“Respect for the historical truth demands that the particular influence exerted by Christianity in defining the cultural and spiritual profile of the peoples of Europe be recognized”: so declares the “Subiaco Charter”, drawn up by the “Life and Family” Foundation in Subiaco (near Rome), the site of two important Benedictine monasteries, San Benedetto and Santa Scolastica, centres of monastic irradiation for Europe as a whole. The Charter, aimed at making a contribution to the work of the Convention on the future of Europe, was presented in the abbey of Santa Scolastica on 29 November, on the occasion of the 2nd annual award of the “Saint Benedict patron of Europe” prize. It recalls that “the Christian religion has imbued the European collective consciousness with some values fundamental for the whole of humanity. In the work of the evangelization of Europe, which was undeniably also a work of civilization, St. Benedict and monasticism played a major role. St. Benedict links classical antiquity with the middle ages: that’s why he has been called the last Roman and the first European”. “Just this extraordinary capacity for synthesis between religious faith and reason, between work and contemplation, was able the Charter declares to give rise to a wise humanism able to constitute for centuries the principle of cohesion between the peoples of Europe”. “We think concludes the document that this humanistic tradition has not exhausted its fruitfulness and still has much to say to the Europe of the third millennium now being built”.
