Zagreb, (IKA) – The introductory lecture at the 52nd Theological-Pastoral Week, entitled ‘The Contribution of the Church to European Unity and Identity,’ was presented on January 24 by the Grand Chancellor of the Croatian Faculty of Theology, Cardinal Josip Bozanić. The questions are posed what Europe is, could be and should become; what kind of European community is there, what is European identity; what are the fundamental values for humanity which Christian faith has imprinted upon European identity; what is the attitude of the Church toward Europe and the new European processes; and what is the particular contribution that the Church is called upon to make in the building of a common European home. The cardinal also raised the question of the place of Croatia in all this and said that it is not possible to think about Croatia without thinking about Europe because Croatia is part of Europe.
To these issues, the archbishop of Zagreb responded in the context of the Church’s challenges of our time, with particular reference to the Croatian situation. He explained the name of Europe, i.e., the origin of the continent. Speaking about the spread of Christianity, the cardinal noted that Christianity has been present on the European continent since the very beginning, so that while St. Paul was preaching the gospel in Asia Minor, he was called to go to Europe, and it was the disciples themselves who brought the gospel to Greece and Rome.
The cardinal noted that European civilization has demonstrated a high degree of readiness to accept and adapt elements from various sources, one of which is Judeo-Christian. He also observed that no continent had as great an impact on world events, for good and evil, as did Europe. In the context of the process of unifying Europe after the Second World War, Cardinal Bozanić emphasized the paradigm of new unity. This was also stressed by Pope John Paul II from the beginning of his pontificate.
Cardinal Bozanić spoke about individual European institutions, especially the Council of Europe and the European Union, as well as the cooperation of the Holy See with them, especially regarding issues of an ethical and legal nature. In this context, he presented the reasons for the origin and activity of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), which corresponds to the Council of Europe, and emphasized that the Church has always viewed Europe as a whole. He emphasized that at the request of Pope John Paul II, the members of the CCEE became the presidents of bishops’ conferences, instead of bishop delegates as previously, affording greater importance to the CCEE. He recalled that the Conference of European Churches (CEC) operated on the European level, as does the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (ComECE). Within the context of the activities of the religious communities at the European level, the cardinal also mentioned the Declaration of European Muslims, in which the rights and obligations of Muslims who are invited to integration and the rejection of fundamentalism are emphasized.
The cardinal observed that the current Treaty of Lisbon does not call into question the status of the Church and religious communities in the member countries of the EU based upon law. It recognizes their identity and the specific contribution they make, desiring to maintain transparency and regular dialogue with them. The dialogue between the Church and European Union covers a series of issues regarding social ethics. Dialogue is often much easier when social and economic topics are being discussed than when anthropological issues are in question, said Cardinal Bozanić.
It is absolutely necessary to re-offer the anthropological vision at the basis of Christian humanism with conviction and freshness to the European person, and thus the Croatian person. Despite all the interrupted, lost and winding roads that Europe travels, it has contributed much to the areas of culture, science and art, and has allowed itself to be shaped by Christians. We encounter tensions in Europe and it is our responsibility to provide order, unity and meaning, said the cardinal.
What the Church can never renounce is the proclamation and witness of Christ. Europeans seek God, consciously or unconsciously. There is great ignorance of Christianity. Discussions that marked the past, in which the Christian roots of our continent were debated, show how little Christianity is known in Europe, said the cardinal, commenting that although Europe has stood for separation from God, the Son of God has not left Europe. Easter tells us that there is eternity and that life should be viewed in this light. The perspective of eternity is perhaps the greatest contribution that the Church of today can and should make to the person of today in Europe, Croatia and everywhere, concluded Cardinal Bozanić in the introductory lecture to the 52nd Theological-Pastoral Week organized by the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb.