Dialogue, common good and secularity ” “

Two meetings between dignitaries of the Catholic Church and of the European Union prompt food for thought. On Thursday October 9, in Brussels, cardinal Reinhard Marx, archbishop of Munich-Freising, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of the European Community (COMECE) visited the president of the EU Commission José Manuel Barroso. On the following day, Friday October 11, the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz was received in private audience by Pope Francis.It would be wrong to describe these two closely-related events as a mere coincidence, which despite the different roles and fields of action of those involved, i.e. the religious and political realms, are marked by the explicit willingness to listen, by openness and by cooperation. Indeed, the private, cordial meetings (as described in Brussels and in the Vatican) appear to be marked by mutual recognition and esteem. In one case, the democratic building of the “common home” of European states and peoples; in the other a historical, deep-rooted, historic presence disseminated across European society through the “language” of Christian faith, namely liturgy, pastoral care, charitable service, educational and cultural animation.Beyond the “open, transparent and regular” dialogue of Community institutions with religious communities, enshrined in EU Treaties, a renewed yearning of cooperation between Europe and the Catholic Church for the common good emerges within the present circumstances largely viewed as delicate and problematic, whilst preserving the very identity of the respective roles. Indeed, it can be best described as a reasonable and modern way of interpreting the meaning of “secularity”. Both Brussels and Rome, understood as the epitomes of politics and faith within the present complex times, have clearly identified the challenges of the Third Millennium in the midst of the globalization of political, economic and cultural processes and the secularity of individual and social behaviours. The world is changing even more rapidly than it had been imagined only a few years ago. Those in places of responsibilities raise questions on the future and seek “credible shores” to rely upon.At the end of the meetings between the Holy Father and Schulz and between Cardinal Marx and Barroso joint concerns also emerged, that include the unending economic crisis, unemployment, the precarious lives of large numbers of families, the uncertain future prospects of the young, the countless situations of marginalization and exclusion, the denial of a large number of rights (of minors, old people, sick people, women, minorities, freedom of expression and religion), the underdevelopment of vast areas of the planet, which often prompts mass migration flows, the risks for peace and for the human and natural environments…Schulz’ words, pronounced whilst still inside the Vatican building, and substantially confirmed by the Pope’s spokesperson Father Lombardi, highlight the fact that “if we look at the protection of refugees in the Mediterranean, the fight on poverty and social exclusion or the improvement of the living conditions of the young, both inside and outside the European Union, these emerge as themes on which we share similar opinions and on which we can unite our forces”. Cardinal Marx made known that the meeting with Barroso also centered on the tragic problem of migrations. He said: “The EU is not an abstract international body. It is a Union of peoples, of men and women who believe in a set of principles, among which the most vital one is human dignity”.The EU-Church meeting is to be viewed on the plane of the protection and the promotion of the human dignity of every man and every woman, whether European or extra-EU citizen. Human life is worth more than any other good: the EU and the Church inscribed this truth in their DNA and every day they are called to bear witness of it in concrete life. It is an upward road for both, and many obstacles lie along the way. But it is the only possible path.