental rights, without however overlooking the differences that run across Europe, from north to south, from east to west.The churches confirmed they primarily have a spiritual and ethical role – so essential to a Europe that has lost so many values and so much confidence – while emphasising their will, even their “duty”, to be proactively involved in the public arena, bringing into it those powerful values that stem from a “noble” view of the human being who lives in this day and age and is equally open to transcendence. Principles that also revolve around the respect of life, the support of the family, the promotion of solidarity and peace, the defence of the poorest and the last.The believers’ communities do understand not only the material needs of people and society (which they try to respond to, as far as they can, through widely-acknowledged and highly-esteemed educational, charitable, social, welfare initiatives …), but also the need that touch the minds and the hearts of today’s women and men. This is what the leaders of the political institutions acknowledged, as they offered a helping hand to the European churches and asked – within the scope of their mutual spheres and responsibilities – for strong, determined, effective help, in order to achieve the common good.In this respect, such yearly meetings turn out to be constructive and much awaited by both parties. It is equally important that this open, transparent and structured dialogue between the EU and the churches does not just boil down to meeting once a year, but that it is accomplished through the building of channels for listening to each other and joining forces 365 days a year.This one was, after all, the believers’ idea of participation in the building of the “common house” which John Paul II conveyed precisely ten years ago, in his apostolic exhortation “Ecclesia in Europa”. And we find the whole magisterium of the church sharing his views about the continental integration process, from Pius XII’s speeches to his successors, through to Pope Francis, who, a short while ago, when meeting first a delegation of Ccee (Council of European Bishops Conferences) and then a delegation of Comece (Commission of the EU’s Bishops Conferences), urged Christians to take responsibility for this journey towards European unity. An effort and a mission that cannot be disregarded if we want to “give Europe a soul”.