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Build a Europe of Peoples based on Christian moral
values
On Friday, 27 February, the Holy Father spoke in his
Private Library at the Vatican to the ninth and final group of French
Bishops making their ad limina visit to Rome. They came with
Archbishop André
Lacrampe from the Ecclesiastical Province of Besançon
and were accompanied by Archbishop Joseph Doré
and Auxiliary Bishop Christian Kratz of Strasbourg. Ill health
prevented Bishop Pierre Raffin of Metz from attending. The Pope's talk
focused on the role of the Church and Christians in France, in Europe and
in the world. He pointed out that the Church hopes to enlighten the future
leaders of Europe and "cannot ignore the life of anyone", all due to the
fact that she considers the world "the theatre for her presence and
action". The Pope also recommended that the Bishops pursue relations with
the civil Authorities and with those elected to the national and European
Parliaments, and especially Catholics. The following is a translation of
the Holy Father's Address to the Bishops, which was given in French.
Dear Brothers in the
Episcopate,
1. I greet you with joy,
Pastors of the Province of Besançon,
as well as the Archbishop and Auxiliary Bishop of Strasbourg. My thoughts
and prayers go to Bishop Pierre Raffin of Metz, who has been unable to
take part in this ad limina visit. I thank Archbishop André
Lacrampe for his reflections on the challenges and hopes of society and
the pastoral life of your Dioceses, and
on
the European perspectives that you have at
heart precisely because of your geographical location on the borders of
several countries.
Churches should increasingly foster European integration
2. I was especially touched
by the fact that in mentioning the Council of Europe you recalled the late
Archbishop Michael Courtney, Apostolic Nuncio in Burundi, who was
assassinated last December. When he was posted to Strasbourg as Permanent
Observer of the Holy See, he was a convinced builder of cooperation
between the States of the European Continent. Today I ask the local
Churches to be ever more firmly committed to European integration.
To achieve it, it is important to reread history, remembering that
the Christian anthropological, moral and spiritual values contributed
largely down the centuries to forging the different European nations and
weaving deep bonds between them. The many beautiful churches, signs of the
faith of our ancestors scattered across the Continent, clearly demonstrate
and remind us that these values were and still are the basis of relations
between individuals and peoples, and the mortar that binds them.
Union, however, cannot be
achieved to the detriment of these very values or in opposition to them.
Indeed, relations between the different countries cannot be based solely
on economic or political interests: the debate on globalization makes this
plain. Nor can they be based on convenient alliances that would weaken the
process of the enlargement under way and could lead to reverting to the
ideologies of the past that mocked both the human being and humanity.
These bonds must aim to build a Europe of Peoples, thereby making it
possible to terminate the conflicts that have bathed the Continent in
blood throughout the 20th century. This is the price of the birth of a
Europe whose identity will rest on common values, a Europe of brotherhood
and solidarity; only a Europe of this kind will be able to take the
differences into account, since its perspective is the advancement of men
and women, respect for their inalienable rights, the quest for the common
good and the happiness and prosperity of all. The Church hopes to
contribute more and more to the unity of the Continent through her
centuries-old presence in the different countries of the Continent, her
participation in the unity of peoples and cultures and in social life,
especially in the fields of education, charitable aid, health care and
social assistance (cf. Ecclesia in
Europa, n. 113). What is sought above all, as I recalled in my
Address to the Presidency of the European Parliament (5 April 1979), is
the service of the individual person and of peoples, with respect for
their beliefs and profound aspirations.
Christians can be messengers of new hope for society
3. During the last Assembly
of your Episcopal Conference, you tackled the question of the Church's
place in society with a view to seeking a "better way of living
together". The desire to take an active part in public life, individually
or jointly at all levels of society in order to be at the service of their
brothers and sisters, is one of the characteristics of disciples of
Christ. Because of her vision of human beings and her love for them, the
Church cannot ignore the life of anyone, and considers the world the
theatre for her presence and action.
I cannot encourage pastors
enough to watch over the integral
formation of
young people,
especially those who will be in charge and leaders of the nation in the
future, to ensure that wherever they work and are involved they have the
necessary elements for reflection on human and social situations and to be
attentive to people to help them base their decisions on moral criteria.
The Church hopes to offer them the enlightenment of the Gospel and of her
Magisterium. In this domain, Catholic Universities have a specific
role of reflection with all their social partners to help them analyze
specific situations, always studying how to keep the human being at the
centre of their decisions. This process is not only addressed to the
Catholic faithful but also to all people of good will who hope to reflect
in truth on the future of humanity.
In this regard, I would like
to pay a tribute to the work of the
Social Weeks
of
France. You
are deeply attached to this institution which
is preparing to celebrate its centenary. During its annual meetings which
are attracting more and more participants
—
a sign that its research responds to real expectations
—
those who take part in the meetings have the opportunity to question one
another about the social issues that our world is facing, in the light of
the Gospel and of the social doctrine of the Church. Since the publication
of the Encyclical Rerum Novarum by my Predecessor Leo XIII, the
Church's social teaching has been continuously enriched. I am delighted
with the relations that Social Weeks is promoting and developing
throughout Europe, thereby creating a movement for reflection on the
increasingly complex questions of the contemporary world and uniting
people in laying the foundations of our future society.
Through this participation in
all the forms of social life, the first field of their apostolate,
Christians truly fulfil their vocation and mission in accordance
with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. In proclaiming Christ,
Christians are also messengers of new hope for society; by promoting
"deeper understanding of the laws of social living" (Gaudium et Spes,
n. 23), they invite society to a radical transformation. Apart from
the right and duty to proclaim the Gospel to all the nations, the Church
likewise claims the right to "make judgments on any human affairs to the
extent that they are required by the fundamental rights of the human
person or the salvation of souls" (Code of Canon Law, can.
747 § 2). In politics, in the economy, in workplaces and in the family, it
is up to the faithful to make Christ present. They must also radiate the
evangelical values that express with particular clarity the dignity of the
human being and his or her central place in the world, thus recalling the
primacy of the human being over any private interest and institutional
mechanisms.
Freedom of worship is paramount for any healthy society
4. The participation of Christians in public life,
the visible presence of the
Catholic Church and of other religious denominations, in no way questions
the principle of secularity nor the prerogatives of the State. As I had
the opportunity to recall at the time of the exchange of good wishes with
the Diplomatic Corps last January, a properly understood secularity must
not be confused with secularism; nor can it erase the beliefs of
individuals or communities. To seek to eliminate this important dimension
in the life of individuals and peoples from the social arena as well as
the signs that express it, would be contrary to a properly understood
freedom. Freedom of worship cannot be conceived of without the freedom to
practise one's religion individually and collectively, or without the
freedom of the Church. Religion cannot be confined to the private realm,
at the risk of denying all its community aspects in its own life and its
social and charitable action in society for everyone, independently of his
or her philosophical or religious beliefs. In the name of religious
freedom, which is one of the fundamental aspects of freedom of conscience,
every Christian and every follower of any religion has the right to have
his or her beliefs and practices respected, as long as this does not
threaten the security and legitimate authority of the State (cf.
Declaration on Religious Freedom, nn. 2-3).
Respectful recognition of those with different beliefs is
vital
5. It is important that young
people grasp the impact of the religious process in personal and social
life, that they be acquainted with the religious traditions they encounter
and have a kindly approach to interpreting religious symbols and
recognizing the Christian roots of cultures and of European history. This
leads to a respectful recognition of others and their beliefs, to a
positive dialogue, to overcoming collectivism and to a better social
understanding. Many Muslims live in your Country and you make the effort
to maintain good relations with them through the mediation of the leaders
or local communities and the promotion of interreligious dialogue
which is, as I have had the opportunity to say, a dialogue of life. Such a
dialogue must also revive in Christians the knowledge of their faith and
their attachment to the Church: any form of relativism can only do serious
damage to interreligious relations.
It is up to you to pursue and
intensify, perhaps in some cases by going through the authorized channels,
relations with the civil Authorities and with the various categories of
elected members in your Country in the national and European
Parliaments, especially with Catholic members of Parliament and with
international institutions. I am delighted with the new forms of dialogue
that have recently been established between the Holy See and the Leaders
of the Nation to settle undecided matters. Through his specific mission,
the Apostolic Nuncio, on behalf of the Holy See, is called to play an
active role and to follow attentively the life of the Church and her
situation in society.
In Third World countries, help all to join forces for the
common good
6. In accordance with her noble tradition, France has
numerous links with Third
World Countries, especially on the
African Continent. Today more than ever, if the peoples of Africa are to
emerge from the poverty and bloody conflicts that do not cease to
devastate their land, it is right to continue to give assistance to these
peoples, aiming at providing for their basic needs and especially to help
them to assume responsibility for their own development, particularly
through a good education in civic and political affairs. This must enable
them to overcome group opposition, so that each one may truly acquire a
sense of the State and all citizens join forces to construct a future of
peace and prosperity. In these educational areas, the Church has an
experience that she is more than ever required to transmit for the good of
persons and peoples.
Proclaim God's Word, in season and out
7. As my meetings with the different Provinces of France
are coming to an end, I give thanks for the courageous commitment of the
Pastors and faithful in proclaiming the Gospel. May they not be
discouraged in the face of the difficulties and, to human eyes, the meagre
results obtained! We must all consider ourselves primarily as God's
cooperators (cf. II Cor 6:1), carrying out our mission in fidelity to the
gift received, proclaiming in season and out of season the Word of God
that the world needs in order to allow it to hope and to find a new
dynamism. The Holy Spirit will know how to make human work fruitful.
Christ, Redeemer of man, comes to open the path of life to each one. Do
not be afraid to cry to the world that God is humanity's only lasting
happiness, and to guide men and women in the discovery of Christ and in
building a world in which it is good to live! As I entrust you to the
Virgin Mary, Patroness of France, I impart to you and to all the Pastors
and faithful of your Dioceses an affectionate and fatherly Apostolic
Blessing.
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