In the front row

"The theme of this third Forum is very important and it touches the hearts and the lives of all peoples". Thus Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima greeted the delegations of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, gathered in Lisbon from June 5-9, for the Third European Catholic-Orthodox Forum which this year focused on "Economic Crisis and Poverty. Challenges for Contemporary Europe". Representatives of European Bishops’ Conferences and from the Patriarchates of Moscow, Serbia, Romania, Georgia, from the Church of Cyprus, Poland and Albania convened in Lisbon to jointly address the economic and financial crisis that is dearly hitting the European population, thus involving also the Churches.The rich are growing richer; the poor are growing poorer. "The ongoing economic crisis – said metropolitan Gennadios – is an unprecedented reality in the history of our continent, where many countries and societies have to cope with the tragic consequences of financial and social poverty. Millions of people are loosing their jobs, unemployment rates are increasing, the youth are loosing their hopes and wonder what their future will be. Many of them launch appeals and seek for help and moral support in our churches, along with a spiritual encouragement to overcome difficulties". Also the Orthodox Metropolitan of Spain and Portugal Policarpo conveyed the same concerns: "Our old continent, and humanity as a whole, has been hit by a serious economic crisis. In particular, the crisis severely hit Southern Europe: Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal". Metropolitan Policarpo provided a first analysis: "The economic crisis is the result of the major spiritual and moral crisis experienced by humanity today. Deviation from moral and spiritual tenets, whilst giving priority to money and material riches negatively impacted society. Social inequalities are the result of the lack of limits and principles. The rich become richer and the poor grow poorer, the middle classes disappear, poverty and unemployment prevail, there is no respect for the weaker brackets: we experience these situations day after day". This is why the economic crisis serves as an ordeal that invites us to recover the embrace of the Providence of good God, friend of mankind". Taking care of the human person. Card. Péter Erdõ, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) proposed on June 5th a line of reflection. "To take care of the human person – he said in his opening speech – is a decisive task in this time of crisis. If not, we risk reducing people to fiscal codes, as unfortunately happens often today. In order to exit the crisis the human person must be at the centre". Also the Hungarian bishop voiced the worrying consequences of the financial and economic crisis by which in one way or another "everyone is affected". But he also added that "the crisis is not only of economic and financial nature. It’s also a moral and ethical crisis. In fact, it’s anthropologic". He underlined: "the crisis shows that a society subjected to mere economic interests where the human person is not at the centre, will never become a human place where people can live". Appeal to politics and the economy. The cardinal thus addressed his appeal to policymakers and to the realm of economy: "If the economic and political realm fail to become the promoters of human life and solidarity between people and communities, the crisis will continue getting worse". He added: "care for persons, especially for the poor, involve society as a whole. Society cannot heal without healing its members. This is why there are always Christians in the front rows of the defense of the human person, of the family and of society". According to the president of European bishops, "the way out of this crisis" doesn’t entail "the simple discovery of a new economic or financial mechanism, nor the application of ideas shaped by theoretical idealism". "If at the roots of the crisis there is the loss of the meaning of the person and of the family – said card. Erdõ –, also the solution must come from these realities. Not only the human person and the family must be at the centre of economic interests and politics, as they are called to be the protagonists of the life of society". The archbishop concluded by explaining why this year the Orthodox and Catholic Churches have chosen to speak of economic crisis and poverty: "The Church is convinced that today, as in other times of crisis, we cannot remain still, waiting for those in positions of power to take the initiative. Our times demand that everyone does their share".