The two "lungs" of Europe” “

During his visit to Moscow and Armenia in recent days (cf. Sir Europe no.1/2002), the President of the Commission of the episcopates of the European Community (COMECE), Msgr. Josef Homeyer , bishop of Hildesheim (Germany), met the Patriarch of Moscow Alexis II and the Catholicos of all the Armenians, Karekin II. During his talks Bishop Homeyer proposed “a joint contribution by the Orthodox Churches, the Eastern Churches and the Reformed Churches to a Christian social ethic for the political development of Europe”. We interviewed him. How did your meeting with the Patriarch of Moscow go? “It was a very cordial and brotherly meeting. We talked of the fact that the process of globalization is seen by many as a threat to their own cultural identity and their own traditions. Especially in Russia, globalization is seen as a manifestation of Western influence. We agreed on the need for the Christian Churches to strive to promote a more incisive social ethic to tackle the challenges posed by globalization, both at the local and at the international level. We believe that globalization ought not to represent wealth for a few but justice for everyone. We also agreed on the fact that each of the various Christian traditions, as also the Jewish and Islamic communities, may make a valuable contribution in this sphere. We even discussed the possibility of proposing a conference to tackle these issues, involving all the main Christian confessions: Catholic, Orthodox, Eastern and Reformed”. What is the situation of the Church and ecumenical dialogue in Armenia, after the Pope’s visit? “Karekin II, the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church, received us with great affection. We were thus given an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the richness of the spirituality and tradition of this Church which is very much alive. We were also able to grasp the importance that it has in the life of the Armenians, for whom faith has a central role. These ‘pre-Chalcedonian’ Churches, with their theological and spiritual richness, deserve our attention and may also help us to understand our own theological and spiritual heritage. There’s also a small Catholic community in western Armenia: relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church have been improving over the last few years, as demonstrated by the invitation made to John Paul II to visit the country on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of its conversion to Christianity, last September”. In your view, what should be the role of the European Union in promoting dialogue and relations with Russia and Eastern Europe? “The imminent enlargement of the European Union makes it essential to promote dialogue and exchange with Russia and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. This dialogue should not remain only at the level of governments, but ought to involve the whole of society, including the Churches. The European Union ought to promote this dialogue through exchanges between students, journalists and exponents of civil society. As Churches, we ought to assume responsibility for directly involving ourselves in this dialogue and promoting initiatives aimed to fostering mutual understanding between East and West. I believe that the direct meeting with our sister Churches and the Orthodox and Eastern traditions can make a contribution of exceptional importance to the construction of a common European identity. It is only by listening to our Christian brothers and our European brothers that we may fully understand ourselves and the value of this common project of a united Europe”. Speaking to the diplomatic corps on 10 January, the Pope deplored the “marginalization of religions” in the process of reforming the European Union. What can the Churches do to react to this situation? “The Holy Father had words of warm appreciation for the European Union in the speech he addressed to the diplomatic corps. He expressed particular satisfaction for the introduction of the single currency, which he described as a decisive step in European history. He also affirmed that the enlargement of the EU should continue to be considered a priority. With regard to the Convention to which the go-ahead was given by the recent European Council at Laeken, and which will begin its work on 28 February, the Pope pointed out how “essential it is that the objectives of this European construction and the values on which it is based be ever better expressed’. As regards the Holy Father’s observations on the ‘marginalization of religions’, it is undeniable that we are living in a period in which religion is increasingly seen as a private matter and the contribution of religions and religious institutions to the well-being of society is increasingly ignored by political leaders. Nonetheless, it is a matter of satisfaction to point out that in the White Paper on Governance, published last year, the European Commission recognizes ‘the particular contribution’ offered by the Churches and by the religious confessions to society. And, even though the Laeken Declaration does not explicitly mention the communities of believers, as the Pope pointed out, nor does it exclude them. Of course, we would prefer them to be clearly recognized, but we should also bear in mind that there are many European citizens who would like them to be explicitly excluded. In this regard, the Pope said something very important: ‘Recognizing an undeniable historical fact does not in the least mean refusing to acknowledge the modern need for States, and hence Europe, to have a rightful lay status!’ As representatives of the Churches and of the religious communities, we ask for no extraordinary privilege, but only that the specific value of our essential contribution to society be recognized”.