“Eastern Europe”, which "still deeply feels the presence of religion in its culture and society in many countries", can "become a therapy for a laicised Europe that is loath to the religious experience”. This was said by the rector superior of the Salesians, father Pascual Chávez Villanueva, as he opened, yesterday afternoon in Rome, the international meeting called "Europe, a land of mission” (due to end on 20th). According to the rector superior, "the re-evangelisation of this Europe, which is more and more de-Christianised, is a task that cannot be deferred for all the Church" and "is the appropriate response to the claim of wanting to efface God from the life of the European citizens”, by reducing "religious beliefs to a personal choice" with no repercussions "on culture and society”. Nowadays, "Europe is a land of mission", commented father Chávez. “Here is he suggested the secret for its new evangelisation: a deep experience of God" that "comes to shake people out of the torpor in which they live and overturn their hierarchy of values”, and “communities that will help people mature in faith, so as to become creative minorities with such energy as to enable them to change the prevalent culture”.
