Zagreb, (IKA) – The Croatian bishops, in the spirit of the position expressed in the Pastoral Constitution, Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope) of the Second Vatican Council and in the wake of the thousand years of the participation by our Church in all the key events of the Croatian nation, have presented their vision of the unification of the European continent and the process of the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union in a letter.
In the first part, the bishops discuss the beginnings of the creation of the European Union, recalling the fact that “the idea originated in that part of Europe which was not under communist authority and its originators were politicians who envisioned a united Europe based upon on the foundations of a common Christian heritage.” The idea of a united Europe was initially promoted by Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet, Konrad Adenauer and Alcide De Gasperi, all four of whom were committed Catholics who wanted to establish the future of the European nations upon the common ground of Christian values.
In the letter, some of the key dates are recalled in the history of the united European continent, from the European Coal and Steel Community to the Treaty of Lisbon, the latter of which went into effect on December 1, 2009. In this fundamental European document, regarding the attitude toward churches and religious associations or communities, it has been determined that “the Union respects and does not prejudice the status under national law of churches and religious associations or communities in the Member States” and that “recognizing their identity and specific contribution, the Union shall maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with these churches and organizations.”
The bishops state that the original idea of the “European founders” for Europe to unite on the common foundations of the Christian heritage has been increasingly neglected in favor of economic unification. “The rejection of Christian roots was particularly evident during the drafting of the European Constitution, in which it was not desired to mention either God or Christianity. Instead of a common Christian heritage, a deeper foundation of the European community was sought in the universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, democracy and rule of law, with the goal of building “Europe as a stronghold of law and justice,” emphasize the Croatian bishops and ask: “How can respect for law and justice be based upon abstract reason, which does not want to know anything about God? With the rejection of the transcendental dimension of man, how is it possible to avoid the rejection of the unconditionality of human rights, which protects people from human self-will?” Regarding the idea of European unification, the bishops devote particular attention to the attitudes of the individual popes who supported this project during the period of its creation. They recall that Pope Pius XII encouraged the processes of unification but also cautioned that they must not be permitted to be based upon materialism but upon Christian values. Signing the Treaty of Rome in 1957, he called it a Christian event that could be the leaven of the future Europe. Pope John XXIII, in the encyclical Pacem in terris (1963) urging peace on earth, called upon the European nations to overcome painful divisions in order to “achieve the coexistence of individuals, families and communities in the cultural, economic and political areas.” Promoting the building of the civilization of love, Pope Paul VI was convinced that the unification of Europe could become an effective guarantee of peace and development in the Old Continent. He proclaimed St. Benedict the patron of Europe in 1964, desiring to remind the European nations of the need to respect their common Christian heritage. Through his policy toward communist countries, he fought for a somewhat greater respect for religious freedoms in them.
Pope John Paul II was the first to speak about an integrated Europe, even during the communist regimes in Eastern Europe. He symbolically expressed his commitment by proclaiming SS. Cyril and Methodius as the co-patrons of Europe in 1980. Following the collapse of the communist regimes in Europe, in 1991 he convened a special Synod of the Bishops of Europe. In the final synod document, it is emphasized that “European culture has grown from many roots” but “the Christian faith has given shape to Europe, impressing in its collective consciousness some fundamental values for humanity.” He constantly urged those responsible to build a “Europe of peoples and nations,” respecting its diversity as well as its cultural and spiritual wealth.
Pope Benedict XVI says that Europe is a cultural and historical given, which is recognizable not so much according to geographical descriptions but by the awareness of belonging to the region, which, in additional to natural characteristics, also has political, cultural and moral traits. The current Pope powerfully points out the disastrous impact of relativism, agnosticism, laicism and secularism on the present and future of Europe. According to him, European culture was born from the encounter of faith and reason. The Pope warns that the contemporary rift between faith and reason threatens the foundations of this culture and urges support for the establishment of their unity if Europe wants to survive.
In the third part of the letter, the Croatian bishops discuss several problems and prospects of the European Union, cautioning that smoldering nationalism, as well as significant economic differences and discord among member states in economic and social areas, are the great weaknesses in contemporary European politics.
The Croatian bishops warn that today’s Europe, despite a certain economic stability and political unity, suffers from a profound crisis in values. The greatest weakness of the Union, states the letter, is “the loss of Christian memory and heritage, accompanied by a type of practical agnosticism and religious indifference, due to which many Europeans leave the impression that they are living without spiritual roots …”
Many live and work as if God did not exist, say the bishops, and note that the loss of natural and Christian morality has resulted in the legalization of abortion, experimentation on embryos, cloning, euthanasia, same-sex marriages, the rejection of Christian symbols and the degradation of that which is holy to Christians. All of this is accompanied by a type of fear of the future, which creates a bleak and insecure atmosphere, as well as an increasing number of confused and insecure people. In such an atmosphere, say the bishops, the Church does not relinquish its public mission in the promotion of human dignity, freedom of religion and conscience; respect for life, marriage and the family; and commitment to the general good of mankind, adding that the Church supports the correct understanding of democracy but is not linked to any political system.
In the fourth part of the letter, the bishops speak about the attitude of Croatia toward the European Union, starting from the facts that our country has expressed the desire for membership in this organization and has entered negotiations to this effect. It is also known that the final decision will be made by our citizens in a referendum, as is the case among the citizens of all the member states, note the bishops, who emphasize that the Church will respect that decision.
Wishing to illuminate the process of Croatian accession to the EU in the light of the Gospel and the Magisterium, the Croatian bishops emphasize the valuable significance of views expressed by the last two popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI. On June 5, 2003, Pope John Paul II said the following on the island of Krk during his Third Pastoral Visit to our Church and homeland: “Croatia has recently asked to become an integral part, also from the political and economic point of view, of the great family of the European peoples. I can only express my hope that this aspiration will be happily realized: the rich tradition of Croatia will surely contribute to strengthening the Union as an administrative and territorial unit, and also as a cultural and spiritual reality.”
On July 6, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the bishops of the Croatian Conference of Bishops on their ad limina visit and said: “Your country, Croatia, has always lived in the context of European civilization; hence, it justifiably desires to be recognized as a member of the European Union. Its desire is to cooperate, with its entry into this Institution, for the good of all the Continent’s inhabitants. Thus, the nation will be able to enter into relations with other European peoples, bringing the contribution of its own culture and traditions to the joint search for the full truth about man.”
Commenting upon this papal statement, the Croatian bishops in their letter particularly emphasize the fact that “Croatia has always lived within the framework of European civilization” and that our possible accession to the European Union merely means providing a new economic and political framework for our thousand years of membership in the circle of European culture and civilization.
Taught by historical experience, the bishops emphasize the great importance for the current accession to contemporary European integration to be the result of the free will of our citizens, after they have become well acquainted with the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the positive and negative consequences of such unification. Therefore, the bishops consider it important for the responsible authorities in the negotiations to have thorough, timely and objective information, not only during the negotiations but also about what the individual solutions signify or could signify for the present and future of our country.
In this sense, the bishops point out that the mass media have a particularly important role and responsibility, as do the schools and other educational and scientific institutions.
It is important for us to enter the contemporary community of European nations erect and with dignity, write the bishops, and urge that with the mighty it is necessary to speak from a principled starting point and never on our knees, aware that throughout history we have made not only a significant contribution to European science and culture but also to the defense of European civilization from foreign conquerors. Therefore, it is necessary to develop healthy self-confidence in our nation and among our citizens, especially among our young people.
The bishops warn that a strange and sick self-hatred has been promoted lately in Croatia. While there have been attempts to open ourselves with full understanding to outside values, at the same time there is the impression that our own values are being disparaged. Only that which is regrettable is being emphasized in our history, and not that which is magnificent and pure. Multiculturalism, which is being passionately and constantly promoted, sometimes primarily has the abandonment and denial of that which is our own behind it. However, genuine multiculturalism cannot survive without common immutable values, without points of orientation that originate from our values.
We are not only here since yesterday, state the bishops, and emphasize that with our own name, identity, culture and history, we shall be able, together with others in mutual respect, to build a new European home, based upon the truth about man. Pope Benedict XVI constantly urges that the European community should be built upon the “truth about man.”
An integral part of this truth is monogamous marriage, as he told the Italian Senate in 2004. Marriage, as the “fundamental structure between a man and woman, as well as the basic cell in the formation of the state community, was forged on the basis of the Biblical faith.” “Europe would not be Europe,” says the Pope, “if that basic cell of its social edifice were to disappear or be altered in any essential way.” That which is valid for Europe is also valid in a special way for Croatia, where as rarely elsewhere, marriage and the family have always been valued, note our bishops. Since tendencies contradictory to these values are appearing under the present circumstances, it is necessary to afford them additional protection with the appropriate legislation and other measures.
Another value that the bishops emphasize is Sunday, which formed Croatian and European humanity, protecting the most vulnerable from the tyranny and greed of their masters. Even under the new circumstances, this is an institution that has to be preserved because at a time when acquisition, trade and consumption are raised upon the pedestal of the highest values, man and humanity are relegated to secondary importance, write the bishops and urge all institutions and citizens to work together to preserve and protect Sunday as a day devoted to man, family togetherness, nurturing the ties of family and friendship, entertainment and relaxation, and cultural and spiritual elevation. The values that we protect by preserving Sunday, according to the bishops’ letter, vastly exceed the revenue we would gain by turning it into a working day.
The bishops continue to advocate the preservation of Christian symbols in public life. They are the marks of Christian faith and in this sense, like Sunday, are precious and holy to believers in a special way. However, the bishops state that they are also an expression of our national identity, indelibly shaped by Christianity. These are connected with the greatest religious and moral values, which have inspired the way of thinking and behavior of our people for centuries. Requiring such symbols to be removed from public life can, therefore, be understood as an implicit attempt to remove the values that they symbolize, which would be an encroachment upon the very essence of our identity. Certainly the ultimate of such “iconoclasm” would be the expulsion of Christianity and, ultimately, God from public life. Neither as believers nor as members of the Croatian nation, whose spiritual and cultural being is marked by Christianity, can we agree to this, state the Croatian bishops, adding that as believers a lay society is acceptable to us but not ideological laicism that deprives God and the Church of accreditation.
Furthermore, the bishops urge the faithful to participate actively in public life and to be involved with all people of good will in the progress of our country, especially the preservation of fundamental human and Christian values. From those responsible in politics, the bishops expect the clear definition and defense of national interests and the integrity of the country, and from the political parties to be able to differentiate between party and general national interests. The preservation of the heritage, language, customs, historical truth, natural and other wealth, i.e., everything that constitutes our national identity, must not be left to chance at a time of universal globalization but instead requires planned and targeted activity, in which all the members of our society and nation should be included, state the bishops.
From the holders of authority, it is justifiably required that they should decisively defend the interests of their nation and citizens, especially workers, farmers and the poorest members of society, and from the negotiators with the European Union that they never lose sight of our actual situation, persevering in the search for solutions within the framework of negotiations that will be the least painful and traumatic for individual categories of citizens and the society as a whole.
In conclusion, the Croatian bishops urge all believers to pray for our Croatian homeland.