Beyond the old frontiers ” “

“As Christians we must have the faith and the strength to affirm that frontiers must not become the cause of new conflicts, discrimination or exclusion”: that was the conclusion of the annual summer university promoted by the Commission of the European Community (Comece) and held at Celjie in Slovenia from 7 to 11 September. 35 young delegates from the episcopal conferences of 18 European countries reflected, with the help of academics, journalists, EU administrators and exponents of Comece, on a theme of particular actuality in our time: “Marking the frontiers, crossing the frontiers and living at peace: a challenge for the Catholic Church in Europe”. At the end of the meeting a document was issued that takes its cue from the challenge represented by the imminent enlargement of the EU from 15 to 27 countries and from the reform of the Union’s treaties being prepared by the Convention on the future of Europe now being held in Brussels. “This ‘europeanization’ of the European Union, as it is called by John Paul II – says the final document of the meeting – raises some problems concerning frontiers: political frontiers are disappearing within the Union and new external frontiers will be raised”. Often, the document continues, “we speak of a Europe without frontiers, nonetheless they remain within the EU in terms of language, culture, temperament, even religion”. In this context, “the Catholic Church can and must make a special contribution to overcome the frontiers within united Europe, since its identity both as local and as universal Church is an example of the richness that may be found in diversity and in community”. For this reason, affirms the document, “the development of a European conscience, together with our sense of local, regional and national identity, is not only desirable but necessary to tackle the political, ethical and anthropological challenges that await the enlarged European Union. And the responsibility of the Church in fostering the development of this conscience is not only incumbent on the bishops, who already work together in organizations like Comece and CCEE (Council of the European Episcopal Conferences), but also on the laity, the clergy and religious”. “Ever greater efforts are needed at the basic level – concludes the document – such as twinnings between parishes and dioceses, or the exchange of pastoral workers between churches, if we want to achieve a real European community”. Various personalities from the political and cultural world also made a contribution to the meeting: “A growing form of insecurity is emerging among the citizens of the Union”, emphasized Harald Harting of the European Commission for education and culture. “Globalization, the dismantling of frontiers, the complicated decision-making processes and the impossibility for citizens to intervene directly in them, weaken – he said – the sense of belonging to Europe and promote the creation of new barriers among European citizens”. The solution for the EU seens to consist in regionalization. As also reported by the final document, what is at issue is not so much the concept of nation as the identity of citizens of the Union; the ever more frequent reference to regional identity by citizens should be understood in this sense. In the view of Alojz Peterle, member of the Slovene Parliament and member of the presidium of the European Convention on the future of Europe, “the role of the regions will grow ever stronger in relation to that of nations, but will not substitute it. Slovenia is an example of this, in that it is not only a nation but also a region in which five other nations are involved. We need to understand that the concept of nation is always mutating, never static”. The role of the Catholic Church in the construction of Europe was also confirmed by Peter Nissen, professor at the Catholic University of Nijmegen; in his view, “the local Church, that by definition is linked to a territory, has the capacity to transcend it because it is at the same time universal”.