” “”Europe is much more than a geographical concept; it is a history, a civilisation. And it is European culture that marks the boundaries of the continent”. Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Polish Prime Minister after the fall of the Communist regime, with a background in Catholic associations and Solidarnosc, contributed his personal experience to a debate organised last night by Comece (Commission of EU Episcopates) in Brussels. “Europe and its nations. The meaning of the Churches for a European identity”, was the topic provided by the old leader, who sent a powerful pro-European message without ruling out the “need to preserve national identities”. “Europe has many roots explained the speaker -. The Greek philosophy, Christianity, the Enlightenment and, for part of its history, Islamism. But our past also contains wars, persecutions. After the tragedy of the World War, the continent went through reconstruction in a cold war climate. That’s the time the action of Robert Schuman and the founding fathers of a united and pacified Europe takes root. But it wouldn’t be until 1989 that East would join the West again and the Maastricht Treaty (1992) would strengthen the will to build up a political Europe. Well, it’s hard to involve the citizens in a real democratic process. But we have to, if we want to lay firm grounds to the EU”. And the Churches “can play an essential role”. (to be continued)
