Europe in crisis needs spiritual currency: Card. Kurt Koch
Vienna, 21 May 2013: The ecumenical process of reunification can be considered as
"the largest contribution of Christianity to the current political future of humanity,
especially in the Western world"; regaining the unity of the Christian churches would
in fact be an important impetus to the European integration project, which is currently
in crisis. So said Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity, last Friday on the vision of the United States of Europe during a
dialogue meeting held in an ecclesial center in Austria. In his report on the spiritual
foundations of Europe, the cardinal pointed out among other things that secularization
and privatization of religion, which today characterize Europe with very worrying
and tragic developments for humanity. He also cited the Western schism of the 16th
century and its bloody wars of religion. The struggles between Catholics and Protestants
in Europe have meant that they were not taken into account the confessional differences
and especially of Christianity in peace building. The Churches have been guilty of
the precarious situation of religion in modern society, added the Cardinal.According to the president of the Pontifical Council, the ecumenical movement, which would remove the contrasts that stand for Christian unity desired by Christ, has served as a beacon in the sea of bloody 20th century. The Second Vatican Council saw the need to help restore the unity of Christians as one of its main tasks. But "only if the Churches are able to reconcile" and are willing to repent and atone, can they operate in a credible manner to maintain, promote and renew social peace.
Europe, said Cardinal Koch, needs a "spiritual currency." Although the new evangelization of Europe in modern conditions of freedom will not lead to a large popular Church but rather to a "Church of the Diaspora," the state with a neutral view of the world still needs the Churches and religious communities to establish and defend fundamental values. He expressed the belief that the old continent cannot exist only as a community of economic interests: alongside the euro is necessary precisely a "spiritual currency." The President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity added that European policy must become more "catholic" in the sense of becoming a universal transformation, and be grateful for the fact that Pope Francis comes from Latin America , making it clear that even from an ecclesiastical point of view Europe is no longer "the navel of the world" and that the future of Christianity will be in Latin America, Africa, and in Asia.
Source: VR Sedoc
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