thoughts" "
The Churches in Europe are following with particular interest, and at times also with suffering, the process of European reunification which will have an important stage on 1st May 2004 with the entry into the Union of 10 new countries, most of them in Eastern Europe, and with the signing of the constitutional Treaty. This process is a special challenge also for ecumenism: would it be tolerable if an economically and politically united Europe were to be accompanied by a situation in which its Churches and ecclesial communities still remained divided? We present a reflection by Msgr. Aldo Giordano , general secretary of the CCEE, the Council of the European Episcopal Conferences. a new chapter. The new development of the European Union must close the dramatic chapter of a continent ideologically divided by a wall and open a new chapter: a Europe with two lungs. One of the fundamental ecumenical problems of this last decade seems to have been the relation between the history, culture and tradition of the West and those of the East. Some painful questions, that were inherited from the past and that forcefully re-emerged after the fall of the Berlin Wall, like that of proselytism or the relation between Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches, derive from this conflict between Latin and Eastern traditions. Behind many current difficulties lies the fear felt by people in Eastern Europe of succumbing to the pluralist, secularised and relativist culture of the West, which would undermine their own culture. There’s still a long way to go before the two traditions get to know each other better, and learn mutually to enrich each other: that is a first major challenge posed to ecumenism by the process of European unification. Open to the world. At the same time the Churches in Europe are becoming ever more conscious of the fact that a ‘eurocentric’ ecumenism is just as impossible as a fortress Europe barricaded against the other continents. Other voices must make themselves heard: the southern hemisphere and the other regions of the world such as Africa, Asia or Latin America that frequently feel our debates to be very remote from their concerns. And Europe also has the task of a real and incisive commitment to peace. In a world marked by globalization, ecumenism too needs to be increasingly “globalized”. The primacy of peace. If Europe is to realise her “vocation”, it is essential that the whole of European construction be inspired by an “idea”, a “vision”. To this end the Churches share the same fundamental values: they share the primacy given to human dignity in article 2 of the draft constitutional Treaty and the primacy of peace that opens article 3 on the aims of the Union. The problem that still remains open is that of the foundation and interpretation of values. A rhetoric of values is not enough, because it may give rise to an ambiguity in their use (e.g. human dignity may be used both for and against abortion). For Christians, various urgent problems are linked to values: the issues of bioethics, the family, human rights… From this point view, there is still a long way to go in the ecumenical task: for ethical questions are one of the major fields of conflict between the Churches. The reference to Christian roots. The need to give this foundation and content to values is one of the reasons why the Churches want the constitutional Treaty to guarantee sufficient scope for religion, religious liberty and the role of the Churches and communities. The wishes expressed by the Churches have been favourably received in the current article 51 of the draft Treaty, dedicated to the Status of the Churches and non-confessional organizations. Ecumenical work in this context has been important and fruitful: the organizations of the European Churches (CCEE, COMECE, CEC), together with the Holy See, have devoted themselves intensively to this question. There is another point that is arousing considerable discussion: the possible explicit reference to God or to Christian roots in the preamble or in the text itself of the Treaty. Why is so much difficulty created by the possible citing of Christianity in the Constitution? It is true that ideological contrasts already rather out of date and the authoritarianism of a particular secular mentality have made their influence felt; but what is especially painful is the substantial incomprehension of the religious and Christian fact. The division between the Churches is undoubtedly one of the greatest obstacles to a deeper understanding of Christianity. The celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a unique occasion to rediscover the common responsibility of Christians in the witness to the Gospel of hope for Europe and in the commitment to peace.
