"As Christians, we have a lot to offer to contribute to the building of the common house of Europe. Without the Church, Europe would have no heart". Card. Péter Erdö, archbishop of Budapest and president of the Council of European Bishops Conferences (Ccee), summarised in these words the meaning and purpose of the plenary meeting of Ccee that will open in Fatima this afternoon (until 7th October). In this morning’s meeting in Lisbon, card. Erdo also recalled that "the Christian roots of Europe are not disjoined from the European identity and therefore from the testimony of a lively and visible Christianity". And the main sphere of such a testimony, added the president of Ccee, "is the marriage that the young feel as one of the greatest values, long for and consider the foundation of the family". And it is just marriage that is the monographic theme of the meeting of the European Bishops, in its legal, pastoral and ecumenical aspects. Not about family spoke José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, Prime Minister of Portugal, as he met the European Bishops. Ecumenism, inter-religious dialogue and new relations with Africa were covered by his speech, during which he stated that religions "must create closeness, not division" and "everyone is responsible for bringing civilisations closer to each other".
