Church in Europe
The letter sent by CCEE to the Church of Hungary on the occasion of the Feast of St Martin is signed by CCEE President Card. Angelo Bagnasco, by the two vice-presidents of CCEE, Card. Vincent Nichols and Msgr. Stanisław Gądecki, and by CCEE Secretary General Msgr. Duarte da Cunha. It goes on to state: “Saint John Paul II said that Saint Martin was one of the founders of Western monasticism; he also belongs to that multitude of men who are at the foundations of European culture and civilisation, a reality which is not just a memory, but also a project to build with trust and conviction. The figure and the ministry of Saint Martin testify to the immense human, cultural and spiritual contribution which Christianity has offered to Europe”. “The continent is heir of Saint Martin, of those men and women, like him, who are at the foundation of European humanism. In our time, too, it is essential to remember that the Christian life unites the profundity of prayer, community life, the proclamation of the Gospel, attention and dedication to the poor and to those who suffer”. “We thank God for the radiant witness of Saint Martin, who contributed to keeping alight the flame of the Christian faith in the world”. “ Uniting with the Hungarian Bishops, CCEE asks the Lord for the grace to raise up new European saints who might live out Mercy and witness to it in their personal and community lives”.
