Europe needs to rediscover its Christian roots, says Vatican official

(July 13, 2011) “Europe needs to be converted to the values of solidarity and fraternity, which Blessed John Paul II often spoke of,” Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States said on Tuesday. This was one of the central points made by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti during his homily at a Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica for all the Embassies accredited to the Holy See. As it was also the beginning of the Polish presidency of the European Union (EU), Archbishop Mamberti wished it all the best. Recalling the recent feast of St. Benedict, the Patron of Europe, who planted the seeds of Christianity in Europe, Archbishop Mamberti urged them to find in the culture of what he called the “Old continent,” the strength necessary for a spiritual and human renewal. He noted that today, men blinded by progress and prosperity often turn their gaze toward the ground and not at heaven. He said today people believe they can achieve much with their own forces; they idolize earthly realities, which in the end leave them disappointed. We all need to be converted, he added. The Mass was attended by numerous members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See. At the end of the Mass, the Ambassador of Poland, Hanna Suchocka together with the other diplomats prayed before the tomb of Blessed John Paul II in the Vatican Basilica.