Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The noble son of Poland, the venerated and venerable Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, successor of Peter with the name John Paul II, had at heart the Christian roots of Europe as it is seen from these passages taken from two of his speeches.
1. Address to the members of the Council of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Europe (Tuesday 19 December 1978): “I had the good fortune to participate at your Symposium in 1975 and to address the meeting. Today I wish to recall at least a few of the ideas which Paul VI expressed when he received us in Audience. These thoughts concerned Europe, its Christian heritage and its Christian future. He urged us to “reawaken the Christian soul of Europe where its unity is rooted ”; to purify and lead back to the origins the Gospel values still present but unarticulated, set on purely earthly goals; to arouse and fortify consciences in the light of the faith preached in and out of season; to channel their fire over all barriers …
Paul VI, in line with these thoughts chose St Benedict as patron of Europe and now the 15th centenary of the birth of this great saint is close at hand.
Europe is not the first cradle of Christianity. Even Rome received the Gospel through the ministry of the Apostles Peter and Paul who came here from the land of Jesus Christ. However it is true that Europe in two millennia became like the bed of a great river where Christianity spread, rendering fertile the soil of the spiritual life of the peoples and nations of this continent. And with this impetus Europe became a centre of mission towards the other continents».
2. From Pope John Paul II's New Year discourse to the Diplomatic Corps (Thursday 10 January 2002): “Among reasons for satisfaction, one must surely mention the progressive unification of Europe, recently symbolised by the adoption of a single currency by twelve countries. This is a decisive step in the long history of this continent. But it is also important that the expansion of the European Union should continue to be a priority. I am likewise aware that the question has been raised about the expediency of a Constitution for the Union. In this regard, it is essential to make increasingly explicit the goals of the process of building up Europe and the values on which it must rest. Hence it is that, with some regret, I have noted that, no explicit mention was made of communities of religious believers among the partners who are to contribute to the reflection on the "Convention" instituted at the Laeken summit last month. The marginalisation of religions, which have contributed and continue to contribute to the culture and humanism of which Europe is legitimately proud, strikes me as both an injustice and an error of perspective. To recognise an indisputable historical fact in no way means to disregard the modern demand for States to have an appropriate non-confessional character, and therefore Europe as well! ”. (continua) (J.M.) (Agenzia Fides 3/7/2007 - righe 35, parole 495)
