Consensus on values

“We ascertain a fundamental convergence on the fact that we must place the emphasis on the social questions and actual repercussions of the crisis on European citizens”, said José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, outlining the results of the meeting between EU institutions and representatives of the monotheist religions in Europe, held in Brussels on 11 May. Present at the Palais Berlaymont, Commission headquarters, were, apart from Barroso, European Commissioners Jan Figel and Joaquin Almunia, the President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering (who co-chaired the meeting together with Barroso) and some twenty representatives of Christianity, Judaism and Islam of 12 nationalities.Economy, ethics and values. The theme of the meeting, the fifth annual meeting of its kind, was: “Economic and financial crisis: contributions of an ethical nature to European and global economic governance”. Barroso explained in this regard: “As the financial and economic crisis progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the moment has come to reconcile economic governance with our fundamental ethical values on which the European project has been based over the last fifty years”. According to the President, the Commission “has taken important initiatives in this regard, notably in financial market regulation, with a view to strengthening the sense of responsibility and sustainability in our economies”. In describing the debate that took place between EU leaders and European spiritual leaders, Barroso insisted on the need to adopt “measures to defend employment, as was in fact the case during the Prague summit on 7 May”. Structured and permanent dialogue. Quizzed by journalists, Barroso then declared: “I’m convinced that the political institutions must listen to citizens and to society. The meetings with representatives of the monotheist religions form part” of this context. “The Lisbon Treaty is also important for this purpose, because it would turn this dialogue into a structured and permanent process”. “I was very struck by this meeting with religious leaders”, said Hans-Gert Poettering, President of the European Parliament. “All the speakers agreed on the fact that the EU is a community of values” and that “some major challenges need to be tackled together” at the continental level. “The comments made by the religious representatives expressing their appreciation for all that the EU does – continued the German politician – is a great source of aid and comfort for the European political authorities”. The commitment of the Churches. The representatives of the religions who took part in the meeting in Brussels urged the EU “to coordinate and stimulate measures to reinforce the financial regulatory framework, give new impetus to the economy and promote employment”. The religious leaders also emphasized “the need to ensure that social justice remains one of the priorities of the EU in formulating policies”, pointing out that “at a time when unemployment and poverty are continuing to grow at very worrying levels, it is vital our societies cooperate together in taking concrete measures to contain the effects of the crisis on citizens”. For their part, the religious communities pledge to “re-activate a sense of solidarity among Europeans of every faith and every conviction”. Question of trust. Leading exponents of the Catholic Church were also present at the meeting at the Commission headquarters (Miloslav Vlk, Archbishop of Prague, Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich, and the Bishop of Rotterdam Adrianus van Luyn, President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community). So too were representatives of the Orthodox, Anglican, Reformed Churches, the Islamic communities, and Rabbi Levi Matusof (other representatives of the Jewish communities, on the other hand, were absent, in response to the presence of Islamic exponents whom they considered to be affiliated with “fellow-traveller” organizations of terrorism). Monsignor Adrianus van Luyn underlined the need to pursue anew, and with greater conviction, the UN “Millennium Goals in terms of development”. Archbishop Reinhard Marx warned of the risk “of a loss of trust in the economic market system, especially in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, where so many people had put trust in this model over the last twenty years”.Educating in responsibility. Cardinal Miloslav Vlk for his part made an appeal for “education in responsibility” at all levels: financial dealers, public institutions, families, businesses, and civil society. Asked for an opinion on Ireland’s position on the Lisbon Treaty, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said: “Ireland has a need for Europe, just as the EU has a need for Ireland. I’m convinced that with last year’s referendum, the Irish haven’t definitively rejected the Treaty; contingent factors gained the upper hand”. “We now need to work – he said – to explain the real contents of the treaty, dispel the main fears of the Irish and then return to the ballot box, where they will express themselves with greater cognizance of what’s at stake”.