The New Evangelization - Europe


 

INSTRUMENTUM LABORIS
Synod of Europe II


INDEX

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

PART I :EUROPE TOWARDS THE THIRD MILLENNIUM

PART II: JESUS CHRIST ALIVE IN HIS CHURCH

PART III: JESUS CHRIST HOPE FOR EUROPE

ANNOUNCING "THE GOSPEL OF HOPE: MARTYRIA

CELEBRATING "THE GOSPEL OF HOPE: LEITOURGIA

SERVING "THE GOSPEL OF HOPE": DIAKONIA

CONCLUSION

ENDNOTES


JESUS CHRIST ALIVE IN HIS CHURCH
SOURCE OF HOPE FOR EUROPE


PREFACE

The Second Special Assembly for Europe, to be celebrated 1 - 23 October 1999 at the close of the Second Millennium, is the last in the series of continental synods, culminating a period of preparation characterised by some significant moments, i.e., the consultation for arriving at a synod topic, followed by the Holy Father's approval of its formulation and the publication of the Lineamenta with its series of questions, sent to the interested parties, including the various episcopal conferences of Europe (16 March 1998). The publication of the present "working document" or Instrumentum laboris, taking into account the responses to the initial document, constitutes the final phase in the preparatory process for the synod.

From all accounts, the announcement of the celebration of the Second Special Assembly for Europe generated great interest among the local Churches on the continent as well as in the Universal Church. This is seen in the many responses and observations to the Lineamenta which arrived at the General Secretariat. Many local Churches took full advantage of the preparatory period and the Lineamenta document to devote time and prayer to a common reflection on various aspects of the synod topic, thereby ensuring the rich content of the Instrumentum laboris.

During the Fifth Meeting of the Pre-Synodal Council, held in Rome, 16 - 18 March 1999, the Pre-Synodal Council, in possession of all the material submitted to the General Secretariat from the preparatory stage, proceeded, with the help of experts from Europe, to propose a final draft of this working document. At this meeting, the members studied the initial draft composed on the basis of the responses and structured according to the main topics suggested in the questions of the Lineamenta. The observations of the members of the Pre-Synodal Council at this meeting were then incorporated into the various parts of the final text, which was later submitted to the Holy Father for his approval.

In arriving at a text which reflected the contents of the responses and observations, three aspects were given consideration, all of which are found in some form in the definitive text: 1) shared points of view 2) contrasting aspects and 3) possible oversights in the responses. Moreover, it is worthwhile to state that the document contains not only the above points but also those subjects which, according to the responses, should receive further examination and development. In these cases, even though they may not be given an extensive treatment in the present text, they are mentioned so as to become part of the agenda for treatment in synodal discussion.

The Instrumentum laboris, presented in English, French, German and Italian, is structured according to the logical progression of ideas in the synod topic: "Jesus Christ, Alive in His Church, the Source of Hope for Europe".

Following this plan, the working document is composed of an Introduction and three major parts whose headings reflect the main aspects of the topic. These three sections are further divided into sub-headings treating related subjects. The document ends with a brief conclusion .

The Introduction begins by describing the present context in which the Synod is being held and compares it to that in which the previous synod took place.

Part I–Europe towards the Third Millennium–presents abundant material for the necessary discernment of "the signs of the times". It sets forth not only the changes which have occurred in Europe in the last decade, with their causes and reasons for hope, but also the disappointments, the risks and concerns which accompany these changes. It likewise examines some questions emerging as a result of present-day happenings in Europe. In considering the cultural roots underlying this new situation and the details and analysis of related phenomena, this section concludes by suggesting that the question of man, and more specifically the "question of faith", might be the central and determining factor in discussion.

Part II–Jesus Christ, Alive in His Church–describes the essential underlying elements of an authentic, life-giving faith. A key element to the document, this section insists that restoring and regaining hope is possible only if it arises from faith in the Risen Christ; only if the need for Christ, present in each man and woman, is recognised; only if a person believes and professes that Jesus is the one and only Saviour; and only if, on the basis of viewing the Church in her profound reality of "mystery" and "communion", a person is clearly aware that Jesus Christ and the Church are one.

Part III–Jesus Christ the Hope of Europe–describes how encountering Jesus Christ is the basis of the Church's mission and the mission of each disciple. Some preliminary suggestions are then made on how the Church can restore hope to Europe today. Each suggestion urges a genuine, courageous inquiry into demonstrating the Church's need to know how to recognise and welcome the presence and action of Christ and his Spirit, that she might truly reflect the face of Christ continually being fashioned in her, and that she be a true place of communion. Three sections follow on the mission of the Church–martyria, leitourgia, diakonia. To stimulate discussion and possible debate, each section presents ways in which the Church can announce, celebrate and serve "The Gospel of Hope" in Europe today. Under proclamation and witness, there is treated the subjects of the new evangelization, ecumenism and dialogue with the Jews and other religions as well as the topic of the sects. In speaking of celebration, the suggestion is made to examine people's awareness of the Lord's presence in the liturgy and in today's liturgical practices. Finally, in referring to service, emphasis is placed on the witness of charity, the duty of building communion and solidarity, some pastoral areas requiring particular attention and the responsibilities and activities in constructing a new Europe.

After commemorating the martyrs of Europe in this century and the importance of keeping their memory alive so as to bring about a new hope in Europe and recalling the presence of Mary as Mother of Hope in the construction of the New Europe, the text concludes by presenting the relationship between the Special Assembly and the Jubilee of the Year 2000.

The present Instrumentum laboris is meant to assist in the synodal assembly's work and to provide assistance in the immediate preparation of its participants. Moreover, it is intended to point out the main issues under discussion in the local Churches in Europe. In this way, the document offers timely guidance in the work of discernment awaiting the Pastors in their responsibility and charism to keep watch over the times, to examine the signs, to gather what the Spirit is saying to the Churches and to indicate the steps to be taken in the future. It will also provide occasion for a beneficial "examination of conscience". Above all, the document offers suggestions for discussion and analysis on some essential ways of restoring hope to Europe today. These ways will become evident through rediscovering and re-affirming faith in Jesus Christ, alive in his Church, as the one who alone can give a sure hope to each man and woman and to every people and nation, and through ascertaining the conditions and approaches which permit the Church to fulfill her mission of announcing, celebrating and serving "The Gospel of Hope".

The information contained in the Instrumentum laboris, resulting from the responses sent to the General Secretariat, is now being returned to the bishops of Europe who are to participate at the Special Assembly for their immediate personal preparation, which includes choosing specific points to be treated in their intervention during the synod. Since the Holy Father has been pleased to make this document public, all bishops in Europe might wish to utilise it to revitalise their particular Churches and to foster the participation of the faithful in the synod process.

By its very nature, the Instrumentum laboris is a work document. It should not be seen in any way as anticipating the conclusions of the synodal assembly, although the consensus that emerges on certain points in the answers will no doubt be reflected in the results of the synod.

It is my fervent hope that Our Lady, present with the disciples in the Upper Room, will guide these final preparations and be with the members during the work of the synod so that this assembly might bring many to Christ, alive in His Church, the Source of Hope for Europe and lead to a fresh dynamism in the work of evangelisation of the European continent as the Church moves towards crossing the threshold of the Third Millennium.

Jan P. Cardinal SCHOTTE, c.i.c.m.
General Secretary


INTRODUCTION

 

Two Synods for Europe

1. In 1991, when the First Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops was celebrated, the continent found itself in a situation of new-found unity. Shortly thereafter, many peoples of Europe began to experience a period of great freedom; it was almost like coming out of the catacombs or a kind of "passage through the Red Sea" (cf. Ex 14:21-30).

Great was their Hope. The Holy Father observed that "a common sentiment seems to dominate the great human family. Everyone wonders what future to construct in peace and solidarity. ... Walls have crumbled. Borders have opened. ... An earthly messianism has crumbled and the thirst for a new justice is springing up in the world. A great hope has been born of freedom, responsibility, solidarity and spirituality. Everyone is calling for a new fully human civilisation in this privileged hour in which we are living. This immense hope of humanity must not be disappointed...(1) That moment was "ripe to gather up the stones of the walls that have been torn down and to build together a common home.(2)

At the same time, people urgently needed to see what this new-found freedom actually meant. The basic question, illustrated in the topic of the First Special Assembly for Europe, Ut testes simus Christi qui nos liberavit, was concerned with the proper conception of freedom. The Church, along with all Christian Churches, is called to bear witness to this freedom, announce it and build it up, keenly aware that such freedom can only be the freedom which Christ has gained. As a result, the Church's response must be a "new evangelisation".

The First Special Assembly–born of a realisation that a particularly historic moment was occurring in Europe, a moment which brought grace, newness and a call from God–came to be seen as a privileged moment of encounter among the bishops. It was also an experience of the Church's catholicity which provided opportunity to reflect more attentively on what that historic moment had in store for Europe and the Church. In this way, the synod examined the signs of the times and used them in indicating the path to follow in a reciprocal exchange of gifts in the work of evangelisation into the Third Millennium.

The Church had the clearly marked path of bringing "the liberating message of the Gospel to the men and women of Europe once more.(3) The single task facing the Church was the "new evangelisation." Jesus Christ alone is the true liberator of humanity; only he can indicate the proper way to follow in Europe's new-found freedom.

2. Today, 8 years after that event, Europe's situation could be described as a unity in peril. "Can we not say that after the collapse of one wall, the visible one, another, invisible wall was discovered, one that continues to divide our continent–the wall that exists in people's hearts? It is a wall made out of fear and aggressiveness, of lack of understanding for people of different origins, different colour, different religious convictions; it is the wall of political and economic selfishness, of the weakening of sensitivity to the value of human life and the dignity of every human being. Even the undeniable achievements of recent years in the economic, political and social fields do not hide the fact that this wall exists. It casts its shadow over all of Europe. The goal of the authentic unity of the European continent is still distant.(4)

Many people believed that the extraordinary events of 1989 would radically change history and that Europe's dramatic situations and divisions would be a thing of the past. Instead, the years which followed brought similar events to its peoples in various parts of the continent. Now, on the eve of the Third Millennium, the European continent, despite the great signs of faith and witness and an atmosphere undoubtedly more free and unified, is showing signs of weariness which historical events–recent and past–have brought about deep within the heart of its peoples, often causing disappointment. As a result, there is a great risk that hope will grow weak. The question to be faced today, then, is how to restore a lost hope, not in a superficial and passing way but in a more profound, solid and enduring manner.

Once again, the challenge is to return to the Gospel; in the conviction that "there will be no European unity until it is based on unity of the spirit. This most profound basis of unity was brought to Europe and consolidated down the centuries by Christianity with its Gospel, with its understanding of man and with its contribution to the development of the history of peoples and nations.(5) What was taught in the past is also true today–that "the wall which today is raised in people's hearts, the wall which divides Europe, will not be torn down without a return to the Gospel.(6)

3. The Second Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops is situated in this context. Announced by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II in Berlin, this synod is one in the series of continental synods celebrated in these years as part of the preparation for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.(7) After taking up again and developing what emerged in the previous Special Assembly for Europe, after examining all that has taken place in the meantime, after carrying out an attentive work of discernment and after maintaining a commitment to the reciprocal exchange of gifts, the Second Special Assembly's fundamental aims are to analyse the situation of the Church in Europe in view of the Jubilee, to indicate ways in which the immense spiritual reserves of the continent can fully develop in all areas and to foster a new proclamation of the Gospel, thus creating the basis for an authentic religious, social and economic rebirth.(8)

Above all, the synod is to seek to profess that "Jesus Christ, alive in his Church, is the Source of Hope for Europe" and to proclaim "hope believed against hope" (cf. Rom 4:18). Through an attentive reading of the present moment, the synod intends to indicate the many "signs" and "seeds" of hope in Europe and to restore hope to the Church community as she professes her faith in the Lord Jesus.

The "hope" under consideration is "theological hope". It is not an optimism which provides motivation to get things done or achieve goals, nor is it a basic trust in the innate goodness of the European cause–though in its own way this can have a positive stirring influence. Instead, it is a hope which takes account of everything, risks of failure as well as hard work. Basically, it is a hope founded in God; it is the theological virtue which recognises that the loving presence of Christ overcomes all things and ensures victory; it is the hope of an Abraham and a Paul which remains firm in the time of crisis. It is the hope which "hopes believing against hope" in the certainty that God is faithful, does not renege on his promises and, in Jesus and with the force of the Spirit, does not abandon humanity, society and the world, but makes himself a travelling companion on life's journey, lights the path and gives strength and sustenance in the work to be done.

4. Running through the entire text are repeated references to the episode of the two disciples at Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35), used as an "interpretive icon" of the present-day situation of Europe. Like the two disciples, many persons in Europe, in contrast to the euphoric spirit which characterised the years of celebration of the First Special Assembly of the Synod, now seem to be disheartened and dispirited because of unfulfilled expectations. They now look to the future with uncertainty and little hope. Such persons, like the disciples on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, need to encounter the risen Lord, alive in his Church, to make "their hearts burn" and permit them "to go off again without delay" and return to what is presently happening in European history so as to continue to transform the whole continent into a place where all can live together, without exclusion and barriers, in acceptance, solidarity and peace.

This is the service which Christians and the particular Churches can render in the construction of a new spirit for Europe, capable of looking beyond its interests and confines so as to offer to the whole world a new contribution of civilisation, wisdom and peace.


PART I

EUROPE TOWARDS THE THIRD MILLENNIUM

 

For a discernment of the "signs of the times"

5. The two disciples "were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all the things that had happened" (Lk 24:13-14). Since they were so totally a part of that historical event, they could not be indifferent. Instead, they looked to what was happening around them and allowed the events to pose questions for them: in fact, "they were talking and discussing together" (Lk 24:15). At the same time, however, their path is marked with sadness–"and they stood still looking sad"(Lk 24:17)–and a loss of hope–"we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel (Lk 24:21). Fundamentally speaking, the situation is one of a loss of faith: "Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognising him" (Lk 24:15-16). St. Augustine comments: "They said, 'we were hoping that he was the redeemer of Israel.' O disciples, you were hoping; does this mean that you no longer have hope? Behold, Christ lives but your hope is dead! Indeed, Christ is alive; but the living Christ finds the disciples' hearts without life.... Having lost faith and hope, they walked with the Living One but themselves were lifeless. The dead accompanied Life itself. Life walked with them, but life did not as yet return to their hearts.(9)

The two disciples can be taken as a symbol of the many women and men in Europe today. They can also be used to symbolise the whole European continent which hoped in the Lord in the past and which, indeed, is not abandoned by him in the present. However, at this moment Europe appears to be lost, confused, adrift and with its hope in peril. In addition to this general state of affairs, many Christians seem to have lost their faith or limit it to certain traditions or live it superficially in some form of religious practice.

Discerning the Signs of the Times

6. The bishops meeting in Synod as heads of their local Churches and faithful to their prophetic mission, sense the need to "question themselves" on how to discern the signs of the times and interpret them in light of the Gospel.(10) They will "talk about what is happening in Europe", but, unlike the disciples of Emmaus, they will do it by allowing themselves to be questioned and enlightened by the presence of the Lord and his Word which they know is with them, their Churches and the entire continent on their journey.

This already took place at the First Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops, convoked by the Holy Father to reflect on the significance of that historic moment. The events of 1989 required the synod to turn its attention to Europe and the Church so as to read the signs of the times and to discuss what path to follow,(11) through seeking to understand both what the Spirit of Christ was saying to the Church through past experiences and the path he was indicating for the future.(12)

The task of discernment, however, did not end with the celebration of that Synod, because such a work is always incumbent on the Pastors of the Church. Nevertheless, in light of the changes and new situations which came about as a result of historical events, the task presented itself with renewed urgency. The Holy Father himself stated that "Christians must seize the opportunities offered to them by the kairos of the present moment and show themselves equal to the emerging pastoral challenges of the concrete historical situation.(13)

The Synod, therefore, feels bound to give particular attention to the historical events which have taken place in Europe in recent years and to the trends affecting it at present. This attentive look is one of discernment and critical judgment, capable of presenting both positive and negative aspects and of indicating the path to follow so that the continent of Europe might not betray its identity or fall short of its responsibilities. In this way, it can find hope again. Therefore, it is a matter of taking a look at Europe–after the example and teaching of the Holy Father–with love and empathy, a look which is proper to someone who recognises, appreciates and values each positive element of progress encountered, forcefully denounces what is incoherent with the Gospel and never tires of suggesting and pointing to further goals to be achieved.

The "Res Novae" in the Europe of the Last Decade

7. Despite the fact that only ten years have passed since 1989 and some people might think of the events which took place at that time as the distant past, the influence of those events on European life and the local Churches in Europe is still being felt.

Undoubtedly, in the wake of these events, significant changes have taken place in the life of the particular Churches.

Eight years ago, the synod pointed out that the Church in the East and West "shows a new vigour, particularly in biblical and liturgical renewal, in the active participation of the faithful in parish life, in new experiences of community and in the revival of prayer and the contemplative life, besides many forms of voluntary work on behalf of those who are poor and rejected.(14) The presence of small communities, new groups and ecclesial movements is also significant. Besides giving rise and favouring a revitalisation of the faith, these provide experiences which foster ecclesial communion and have often "brought to the Church's life an unexpected newness which is sometimes even disruptive":(15) various persons have been overtaken and guided by the charisms stirred up by the Spirit towards "new ways of missionary commitment to the radical service of the Gospel, by ceaselessly proclaiming the truths of faith, accepting the living stream of tradition as a gift and instilling in each person an ardent desire for holiness.(16)

Particularly in former iron-curtain countries, the gentle winds of freedom and the proclamation of human rights allowed a new-found freedom in activities for the Church who had lived "in captivity" for decades. Despite the tiring work and difficulties involved in reconstructing a world wounded by dictatorship and an erroneous system of life whose effects are seen mostly in the area of interior growth, significant witness was demonstrated by these Churches and the plans undertaken by them appeared full of promise in responding to the great need of "recuperating" at all levels their religious and cultural patrimony, oppressed and neglected for a long time, and of enriching it with the conciliar and post-conciliar magisterium.

At the same time, negative phenomena, primarily in Western Europe–such as materialism, consumerism, hedonism and cultural and religious relativism–have also had an effect on the peoples of Eastern Europe, making the work of local Churches more difficult. Some apprehension also exists in particular Churches in Eastern Europe towards those in the West that they will not be able to carry on a relationship and dialogue "on an equal basis" and that they will lose the influence which they have earned through oftentimes heroic sacrifices. At times, it was not easy for men and women religious from Western Europe, sent to the particular Churches in the East, to understand local situations and to work in collaboration with various Church people working in the territory. The passage from a Christianity lived in oppression to that lived in a climate of freedom exposed weaknesses in certain areas, resulting in negative effects on vocations, especially in countries where they were once plentiful.

8. Numerous and significant changes have also taken place on the cultural, social and political level.

For the last ten years Europe has been experiencing a process which can, in some cases, be likened to the re-founding of States and entire societies, a process which, generally speaking, is a politico-institutional transition still incomplete and unfortunately marked in the past and present by forms of bloody conflict. In many countries, it is a transition which concerns discovering the proper manner of exercising freedom and democracy after years of Communist dominance. In other countries, with the crisis and weakened state of the Communist block, such a transition is marked by changes in the political order. As a result of the ongoing fragmentation of the Catholic world in the wake of various choices by political entities, the particular Churches have been required–and are still being required–to seek new relations and forms of presence. This same process of transition has also brought about new ideas, peoples and nations on the continental and world scene with all that this signifies in the realms of a correct interpretation of the rights of people and entire nations.

Furthermore, the fall of the iron curtain has produced, for the first time in a decade, the possibility of direct contact with countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Immediately thereafter, an influx of migration from Eastern Europe occurred in addition to those from the South and various countries of Africa and Asia. Migration is presently continuing with the influx in the West of people from the East and in the northern hemisphere of those from the south. The poor and the homeless from numerous ex-iron curtain countries as well as those from Africa and Asia immigrate to cities of Western Europe, in many cases in an illegal manner. This influx in populations is creating numerous cultural and social problems in Europe which need to be attentively discerned and faced with responsibility. Each year there results an ever-increasing pluralism in ethnic, cultural, religious and social areas. These situations constitute a challenge for the local Churches who seek to respond, not without difficulty, through renewed initiatives of welcome and solidarity and attempts at interreligious and inter-cultural dialogue.

It is impossible here not to mention the more general phenomenon of globalisation which interests the peoples and governments of Europe because of their involvement in the process.

In more recent years, the phenomenon is causing an acceleration in the unification and integration of member-countries into the European Union to the point of establishing a single currency. Participation in this process has allowed many peoples in Europe, perhaps for the first time, to experience in concrete terms on the national level the effects of an increase of institutions particularly European, thus replacing a simply rhetorical and distant vision of Europe as a continent. In this regard, further developments have taken place in relations, dialogue and consultation between European institutions and the Catholic Church (through the Commission of the Episcopates of the European Community) and among the local Catholic Churches on the entire continent (by means of the Council of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe), structures which appear fundamental to the participation of the Church in the construction of a New Europe.

It is not difficult to see how the present historic moment places Europe again at a crossroad where the construction, union and evangelisation of the continent are appearing as fundamental challenges. At the same time, sufficient evidence points to the fact that the present phase of European history–as recalled on many occasions by the Holy Father–though characterised by significant changes and many problems, affords also possibilities in evangelisation as well as in living and working together.(17) In other words, the present moment is an important juncture for the hopes and concerns which the Synod has the task to discern with responsibility.

Opportunities and Reasons for Hope

9. The present phase of European history offers many reasons for hope, even if at times concerns and disappointments seem to appear. What is needed is to discover the "seeds and signs of hope" and know how to value them.

Generally speaking, it cannot be overlooked that new social and political conditions permit an increasing number of Europeans accessibility to a better quality of life. They also facilitate the movement of persons, allow greater mutual understanding between the peoples of the East and West, result in cultural exchanges, foster a frequent sharing of religious experiences, especially among the young, and help put into effect shared initiatives towards making Europe one common house.

In the Church, the above situation undoubtedly offers new and ample possibilities for communion, solidarity and sharing among the local Churches in Europe. These possibilities are also displayed at all levels of the Church among those in positions of responsibility, even if communication is not always balanced or, to use a favourite expression of the Holy Father, Europe's "breathing with two lungs" is still rather slow and laboured.

In some particular Churches in the East activities have significantly been resumed in catechetical, liturgical, charitable and cultural areas with new areas being opened for the Church's evangelising presence. At the same time, the possibility of utilising the instruments of social communication in service to mission seems to be on the increase. In some countries, new conditions are providing opportunity for a new evangelisation, primarily in Christian formation and religious and priestly vocations, areas which formerly had been limited and sometimes hampered by the government. As a result of the new-found freedom, those belonging to religious institutes are now able to return to living in community and sharing pastoral activities, thus surmounting–not without suffering and difficulty–the conditions of the past. In some nations, these new conditions have resulted in an increase in vocations, indeed a hopeful sign. In some countries of the East, where liturgical life was impeded, people are now attending Mass with frequency and, generally speaking, are rediscovering and participating in the Church's liturgy in its various aspects. Spiritual movements are also spreading extensively–at times, not without problems–and the young are increasingly seeking a sound spirituality.

In the particular Churches of the West centres of listening and places of encounter are growing in number where persons meet who were formerly ideologically opposed to each other. Locales are also being established to welcome the growing number of immigrants. Major countries in the West are witnessing the development of the catechumenate and a return to the faith of Christians who have long abandoned religious practice. Some Churches, having undergone changes only as outside observers, are now witnessing an increase in "communion" with other particular Churches and are coming to know the life and culture of people who until now were held to be strangers or even enemies. With the fall of barriers, Church academic institutions in Western Europe have seen a rise in the number of seminarians, priests, religious, women religious and laity from ex-Communist countries and have facilitated the loan of teachers and experts to the local Churches of the East as professors and advisors.

10. Culture and society also display opportunities and signs of hope calling for recognition and appreciation.

Underlying and belonging to the ongoing process of politico- institutional transition, certain actions should not be under-estimated, even if they often require an intensive work of purification. These actions indicate not only a deep desire for political freedom, and more basically the possibility of constructing a pluralistic society where the rights of all, including minorities, might be taught, but also a desire for economic freedom, calling for attention and consideration as a possible positive factor in development and responsibility.

The co-existence of diverse peoples, cultures and religions can be an opportunity–indeed almost an obligation, so as not to revert back to forms of permanent conflict and exclusion of the weakest–to work towards a cultural unity which today can no longer be understood in terms of "Christianity only," but as a "pluralism of dialogue and collaboration". In this situation Christians have the unavoidable task of bringing about that "productive co-existence of cultures" which knows how to transform every temptation to opposition not only into an opportunity for mutual acceptance and service but also into a living environment befitting humanity and all citizens, not to mention into a great reality where a multiplicity of smaller nations and cultures can find a home.

The phenomenon of globalisation, despite its ambivalence and challenges, also contains positive elements and opportunities. This world- wide trend is certainly leading to increased efficiency and growth in production. Likewise, it can strengthen the process of inter-dependence and unity among peoples, offering a real service to the entire human family.

Finally, in the construction of Europe, monetary union has taken on an importance and significance which can serve as a major opportunity. Besides requiring individual states to re-think the meaning of national sovereignty and areas of jurisdiction, it can–if approached with a global view of solidarity–give major stability to Europe and its economic development. Furthermore, it can be an important tool in allowing the continent to increase exchanges of various kinds and in assisting a qualitative advance in living together on the continent. Even if concrete advances are modest, such progress–according to the logic that even small steps matter–does at least demonstrate the attainment of some crucial fundamental values.

Disappointments, Risks and Concerns

11. Interpreting the events which have transformed Europe in the last decade must not lead to forms of naive optimism but must be approached with a realism which does not hide the uncertainty and fragility associated with this phase of European history. Indeed, many new risks of delusion and disappointment exist, as John Paul II forewarned,(18) as well as serious concerns and dangers. The sum total of these disappointments, apprehensions and risks go to make up the facial features of a Europe which seems to have lost hope.

In this climate of disappointment there is a widespread agreement that, despite the effects and advances over the years, the construction of a common house for Europe based on Gospel values is a more difficult goal to achieve than was first thought by the particular Churches at the beginning of the decade. The plan of re-organising political, economic and military affairs–pursued without reference to Christian values–has revealed its true features only in power struggles, despite the fact that in certain nations consideration has been partially given to the good of populations.

Generally speaking, there is a common awareness that Communism is not the only enemy. Pluralism has taken the place of Marxism in cultural dominance, a pluralism which is undifferentiated and tending towards skepticism and nihilism. This pluralism, touching extensive areas of social life today, is resulting in a strongly reduced anthropology, in many cases without meaning.

In Eastern countries in particular, certain expectations have been illusory. The effects of Communism with its hollow anthropology and its consequent ethical principles was not given due consideration. As a result, some unsuspectingly concluded that with the fall of Communism all would, almost automatically, be changed for the better. Others thought that democracy would spontaneously bring riches and prosperity and that freedom would permit a flow of goods from the West to all consumers, guaranteeing work for everyone and causing economic prosperity. Instead, crisis has thrown thousands of families into poverty. On the political level, the oftentimes return to power of former members of the Communist system and a violent nationalism, which at times has arisen instead of freedom and peace, have contributed to an increase in disillusionment. Many are also disappointed at forms of disinterest and indifference in Western Europe to the dramatic situations in certain countries of the ex-Communist world, as witnessed in their being less willing to respect and defend the diversity and rights of individual peoples as well as of certain minorities who are seeking self-determination.

12. Various responses point to risks in different parts of European society today.

On the social level, for example, the phenomenon of globalisation, often guided solely or primarily by the logic of commercialism and geared to the advantage of the powerful, can be the harbinger of greater inequalities, injustices and marginalisation. The situation can lead to an increase in unemployment and pose a threat to society, tending towards inequality not only between industrialised nations but within them as well. It can also have the following effects: raise the question of what can be tolerated in development; cause new forms of social marginalisation, instability and insecurity; place in question the harmony among economy, society and politics; lessen national authority in economic matters, introduce a kind of unrestrained "hyper-competition" and so on.

The introduction of a single European currency can pose risks not only because it can foster financial supremacy and the dominance of economic-commercial interests but also because it can lead to the construction of new barriers in Europe, primarily directed against the East, to protect the stronger economies and defend them against immigration. Undoubtedly, there is an all-too-real danger of a new division of the continent into two parts: one part comprised of countries with a strong currency and another of those with a currency unable to be exchanged, one part comprised of countries with a relatively stable economy and another of those with a weak economy; all this having consequences on society and security.

13. At the cultural level, "there is a growing tendency to think and act merely for the satisfaction of immediate desires and the acquisition of economic security; at the same time, individual freedom becomes a false absolute and there is a denial of any comparison with truth and goodness beyond one's own environment or group. Although a Marxism imposed by force has collapsed, practical atheism and materialism are certainly present throughout Europe; and though they are no longer imposed by force or explicitly proposed, people still think and behave as if 'God did not exist'.(19)

In the wake of the collapse of certain ideologies and of the disillusionment from dreams of utopia, Western countries are witnessing a growing indifference and prevalence of a kind of pragmatic materialism. Likewise, consumerism, an effect of secularisation, now seems to have penetrated even the Eastern part of the continent. In fact, some countries of the East are noting the rampart diffusion of capitalism in its strictest forms supported by a mafia-like organisation, seriously threatening public life. Oftentimes, the people of various Eastern countries, when faced with Western opinions and attitudes, accept them without thought or go to the other extreme of refusing them outrightly, running the risk of serious contra- positioning and polarisation within these countries.

There is also the tendency to question everything, even within Church, insisting that the democratic principle of the majority ought to be applied in Church matters, especially in doctrine and morality.

In this complex situation, European civilisation runs the risk of not only making absolute various values and principles but also unilaterally asserting them to the loss of others. For example, a freedom taken in an absolute sense and isolated from other values–like that of solidarity–can lead to the disintegration of life on the continent; a freedom claimed as absolute runs the risk of destroying the very society it helped to construct.

14. On the religious and ecclesial level, the same situation described in the preceding Synod for Europe continues to be true. Today as before, "a search for religious experience remains, though in forms not always consistent with each other and often far removed from an authentic Christian faith. Young people, in particular, are seeking happiness in many signs, images and vain illusions and are readily inclined towards new forms of religious experience and sects of various origins.(20) In this regard, some responses refer to the reawakening of an interest in religion–as one of many paradoxical elements–which is seen in people's escape into spiritualism and, above all, into a religious and esoteric syncretism, which explains the appeal of sects and groups formed on the basis of the slightest reference to the sacred. The force of these new ideas is founded not so much in the substantiveness of their teaching in offering a new life but in the adoption of a plan for living which has only self as a reference point. Such a situation masks an exaggerated individualism which goes in search of groups offering refuge and gratification.

As a result, there is a great risk of a progressive and radical de-Christianisation and paganisation of the continent. In some countries, the number of those un-baptised is very high. Oftentimes, basic tenets of Christianity are not sufficiently known. Some situations indicate a real breakdown in catechesis and Christian formation. All this puts the cultural identity of Europe in jeopardy, a situation which one person hypothetically described as a kind of "European apostasy".

The great decrease in the number of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life in some countries brings the risk of weakening or diminishing a proper conception of the Church. When people think that the ordained ministry is not relevant and indispensable or when they see it only in terms of function, they see no problem in substituting persons whose only qualifications would be the competence acquired through specific courses.

Finally, many responses highlight the danger that the initiatives undertaken by the particular Churches of Western Europe on behalf of those of the East have a tendency–unintentional but real–to be "westernising them". Instead, inspired by the Gospel, the Western local Churches need to put themselves at the service of the local Churches of the East, seeking to value their cultural and religious richness.

15. This situation is leading some particular Churches to raise concerns.

Considering the profound fundamental changes which have occurred in cultural and religious traditions and acknowledging how much the various particular Churches and Christian communities have done, and continue to do, in individual territories in this regard, a grave preoccupation arises that Europe is more and more in need of a renewed evangelisation and a new missionary effort. In some cases, it is a matter of preaching the Gospel of Christ to those who still do not know it; in others, to mend the fabric of Christian communities. In the Eastern countries, in light of the negative consequences of Communist atheism, a kind of a "first evangelisation" is necessary because many are living without a knowledge of Jesus Christ, even though they live in territories where the Gospel has been announced and testimony has been given, even to an heroic degree. In Western countries which have experienced rapid developments and the challenges of secularisation, globalisation and urbanisation, a "new evangelisation" proposes the urgent need of a new inculturisation of the Gospel. In every case–in each particular Church and among the diverse Churches and Christian communities through an intense, respectful ecumenical collaboration–there is an increasing demand to unite the forces available and concentrate on certain priorities, taking advantage of the existing working and academic structures–revitalised and new–and utilising the means of social communication to form a proper public opinion. In this work, the increased dialogue and collaboration among the bishops and institutes of consecrated life–already showing signs of improvement–is taking on greater importance.

In the religious and moral situation of today's Europe, another basic concern deserves the Synod's attention. The particular Churches in Western countries are recognising that it is less and less possible to base pastoral programs on a presumed acceptance of a "generally shared Christianity" in Europe. Consequently, the necessity has arisen to place an emphasis on the personal nature of faith and on adults through pastoral programs which take into account both the degree of instability, uncertainty and differentiation of Church practice by many of the baptised and the decrease in the number of priests. In this situation, some speak of a danger in continuing to devise a pastoral program which, no longer bearing the characteristics typical of a time when Christianity was the dominant religion, is psychologically incapable of accepting a position of reduced esteem and social recognition for the Church. Such people seek to save structures and the Church's influence at all cost, even to the point of compromise, permitting many persons to live a generic kind of belonging to the Church where there is no need to make clear fundamental choices. The opposite seems to be true in the particular Churches of the East. Because of the difficult history experienced over the years, these Churches are more accustomed not to enjoy esteem in society, and therefore, foster a serious concentration on the important values of the faith.

Another area of concern is the Church's relations with the mass media. Many point out that oftentimes the Church does not know how to use well the modern means of social communication. Without being openly hostile to the Church, the media can sometimes convey a poor image of religion and the Church.

Towards a Critical Discernment of Some Special Questions

16. Generally speaking, certain subjects deserve special attention.

First of all, the separation between progress and spiritual values is growing wider. Certain examples of this situation are common to almost all countries in Europe; others are peculiar to Western and Eastern Europe.

The phenomenon is often associated with practical experience more than with any philosophy or ideology. Many people live in such difficult situations that daily concerns take precedence and leave no room for other values to enter. Unemployment, a variety of family problems as well as forms of marginalisation and injustices in society affect people to such an extent as to cause disinterest in spiritual values or indifference to them.

Not every situation, however, is so obvious and clear. In European society, contradictory trends are emerging in various ways. On the one hand, there is a tendency to isolate oneself in a small world and to defend one's privacy as well as one's social and cultural "status"; on the other, there is a desire to be open towards others, particularly towards the poor and those on the periphery of society. On the one hand, free time permits the development of values from sports events, tourism, nature, etc.; on the other, these opportunities turn some people into idols for a noteworthy group of individuals or lead to a kind of collective obsession in which individuality seems to be swallowed up.

In Western countries, the separation between progress and spiritual values is manifested primarily in a mentality to seek the easiest, most practical or most personally gratifying solution to problems. Consequently, a sense of sacrifice and asceticism is lost, history loses its meaning and beauty, truth and goodness are given importance, only if they are immediately achievable.

Furthermore, social progress and cultural advancement have shed new light on values touching various aspects of human living. Women are more conscious of their proper vocation and better prepared to defend women's equal dignity and opportunities in various areas of life. In numerous families good communication exists between parents and children. Among the younger generation a greater understanding of family values seems to be growing.

At first sight, the conclusion might be drawn that the abandonment of spiritual values goes hand and hand with progress. However, since material progress alone does not satisfy the deepest aspirations of the human heart, the search for spiritual values, although oftentimes vague and ill-defined, can be said to be growing as well. But there is no evidence that this growth is taking place extensively. At the same time, it is taking different forms in the West and East.

17. Today, the value of solidarity often seems to be in crisis in Europe. In fact, the attitudes and conduct of individuals and entire groups, oftentimes inspired and nourished by forms of a self-centred capitalism and consumerism, are clearly visible and present almost everywhere on the continent.

Even though solidarity may be in a weakened state in society, there are many positive trends and initiatives being promoted by men and women who well remember the broken dreams from various ideologies. These programs are aimed at creating a new consciousness of the need of planning and realising projects on behalf of life at the personal, familial and national levels. These projects are based on a dignified austerity meant to bring beneficial effects to populations now living under the poverty level or in need of different kinds of assistance. In this regard, in many local Churches, especially in Western Europe, solidarity towards the local poor, peoples from the East and those in the Southern hemisphere is taking on a greater meaning than might be imagined. Campaigns of solidarity, directed towards specific goals and periodically sponsored by various people in the Church, are having some success. The practice of "Sister Churches" linking Christian communities in Europe with Churches of the so-called "Third World" is becoming more frequent. Not to be overlooked is the work of consecrated persons both in initiatives of solidarity among the people of the local Churches where they exercise their apostolate and in formation work in which they instil in new generations the human and Christian value of a real, realisable solidarity.

18. The responses on religious freedom and tolerance provide complex, varied information. On the one hand, many parts of the continent enjoy true religious freedom without any obstacles; on the other, certain forms of intolerance exist and endure.

In some places where there is a formal respect of religious freedom, a certain intolerance exists when individual Catholics or groups publicly voice their beliefs and positions on issues. Oftentimes, the Church is "tolerated" so long as she stays in the private sphere.

Some countries have had decades of conflict as a result of a basic intolerance. Such intolerance, however, has for some time been slowly diminishing and yielding to a spirit of mutual acceptance of different traditions and beliefs.

After many years of imposed atheism, there is arising in some particular Churches in the East a climate and attitude of rigidity towards other confessions and different ways of thinking. As a result, some groups of Catholics wish to impose their way of thinking and acting on all society, clearly showing their difficulty in accepting the values of the ecumenical movement, interreligious dialogue and a correct democratic system.

Today, acts of hostility and intolerance towards Catholics, albeit rarer, have not totally disappeared in some predominantly Orthodox territories. Certain signs of anti-Semitism also exist in some parts of Europe. As for relations with Muslims, some observe that they ask for religious tolerance but, at the same time, they do not guarantee that same tolerance in Islamic countries for those who profess Catholicism or other religions.

In almost all Western societies, the general climate of tolerance poses a great challenge for the Church. In a society where tolerance is seen as an essential, dominant and undeniable value, there are those in fact who maintain that monotheism under any form–and therefore, also Christian monotheism–might be the underlying cause of intolerance. Consequently, they state that if this necessary tolerance is to be safeguarded, society ought to return to a sort of indistinct co-existence of religious beliefs and, ultimately, of a variety of possible deities. The question arises, then, how can the Church continue to fulfill her evangelising mission without being a harbinger of intolerance? More precisely, how can and how ought the Church announce the Gospel while acknowledging and accepting all who profess a different faith and avoiding that "tolerance" degenerate into "indifference" or "relativism"?

19. Finally, in considering the State in relation to intermediate institutions and the Church, it is necessary to bear in mind that in many nations the power of the State has at times grown disproportionately over the years, resulting in a decrease in number of these institutions or their suppression. Many persons and small institutions have thereby become very vulnerable to the will of the State. This is the case especially in the countries of Eastern Europe where decades of Communism have destroyed such institutions and undermined civil and social life. At the same time, however, it must be admitted that decades of capitalism have produced analogous situations in many countries of the West. In these situations, the Church is called upon to support intermediate institutions and to encourage their creation.

In certain nations of Western Europe, the Church has enjoyed, and still enjoys, full religious freedom and possesses multiple cultural, educational and charitable institutions, oftentimes making up for a lack in State programs. In such a situation, the Church increasingly ought to recognise and respect the "secular character" of the State and her own autonomy. At the same time, however, the Church is also required to regain her rights, for example, in such matters as scholastic equality and State financial aid for non-State schools, in the defence of life, in the preferential love for the poor of society and effective religious freedom.

In certain countries of Eastern Europe, especially in those of Orthodox tradition, the association between religion and the State is very strong. In some cases, this situation is the cause of unfavourable administrative attitudes towards the Catholic Church or even a legal discrimination towards other religious confessions.

Likewise, there is also in some Eastern European countries those who use religion and the Church for political and nationalistic ends.

Attitudes of the Churches and Seeking Cultural Roots

20. The preceding paragraphs have described the basic features of today's Europe, the following paragraphs treat the reactions and attitudes of the Christian community which are equally diverse and varied.

In an ever-widening pluralism of faith and culture, there are some, formed in a kind of Christian Western mono-culture, who look at the situation with apprehension. Finding themselves unprepared to understand and interpret this pluralism, they are consequently unable to approach it with openness and critical dialogue. Other people in the Church are disposed to accept such pluralism but more at the theoretical level and more in areas outside the Church. This is clearly seen in the difficulties encountered–and frequently resulting incapacity–in creating areas in the particular Churches in Europe where Catholics of other traditions or immigrants of other religions can express their cultural, spiritual and religious values. At the same time, ecclesial communities, centres of consecrated life as well as groups and movements exist which seem to be reacting positively to such pluralism. In this regard, it is sufficient to consider the cultural, charitable, associative and ecumenical initiatives promoted by dioceses or national and regional episcopal conferences.

Faced with various forms of indifferentism, relativism and agnosticism, some people emphasise the importance of doing the following: rediscovering the true face of God revealed by Jesus; decisively affirming the truth; living one's proper identity with conviction; and fostering the growth of Church communion, also in ecumenism. Concerning moral matters–considering that the dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, is often denied or trampled upon–some insist that there is an urgent need to propose a proper integral anthropological vision of the person, the sole foundation for achieving a society which respects life and the rights of each and every person. Finally, there exist currents of thought which seek to combat moral relativism and foster attitudes and virtuous conduct inspired by values taken from the Gospel and Christian tradition as well as shared by a lay culture which has been purified of the dogmas associated with the tragic events of European history in the twentieth century.

21. An ample detailed description of the various features of today's Europe is not enough; nor is it sufficient to present various reactions to the state of affairs. Time also needs to be given to the work of a discernment which primarily knows how to go to the root of the matter, seeking to uncover the profound reasons at the source of these very diversified phenomena. This Synod and the particular Churches are asked to make this kind of discernment, if they wish to fulfill their pastoral responsibility.

Concerning the widespread phenomenon of religious indifference, many have pointed to various reasons in the vast fabric of society. The following are among the major aspects cited: emergence of a "philosophy without metaphysics" associated with a weakening or diminishing of the idea of "questioning the ultimate meaning of things"; the ever-expanding "individualistic tendencies" which lead to a society whose purpose is to foster the private interest of its members rather than, as once held, to promote the ideal and the common good; the process of "increasing autonomy" identifiable in a growing desire for self-determination and self- realisation, which is sometimes also connected with an increase of responsibility and personal involvement; the complex phenomenon of "secularisation" and its associated tendencies of social and cultural "differentiation" (permitting the co-existence of many religions and religious beliefs in the same area), the "privatisation" of religion, the "de-sacralisation" of many areas where religion in the past exercised its influence, often in a determining manner, and "rationalisation" meant to control effectively every choice and action.

In addition to the reasons for religious indifference described thus far, a look at the Church reveals general agreement that religious indifference is nurtured by certain problems such as: an improper use of goods and a lack of interest in poverty in its various forms; a certain indifference on the part of the clergy to people's doubts and the tragic events of persons in difficulty; the lack of credibility of various "Churchmen"; the decrease in the number of various places for the proper formation of Catholic men and women; and the lack of organisation, at the national and European level, of the Catholic press and other structures for producing and spreading cultural programs of Christian inspiration.

22. Underlying and contained in the various phenomena reported and included among the factors coalescing to determine and explain the present situation in Europe, a widening separation between private conscience and public values is easily discernable. It is well to point out that such a separation is the logical consequence of certain attitudes and choices determined by culture. When democracy remains neutral concerning values, every choice necessarily becomes a private one with no social implications. And if value choices are confined only to the private domain, they will have no effect in public life. In this situation, the difference between private values and social life–because of a dangerous democratic neutrality–cannot help but grow, resulting in a society which is always less capable of responding to the diverse calls, coming from many quarters, on the "meaning" of existence.

In this cultural climate, atheism, agnosticism and religious indifference arise and become widespread. The religious option also runs the risk of becoming just another private choice. A consumer approach to religious experience is being propagated. The fundamental moral-religious choice is no longer the reference point for all other choices; it is just "one" of many which contribute to defining the private identity of the individual.

Even more basic in the matter is the mistaken notion of freedom–understood and lived as the self-determination of the individual with no reference point to transcendent and absolute values–which leads to a mentality and attitudes seen in many areas as moral relativism, individualistic subjectivism and nihilistic hedonism. A particularly pressing problem then is the exercise of freedom in relation to truth, personal conscience and civil law. Freedom is based on the dignity of the each human person and on the truth that every person is a child of God. The exercise of freedom implies personal responsibility, and consequently, the question of truth–the foundation of freedom–and the common good–the goal of the exercise of freedom in society.

Finally, at the end of this century, consideration also can be given to the deep fundamental changes accompanying the decline of modernity. The actual outcome of this process, however, is not clear. Tendencies are emerging which are ambivalent and contradictory, requiring attentive and thorough examination. At the same time, the birth of post-modernity is taking place in a complex and uncertain context. If in some cases the mission of the Church in these circumstances appears more difficult and less anchored to traditional guarantees, in other cases the changes now taking place in European countries provide new opportunities for the Church to develop an efficient organic work of evangelisation.

The Centrality of the "Question of Faith"

23. There is no doubt–as the Holy Father has said(21)–that the happenings of 1989 gave birth in Europe to a great hope of freedom, responsibility, solidarity and spirituality. Today, however, this great hope needs to be renewed and reinforced, because in recent years new risks have appeared which are clearly not providing hope to Europeans in our times: "after the collapse of the ideological structure of Marxism-Leninism not only a lack of orientation can be seen in the former Communist countries, but also a widespread attachment to individualistic and selfish systems, as they have been and still are followed in the West. Such systems can ultimately give no meaning in life and no hope. At most they can give them temporary satisfaction, which is then mistaken for individual fulfilment. In a world in which nothing is really important, in which a person can do whatever he pleases, there is a danger that the principles, truths and values carefully acquired over the centuries will be discarded onto the rubbish heap of an exaggerated liberalism.(22)

It is not difficult to note–as mentioned above–that in the situation described, the recurring fundamental question regards the idea of the human person and human freedom. In some ways, the humanism based on a human dignity which has characterised the history and experience of Europe needs to be discussed.

This gives rise to the importance of "moral principles" in the present moment in the history of the European continent.

At the same time, however, underlying this subject is "the religious question," which can be observed when the two opposing conceptions of freedom currently in Europe today are considered: the one based on obedience to God as the "source of true freedom, which is never an arbitrary freedom and without hope, but a freedom for the truth and for the good" and the other that, "having suppressed every subordination of the creature to God, or to a transcendent order of truth and good, considers man in himself as the principle and the end of everything(23) and as the unique unquestionable arbiter and reference of his choices.

24. Flowing from this, in the ultimate analysis, is the centrality and decisiveness of "the question of faith" in Jesus, which was highlighted by the Holy Father during his first trip in Slovenia. He emphasised that in Europe, "the present climate of anguish and mistrust regarding the meaning of life and the manifest disorientation of European culture invites us to look in a new way at the relationship between Christianity and culture, between faith and reason. A renewed dialogue between culture and Christianity will be profitable for both; and man above all, who longs for a truer and fuller life, will be the one to benefit.(24)

The Holy Father further observed: "the encounter between cultures and faith is a requirement of our search for truth. It ?has created something new. When they are deeply rooted in experience, cultures set for the human being's characteristic openness to the universal and the transcendent' (Encyclical Fides et ratio). This people will find both help and support in seeking truth, so that, with the gift of grace, they can meet the One who is their Creator and Saviour.(25)

In conclusion, it seems that the words of the Holy Father addressed to Italians can be applied in a certain way to all of Europe. Europe "which has a famous and, in a certain sense unique, legacy of faith, has for some time been swept by cultural trends that undermine the very foundations of this Christian heritage: faith in the Incarnation and in the Redemption, the specific nature of Christianity, the certainty that God, through his Son Jesus Christ came out of love in search of man (cf. Tertio millennio adventiente, nn 6-7). Instead, these uncertainties have been replaced for many people by a vague religious sentiment with little impact on their life, or even by various forms of agnosticism and practical atheism which all result in a personal and social life that is led etsi Deus non daretur, as if God did not exist(26)

From this it follows that the Synod and the particular Churches in Europe urgently need to examine the authenticity and vitality of the Christian faith of believers in Europe and to help them discover that faith anew and live it. This should be done with the conviction that an authentic faith requires encountering Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, having personal communion with him, and accepting the truth of the Gospel in its entirety, and that the vitality of that faith requires a person to return to it as the standard of judgment and choice, thereby giving birth and nurturing a mentality and a manner of acting which are consistent to God's word and his commandments.


PART II

JESUS CHRIST ALIVE IN HIS CHURCH

 

Foundation for an authentic, fully-alive faith

25. After the two disciples of Emmaus had confided to Jesus the reasons for their sadness and dashed hopes, Jesus "said to them, ?O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Lk 24:25-27). Jesus himself proclaims his resurrection and leads the two disciples to faith. Quoting the prophets who preceded him, he explains the plan of God's radiant mysterious love. Passion and death are not opposed to the Messiah's liberating action but the very way chosen by God to communicate his "glory" to humanity, that is, his saving redeeming love. This announcement– spanning the entire history of the first covenant and finding its definitive enduring seal in the recognition of the Lord in the breaking of bread–warms their hearts causing the two to regain their lost hope.

The account of Emmaus presents a long catechesis intended to lead the disciples to faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ delivered up to death. Faithfully reflecting the teaching of the primitive Church, this text also remains the model today for the Church and her pastoral activity which is done in a patient, continuous, indefatigable and courageous witness and preaching destined to enkindle and increase faith in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, source and mainstay of a firm and lasting hope. St. Paul writes, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied" (1 Cor 15:19).

Faith in the Risen Christ, Revealer of the Glory of God

26. At each moment in history the Church is called to announce Christ Risen. She–yesterday, today and always, wherever she be, in whatever continent of the earth, such as Europe–is sent to speak not of herself but Christ crucified and risen.

She has fulfilled this task from the very beginning, as illustrated in the first sermon of Peter at Pentecost: "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourself know–this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it...Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." (Acts 2:22-24,36). With Peter's words the Church proclaims with conviction in every age that Jesus Christ is alive, actively present in the Church and changing lives.

She does so in every age because "the Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, believed and lived as the central truth of the first Christian community, handed on as fundamental by Tradition, established by the documents of the New Testament, preached as the essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the Cross: ?Christ is risen from the dead! Dying he conquered death; To the dead, he has given life'" (Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion of Easter).(27)

This has also been the explicit intention of the Second Vatican Council which the Synod desires to take up anew and to fulfill: to proclaim to the Church herself and to announce to the world "Christ Our Principle, Christ, Our Life and Guide! Christ Our Hope and End!(28)

The fullness of the glory of God is revealed in Christ, dead and risen again. Jesus is the hope of man, the hope of Europe and the hope of the world, because he is for all of humanity the only way leading to the Father (cf. Jn 14:6-7), the foundation and ultimate goal of life for every person and everything, because between him and the Father there is a sublime, ineffable and reciprocal intimacy (cf. Jn 14:10), because he and the Father are one (cf. Jn 10:30), because he is God himself.

27. Because of this faith and encounter with the Risen Christ, it is possible for the members of the Church today–as it was for the disciples at Emmaus–to take a look at history, read the Scriptures and discover in the pages of the Old Testament the signs, types and traces of Christ's presence: an anticipated and prefigured reality which reaches its fulfilment in the Crucified and Risen Christ.

Peter proclaimed this truth on Pentecost, when, re-reading the facts of Christ's life which led him to profess Christ as Messiah and Lord, he saw the testimony of the Scriptures as precisely pointing to Jesus (cf. Acts 2:17- 21, 25-28, 34-35). Paul did the same thing when, re-reading the history of Israel, particularly the episode of the water flowing from the rock at Massa and Meriba (cf. Ex 17:1-7; Num 20:1-11), affirms: "...all drank the same supernatural drink. For they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (1 Cor 10:4).

The Synod can and ought to re-read Scripture and again discover the signs, deeds and words which are "types" of Christ and his presence. Such a reading must also be done in moments of difficulty, fatigue and trial, all the while without losing hope and with the conviction that–as the Lord did not abandon Israel in the desert after their departure from Egypt, but "went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and night" (Ex 13:21)–today also, the same Lord is present in every event of history, guiding his people. The Church can therefore repeat with the Prophet Zephaniah: "Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and Exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! ... The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. ... Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival" (Zeph 3:14-18), because she knows that these words find their definitive fulfilment in the Risen Christ.

Because of this same faith in the risen Lord and the encounter with him living and present, the synod can and must take a new look at human history and world history–and consequently at the past and present events of Europe–discovering in persons and events a reference to Christ and his being "God with us".

The Need for Jesus Christ

28. Guided and enlightened by this renewed faith vision which allows people to recognise in Christ, crucified and risen, the centre of history and the world, it is not difficult to see that secularisation, or more properly de- Christianisation, is occurring in Europe, at times dramatically carrying with it a kind of diffused neo-paganism. Though consistent and widespread, the process, however, is not complete as evidenced by calls for spirituality and religion. Such a trend, however, cannot be immediately qualified as Christian, because the eclectic and relativistic character of these calls makes it very difficult for them to recognise Jesus Christ as the only Saviour. They are for the most part calls internal to–and undoubtedly a reaction to–the social and cultural processes.

At the same time, however, it must be recognised that "a search for religious experience remains, even though in various forms which do not easily cohere with each other and often lead far from authentic Christian faith". In such a search "the whole of Europe is again faced with the challenge of a new choice for God.(29)

The work ahead is not simply to maintain the status quo, but todeclare anew that Jesus Christ alive in his Church is the one and only truth and the steadfast source of hope.

A similar conclusion emerged from the First Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops. The Synod came to the clear understanding that the Church cannot be simply an agent of civilisation, even of one more genuinely human. Instead, she must announce the Gospel for her own good and in fidelity to its contents. She must help today's men and women live a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus based on the beatitudes. It follows then that "Europe today must not simply appeal to its former Christian heritage: it needs to be able to decide about Europe's future in conformity with the person and message of Jesus Christ.(30) As in the past, what matters today is to provide men and women in Europe with a personal encounter with the living Lord Jesus, an encounter which is open to the experience of discipleship, to fostering that experience and sustaining it. It bears repeating that the centre of the Gospel–and consequently of proclamation–is a God alive and near, who is communicated in an experience of communion already begun and open to a sure hope of eternal life, in the conviction that "if the Church preaches this God, she is not speaking of some unknown God, but of the God who so loved us that his Son took flesh for us. It is the God who comes to us, who shares himself with us, who unites himself with us, the true ?Emmanuel' (cf. Mt 1:23).(31) At the same time, it follows that all the teachings of the Gospel must be re-proposed, primarily those which concern the person, his existence and the related truths, fully aware that "the cause of God is in no way opposed to the cause of humanity. It is rather purely earthly promises which–as recent history shows–eventually enslaves men and women totally.(32)

After eight years, the path taken must be re-assessed and followed with greater decisiveness and determination. The words of the Holy Father can serve as a guide in this task: "If Europe is to have a new encounter with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the first thing necessary is for Christians to experience a spiritual breakthrough, a new determination and joy in the faith. Only in that way can they give ?an account of (their) hope'; only in that way can the faith become a spiritually and culturally creative force once again.(33)

With this goal in mind, the Synod intends first of all to propose anew faith in the Lord Jesus risen and alive, the one and only Saviour, present in his Church. At this moment, on the threshold of the Third Millennium–in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, which the Holy Father called "a providential event, whereby the Church began the more immediate preparation for the Jubilee(34) of the Year 2000–the Synod wishes to assist the particular Churches in Europe towards a renewed awareness of the "multiple yet one, permanent yet stimulating, mysterious yet most clear, stringent and beatifying rapport between us and the Blessed Lord, between this holy and living Church, which we are, and Christ, from whom we come, for whom we live and towards whom we are moving.(35) Like the Council, the Synod desires to profess and celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ as "the Incarnate word, Son of God and Son of Man, Redeemer of the world, that is, the Hope of humanity and the Supreme Master, the Shepherd, Bread of life, our Priest and Victim, Sole Mediator between God and Man, Saviour of the world, King for age upon age.(36)

Christ Risen, the One and Only Saviour

29. The Church's task is to re-affirm with force and conviction that Christ is necessary for humanity: necessary for salvation and the full realisation of human values.

In the words of Pope Paul VI, the particular Churches of Europe today are called to repeat with a genuine impassioned faith that "Christ is necessary, without him one cannot do anything; without him one cannot live";(37) "Christ is our Saviour. Christ is our Supreme Benefactor. Christ is our Liberator. Christ is necessary for us, so as to be persons worthy and true in the temporal order, and saved and elevated in the supernatural order.(38)

On various occasions the Holy Father has spoken to the women and men of Europe and emphasised that the Synod wants to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Lord of history, the content and vital centre of the message of salvation, the way, the truth and the life (cf. Jn 14:6), who is the only valid response in every generation and the point of departure of the new evangelisation. He is our Easter. In him, through his cross and resurrection, God is forever united to humanity in a new and eternal covenant. He is the secret of Europe's strength. Jesus is, today and always, the source of hope, because in him the promises of God are fully realised. He reveals to us, in all truth, that our God is a faithful God, who keeps his promises and brings them to completion.

Jesus is the one who frees a person from every slavery. He is the only one who is able to fulfill fully the irrepressible aspiration for freedom. He is the definitive response to life's meaning and to the fundamental questions which many men and women of Europe are asking today, because in him alone the deepest aspirations of the person find a full and proper response. Recently, the Holy Father has also affirmed that the Synod intends to proclaim Christ as the one who "fully reveals man to himself in his fullness as a child of God, in his inalienable dignity as a person, in the greatness of his intellect, which can attain truth, and of his will, which can act rightly.(39) Furthermore, this is fully in keeping with the humanism of Eastern and Western Europe, even if–as John Paul II has emphasised–"with the passing of time, especially in ?modern' times, Christ, the creator of the European spirit, the creator of the freedom that has its saving roots in him, was, as it were, put on a shelf, and people set about inventing another European mentality, a mentality we can describe with the phrase: "we think and act as if God did not exist.(40)

30. In the context of the present increasing religious pluralism in Europe, the Synod also intends to proclaim that Christ is the one and only Saviour of all humanity and, consequently, to assert the absolute uniqueness of Christianity in relation to other religions. In the wake of conciliar teaching and more recent pronouncements of the magisterium(41), the task at hand is to renew one's faith and proclaim that Jesus is the one and only mediator of salvation for all of humanity. Only in him do humanity, history and the cosmos find their definitively positive meaning and receive their full realisation. He is not only the mediator of salvation but salvation's source. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Inspired by the clear affirmation of Peter, on the vigil of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, His Holiness John Paul II voiced the urgent need of illustrating and examining in depth "that Christ is the one Mediator between God and the sole Redeemer of the world, to be clearly distinguished from the founders of other great religions. With sincere esteem, the Church regards the elements of truth found in those religions as a reflection of the Truth which enlightens all men and women.(42)

Jesus is Present in the Church

31. Even in great difficulties, when hope grows dim and faith is in crisis, Jesus is present. He does not abandon his Church but walks with her as a companion along the way. In the pilgrimage of the Church through time, he travels with her, never abandoning his beloved spouse but providing for her and accompanying her with a delicacy which attests to the absolutely gratuitous character of his love.

Once again, the story of the two travellers of Emmaus can serve as a teaching: "...Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognising him" (Lk 24:15-16). Even if not recognised, Jesus is present, walks their streets, makes himself the gracious travel companion and guide. St. Augustine writes: "he walked along the road as a travel companion, indeed it was he who led them. They saw him, but they did not recognise him. Their eyes–as we understand–were impeded from recognising him. They were kept not from seeing him, but only from recognising him.(43)

The faith which the Church has always professed, and continues to profess, is that Jesus, ascended into heaven and glorified, continues to be present on earth in his Church: "When his visible presence was taken from them, Jesus did not leave his disciples orphans (cf. Jn 14:18). He promised to remain with them until the end of time (cf. Matt 28:20); he sent them his Spirit (cf. Jn 20:22; Acts 2:23). As a result, communion with Jesus has become, in a way, more intense: ?By communicating his Spirit, Christ mystically constitutes as his body those brothers of his who are called together from every nation' (Lumen gentium, 7).(44) Jesus continues to act through the powerful intervention of the Spirit, the Paraclete, who is the continuing and faithful "memory" of what Jesus has said and done (cf. Jn 14:26) and who, day by day, forms Jesus in the Church and his disciples, rendering them in this way the living body of Christ.

32. The manner in which Jesus is present in the Church–as the Council teaches–is diverse and varied: "...Christ is always present in his Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of his minister..., but especially under the Eucharistic species. By his power he is present in the sacraments... He is present in his word, since it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. He is present, finally, when the Church prays and sings, for he promised: ?Where two or three are gathered together for my sake, there am I in the midst of them' (Mt 18:20).(45) He is still "present in the Church as she performs her works of mercy, not just because whatever good we do to one of his least brethren we do to Christ himself (cf. Mt 25:40), but also because Christ is the one who performs these works through the Church and who continually helps men with his divine love. He is present in the Church as she moves along on her pilgrimage with a longing to reach the portals of eternal life, for she is the one who dwells in our hearts through faith (cf.Eph 3:17), and who instills charity in them through the Holy Spirit whom he gives.(46) He is present "in the poor, the sick and the imprisoned (cf. Mt 25:31-46), and in the sacraments of which he is the author.(47) Another special presence of the Lord is seen also in individuals who are particularly near to him in holiness. "In the lives of those who shared in our humanity and yet were transformed into especially successful images of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 3:18), God vividly manifests to men his presence and his face. He speaks to us in them, and gives us a sign of his kingdom...(48) Along the same lines, the presence of Jesus is realised in families, groups, movements and parish communities where persons live and incarnate the new commandment of love through acts of love (cf. Jn 15:1-17). His presence is manifested in the concrete circumstances of a Christian community which, with one heart and soul, lives in love, thereby putting into action the teachings of the Apostolic Church (cf. Acts 2:42-48; 4:32-35).

Jesus is so present in his Church, his body, that the activity of the Church is a participation in the mission of Jesus. All that the Church "has" and "is" is the fruit of Christ's gift of himself in love. The Church is not only "born" from love and the gift of Christ himself who loved her and gave himself up for her (cf. Eph 5:25), but she "is" this love of self-giving made visible and operative in history. Therefore, as Christ is the "sacrament" of the Father, so the Church is the "sacrament" of Christ's love. Because of this, she has her being; and for this purpose, she is sent by Christ into the world. Therefore, in various ways, despite the fragile nature and imperfections of her members, the Church represents the Lord, shares in his mission of salvation and is animated and sustained by the power of his Spirit. St. Ambrose wrote: "The Church shines not with her own light, but with the splendour of Christ...(49) of which she is the living sacrament.

"Indeed, great is the awareness of our limitations, but equally great is our certainty of his presence and his constant saving intervention.(50) The Synod intends openly to make this profession of faith. This is also the fundamental reason underlying the examination of conscience which the Synod wishes to encourage in the local Churches in Europe.

The Church: "Mystery" and "Communion"

33. The proclamation of the presence of Jesus in his Church leads to a consideration of the Church as "mystery" and "communion".

To speak of the Church as "mystery" means to affirm her sacramental nature and emphasise her source in the mystery of Christ who begot her. The Church is the gift of God, manifested in Jesus Christ and communicated through the Spirit from whom she proceeds and who gives her life. The Church is the Paschal mystery of Christ, announced through the Word and made present in the sacraments which are the font of her existence and mission. In this sense, "...the Church is Christ's instrument. ?She is taken up by him also as the instrument of the salvation of all' (Lumen gentium, 1), ?the universal sacrament of salvation' (ibid., 48), by which Christ is ?at once manifesting and actualising the mystery of God's love for men' (Gaudium et spes, 45). The Church ?is the visible plan of God's love for humanity' (PAUL VI, Address, 22 June 1973), because God desires ?that the whole human race may become one People of God, form one Body of Christ, and be built up into one temple of the Holy Spirit (Ad gentes, 7, cf. Lumen gentium, 17).(51)

To speak of the Church as communion means to affirm that the Church is not only united "around Christ" but is united "in him", in his Body.(52) "Christ and his Church thus together make up the ?whole Christ' ... The Church is this Body of which Christ is the head; she lives from him, in him and for him; he lives with her and in her.(53) Certain of this, each member of the Church can and ought to repeat—as did St. Joan of Arc in front of her judges–"Jesus Christ and the Church are one and this should raise no difficulty." This statement makes reference to the Church's communio which is grounded in communion with God in the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ, becomes a reality in ecclesial communion and moves outward towards the communion of all humanity.

34. In light of this, the perception in Europe of the Church as mystery varie