ecumenism" "
The annual European Political Forum was held at Alpbach, in Austria, from 28 to 31 August. It was attended, among others, by the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro, Romania and Georgia and members of the European Commission and Parliament. Part of the programme was dedicated to the role of the churches and religions in the European Union. The speakers on the question included Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the European institutions, the Italian Minister of Culture Rocco Buttiglione, the Catholic bishop Josef Homeyer, president of the Commission of the episcopates of the European Community (COMECE), M. R. Feidzic, Head of the Muslim community of Montenegro, and Hans Vöking, expert on Christian-Islamic dialogue within COMECE. In his intervention the Orthodox bishop Hilarion stressed the need for the European Union to maintain an open and regular dialogue with the churches and religious organizations. “If account is not taken of the religious vision of the world, Europe shall never be considered as a homeland for millions of people whose values and conduct have religious foundations”. The mufti Feidzic pointed out that if the percentage of Muslims in European countries is currently of the order of 3.5-5.5 percent, this percentage rises to 15% among adolescents and children, so that in future Islam will represent an important part of Western society, and one that is set to grow. The Catholic bishop Homeyer recalled that Christianity has given Europe more than a religion: it has given it an ethical code, a culture and an art, and has also exerted an influence on the legislative system. “If it were to renounce this Christian heritage, Europe would lose its identity”.
