Zagreb, (IKA) – On Tuesday, June 9, there was a meeting of the bishops in charge of social issues in the Episcopal Conferences of Europe at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute in Zagreb. The topic was “The Economic-Financial Crisis: Hope(less)? Experiences, Initiatives, Problems and Responses of the Church in Europe.”

The president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), Cardinal Péter Erdö, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, presided. In addition to the bishops in charge of Justice and Peace Commissions and social issues, the meeting was also attended by the vice presidents of the CCEE, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, Archbishop of Zagreb, and Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux;mthe secretary of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi; the president of the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions, Bishop Gerard Defois; the president of Associazione Compagnia delle Opere, Dr. Bernhard Scholz; the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Archbishop Marin Srakić of Đakovo-Osijek, and the apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Croatia, Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari.

In greeting those present, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, Archbishop of Zagreb, pointed out that the Zagreb Church is particularly honored to be the host of this event and to be able to share its sensitivity and concern for social issues with the participants. Throughout history, our Church pastors have devoted particular attention to this area, among whom the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac was particularly outstanding and made many sacrifices in order to defend the dignity and rights of the weakest during the difficult periods of totalitarian ideologies, said Cardinal Bozanić. He also recalled how the world scenario, characterized by the grave socioeconomic crisis, requires deliberation, the thorough study of the situation, exchanges of experiences, a search for common strategies and that everyone in the church bodies engaged in social issues should cooperate efficiently. The Church is always vitally involved where human life, the dignity of the human being, the general good, the right to work, the right to a life of dignity and the defense of the most vulnerable social classes are questioned. The Church, confirming that the human being is central because he is created in the image and likeness of God and has been redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, safeguards the public dimension of faith. It tirelessly calls the society to those values that cannot be traded, because they are not established by man, striving to make its own contribution to devising appropriate responses to social problems, on the basis of its religious heritage and social experience, noted Cardinal Bozanić. He also pointed out that the current economic-financial crisis is revealing itself to be a crisis of culture and values. The system has lost its credibility and effectiveness. It is necessary to change the mentality, re-examine the model of dominant development thoroughly, consider the ethical aspects and particularly invest in the integrated growth of the poorest, said Cardinal Bozanić.

During the first session, Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi spoke on a document by the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace entitled “A New Pact to Re-establish the International Financial System,” and Dr. Bernard Scholz spoke on “The Financial Crisis – A Challenge for Christians.”

In the second session, when current issues were discussed, the Spanish bishop Juan Jose Omella Omella spoke on unemployment, the French bishop Michel Dubost on social unrest, the Hungarian bishop Mihaly Mayer on pension/welfare systems, and the Rumanian bishop Jeno Schoenberger on migration and the family.

The meeting concluded with a third session, during which there was a presentation by Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi on “Cooperation in the Area of Social Pastoral Activity: Continental Experience and the Role of the Vatican,” and Cardinal Péter Erdö spoke on “Justice and Peace in the Calling of a Bishop, Bishops’ Conferences and the CCEE.”