Building amid the ruins” “

“The impression is that of travelling through a building site. But confronted by the ruins and the burnt-down homes of the Serbs, one has the feeling that the deepest injuries are not these, but those still connected with the war, and they are far more difficult to heal”. The bishop of Bolzano-Bressanone, Msgr. WILHELM EGGER , has just returned from a five-day journey through Kosovo, where he inaugurated two pastoral centres at Poterq and Jagode, realized thanks to the support of diocesan Caritas, and Macedonia. The account of his journey given by Msgr. Egger in an interview with SirEurope is, he says, only a superficial snapshot, “because the situation is far more complex than can be perceived in a few days. It is clear, however, that the whole social fabric needs to be reconstituted. The tension between the ethnic groups is still high, and the fear of further violence is strong in everyone”. What’s the role of the Catholic Church is this delicate phase? “Although she does not have a very strong voice, she is respected by everyone and is considered an open and welcoming Church, not only thanks to the projects of Caritas, but also thanks to her ‘ecumenical’ commitment and acceptance of every person, irrespective of religious credo or ethnic ties. That’s very important because the Church is providing in the field concrete models of inter-ethnic reconciliation and communion. And the many young people I have seen in the social and pastoral centres reconstructed thanks to the contribution of Caritas, and their involvement in choirs, in computer courses and in other projects, are a genuine sign of hope”. What are the main emergencies in Kosovo? “The main need is to work together in the fields of reconciliation, respect for human rights, justice, solidarity and human promotion. But people also need practical ‘responses’. There’s an urgent need to restore hope in the future to the population by trying, among other things, to combat the unemployment that is very high”. What contribution can the Churches of Europe make? “First of all, through ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, they can propose models of reconciliation and co-existence between cultural and religious diversities. It’s also essential that the Christian Churches should pursue their efforts to help shape the social and spiritual dimension of Europe in various spheres; I am thinking in particular of raising the awareness of the civil institutions on the protection of minorities, especially given that the EU prefers not to speak of minorities as some member states are against it. The problem of their protection, however, is of such significance as to represent a real emergency that must be confronted within the EU. Also essential is the recognition of the Christian heritage in the construction of Europe. In response to the widespread wish to ignore the religious phenomenon, this demands that an explicit reference to the Christian roots be included in the future constitutional Treaty; for it is on these roots that the continent’s identity has been built, albeit in diversity”. Fact file and update After the war in 1998, the reconstruction of Kosovo was assigned to the provisional administration of UNMIK (UN Mission in Kosovo), set up by Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council in 1999. At the present time, there is strong discontent in the region about the way that UNMIK is operating: according to the population, it has been unable to establish workable institutions and restore normality. The “flashpoints” include continuing uncertainty about the final status of Kosovo. European Foreign Ministers, meeting in Tullamore in recent days, have reaffirmed the principle by which Kosovo must respect the economic and political criteria laid down by the above-cited UN Resolution 1244, before the international community can proceed to the examination of the final status of Kosovo in mid-2005. “Rapidly ensuring the security of minorities, the reconstruction of the religious buildings and houses destroyed in the violent disturbances in March, and the return of the displaced”: these are the priorities spelt out in the document presented at the Tullamore summit by senior EU external affairs and common security representative Javier Solana, who also asked for “a reinforcement of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo”. The document also points out that “the current presence of UNMIK no longer responds to current needs” and expresses the hope for “its reorganization with a view to reinforcing its political role and leadership”.