Searching for identity

“The common good concerns every person and may ask for sacrifices: everything revolves round the principle of responsibility”, declared the Right Rev. ADRIANUS VAN LUYN, bishop of Rotterdam and President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (Comece), speaking in recent days at a round table on “Christian faith and future of Europe” in Brussels. Promoted by the Catholic Office of Information and Initiative for Europe (Ocipe) and by Espaces, spirituality, cultures and society in Europe, in collaboration with Comece, the meeting was held in the auditorium of the representation of the Land of Bavaria in the Belgian capital. THE DESIRE FOR ORIGINS. “At the origin of the European Union was a desire for peace, reconciliation, solidarity and dialogue; values that are also found in the Bible”, pointed out Monsignor JOZEF DE KESEL , auxiliary bishop of Brussels and moderator at the round table, underlining the contribution of Christians to the construction of Europe. “Bavarian policy too – added the host of the meeting ALOÏS GLÜCK , President of the Chamber of the Land of Bavaria – poses itself the question of the identity of Europe and asks itself: “what values do we wish to transmit?”. “This Europe has a need for an identity – he said – but strong opposition is encountered whenever religion is spoken of”. Citing two recent publications on the situation of the German Catholic Church, Glück nonetheless remarked that “the opportunities for speaking of the Church are growing”. SUBSIDIARITY AND SOLIDARITY . Describing the activity of Comece, Bishop Van Luyn of Rotterdam pointed out, first of all, that it closely monitors the process and policies of the European Union, assessing them “by the yardstick of the social teaching of the Church” supported in turn by “two important pillars: the dignity of man and the common good”. According to the Comece President, “the dignity of the human person cannot be placed in discussion: it is a universal principle that has world citizenship” and regards “every man and woman without exceptions”. As for the common good, “it regards everyone and may ask for sacrifices: it revolves round the principle of responsibility”. On these two pillars, remarked Van Luyn, two capitals can be placed: “subsidiarity and solidarity”. In the first case, he explains, it is “a right and a duty of participation, in the second an attitude to moderate one’s own personal interests”. RESPONSES OF THE CHURCH. According to the Dutch MEP MARIA MARTENS, “political action is no longer accustomed to deal with religion”, and yet “politicians cannot deny that faith is important for many people. A survey shows that 70% of the population has a religious experience” and “the religious communities, by offering responses to the problems of society often in advance of political action, make an undeniable contribution to it”. Martens hopes for “collaboration between Church and State for society”, since, she remarks in line with the thought of Bishop Van Luyn, “democracy requires a dedication to the common good, justice and human dignity”, themes on which the Church is called to commit herself, as also on “inter-religious dialogue”, with the aim of “giving a heart and soul to the European Union”. “RELIGIOUS BLINDNESS” DEFEATED. “Despite the fact that some similarities are ascertained between the programme of the European People’s Parry and the social teaching of the Church, there is opposition to Christian ethics in the European Union”, admitted THOMAS JANSEN , former adviser to various Presidents of the European Commission on questions of relations with religions. Discussing the influence of Christian values on the process that led to the creation of the Eu, Jansen said that “peace between States was vital for their development after the Second World War. Ideals such as justice, solidarity and freedom are also to be found in the Eu. In spite of that, religion was never wholly accepted in the European Union”, although, in his view, “religious blindness has more or less been defeated since the 1990s” and “in more recent years Christians of various European countries have often united to undertake common actions”. In the debate with the public at the round table, a number of other questions emerged, such as the Pope’s lecture in Regensburg, the continent’s social decline and economic profit, the role of the new member states, and the EU’s response to immigration. An appeal to Christians “to have no fear of Europe” was made, at the end of the meeting, by Bishop De Kesel. “Together – he affirmed – we can fight for a better, more just and more fraternal Union”.