“A strong sign for European unity”

A quick visit of a few hours that will give a strong sign for European integration and unity; an important message for the continent crossed by different peoples and cultures, called to address “together” the problems of today and the challenges of the future. On November 25 Pope Francis will visit Strasbourg, where at 10,35 he will deliver a speech at the European Parliament, and at 12.05 (according to the official program) at the Council of Europe. At COMECE – the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community – there is an atmosphere of great anticipation. “We are very happy that the Pope has decided to visit Strasbourg”, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich-Freising, told Chiara Biagioni for SIR Europe. How did it come about? “I had spoken about it with the Holy Father on the occasion of the first audience of the permanent COMECE Committee with Pope Francis. During that meeting we told him that it would have been a good idea if the Pope had begun his trips to Europe with a visit to European institutions. I reiterated the proposal during the meetings of the groups of the 8 cardinals. Every time the Pope replied: ‘it would be a good idea’. I am therefore happy that he has decided to visit Strasbourg, as it is an important sign that says that Europe is an identity. Before visiting the various European Countries, the Pope is giving a sign that Europe is a continent, that Europe is a whole. And politicians have acknowledged this signal”. In your opinion, what will the Pope say to Europe? “I don’t know whether the Pope will speak about peace, of the social question, of social justice. Naturally, the Pope decides what to say. But he has already announced that he will speak at the Parliament of the Assembly of the Council of Europe. I know that citizens in Strasbourg were disappointed maybe because they expected he would make a stop in town. However, the Pope will make a visitation to France in 2015. In any case, the Pope is giving a signal. I spoke with Parliament chairman Martin Schulz, who has invited the Holy Father. He called me and conveyed his happiness; he hopes the Pope will address Europe’s responsibility as relates to social issues, that he will say something for the poor. Evidently, it is expected that the Pope will speak of the poor, of the poor in Europe and those living on the borders of Europe. But I cannot say. We shall see”. Which Europe will Pope Francis find and what are the concerns of European institutions? “We should bear in mind that the Pope will speak to two different European bodies and that the Council of Europe, unlike the EU, includes also Russia and Ukraine. When we speak of Europe we always think of the European Union, but Europe is larger. It is also necessary to talk about peace and reconciliation. It is necessary to speak about the war that is being waged also in our continent. In this year in which we mark the memory of the First World War it should be said that a war is currently under way in this continent. It’s terrible! It’s a big shock for me. The other question is how a community that is extremely complex because of the different languages and cultures, that has to come to grips with the economic downturn and the financial crisis, may find in Europe a path for the future. But I do believe that it’s easier to solve problems together. It is necessary to recover a sense of responsibility, a common vision of the European project. It is necessary to overcome a union based merely on competing national interests. If everyone seeks their own way, focusing only self-interests only, we won’t go very far and we will loose sight of a project for the future. We are the friends of Europe, but not without criticisms”. Which contribution could be given by the Churches in Europe? “The great contribution that Churches can give to Europe is the Gospel. Proclaiming the Gospel doesn’t mean finding the ways to fill the churches with faithful. Evangelization is more than this. It means offering the realms of culture, economy, politics, the possibility of coming into contact with the Gospel. This is the meaning of Pope Francis’ ‘Evangelii Gaudium’. So it’s not a question of asking ourselves what will be the future of the Church. Rather, the Church is called to come out of herself and contribute with the Gospel to build the future of the societies in which she lives, through reconciliation, care for the poor, peace, justice, the meaning of history. The task of the Church is to cherish the memory of the dead, of the victims of history, for reconciliation and peace. The path leading towards reconciliation has not reached its destination yet. This is the challenge of Churches and religions: to help in the reconciliation between different peoples”.