In the course of his traditional year-end address on television, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, president of the Austrian Episcopal Conference, referred to recent European events and especially to the Katholikentag (Catholic assembly) of the Catholics of Central Europe (MEKT), which will culminate on 22 May 2004 with the “Pilgrimage of peoples” to the Marian sanctuary at Mariazell. “In 2004, Europe will make an important step towards the goal of the ‘Family of Nations'”, emphasized the cardinal, alluding to the imminent enlargement of the EU. In this regard, he continued, “the Catholics of eight countries have joined together in the Katholikentag of the Catholics of Central Europe to help promote and reinforce reconciliation between peoples and close the rift created between them by the Iron Curtain, by the divisive forces of ideology and nationalism”. The event must also remind people that Europe “was created not just along trade routes”, but also “along pilgrimage ways”. “It draws ever new strength from the great sanctuaries and from the sources of the faith”, present throughout its territory. “Catholics are ready to contribute to the construction of Europe together with all people of good will”, he added. According to the President of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference, the MEKT represents the sign of the will of Catholics to embark on the “arduous but necessary path of European reunification”. Serbia: Archbishop Hocevar, “the vote and the fear” “This vote expresses all the fear of the countries of Eastern Europe, and not only of Serbia, of losing their own identity within the European Union. That’s why they are clinging to ultraradical groups. It’s a coded message to Europe to respect their culture and identity”. That’s how Msgr. Stanislaw Hocevar, Metropolitan Archbishop of Belgrade, explains the final results of the elections held in Serbia-Montenegro on Sunday 28 December, which confirm the advance of the Serbian Radical Party (82 seats) of Seselj and of the Socialist Party of Milosevic (22 seats), both being detained in The Hague on charges of genocide and war crimes. But the outcome of the poll will probably not permit the two nationalist Serbian parties to head a new government. So the picture that emerges has sombre but also more encouraging aspects. “If on the one hand the result may appear dangerous due to the strong advance of the radicals adds the archbishop on the other the democratic block ought to be confirmed fairly strong and capable of forming the new government with the support of other democratic parties that are willing to collaborate. Unfortunately many coalitions that in the past had lent their support to the government failed to pass the blocking threshold of 5% of the votes. These also include the party formed by the ethnic minorities. Many see the future of Serbia-Montenegro in the European Union”. A positive note of these elections was also “the high percentage of voters”, approximately 60%: this, according to Hocevar, is “a good sign that shows the strong motivation of the population”. “Our country he concludes is going through a crucial phase of transition”.
