“Europe: responsible to God and to man”: that’s the title of the statement put out by the German Bishops’ Conference to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome. The German bishops urge that “the origins of this process of European integration be remembered, that its fundamental provisions be embraced and that the tasks of Europe be recognized”. The statement recalls “the experience of war, the predomination of violence and guilt”, as also the “willingness for reconciliation and commemoration” as “starting points for the process of European unification”. “Europe is no longer synonymous with historical rivalries and war, but with the solution or prevention of conflicts without recourse to arms”, says the statement: the Eu is “a response to the tragic history of this continent”. The German bishops emphasise that “the unconditional primacy of the human being” has found expression “right from the start in the high concentration of human rights, rights to freedom and fundamental social rights”. “The fact that European policy is characterized by this image of man is the real Christian heritage of Europe, and it remains essential for delineating the future. For this reason a reference to the Judaeo-Christian tradition of Europe and to its enduring efficacy is required in any European fundamental charter”. The document identifies the importance of “responsibility to the external world” as a “constant responsibility of Europe”. It also underlines the need for a “sound balance between a liberal economic order and a caring social order”. To this should be added “the clear social dimension of the Lisbon process” and “a greater attention to the needs of families”, to which the world of work must adjust. At the level of Eu external policies, “Europe must have the courage to formulate a common external policy”. The bishops, lastly, welcome “the revival of the European constitutional process. The reference to God in the Constitution is a recognition that no policy is absolute”.
