Rome, Mar. 26, 2007 (CWNews.com) - European is sliding into a "apostasy," Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) warned leaders of the European Union in a sobering March 24 address.
It appears, the Holy Father said, "that the European continent is losing confidence in its future." As a result, he said, the European Union "seems to be on a path that might lead to its twilight in history."
Pope Benedict gave an unsparing account of European cultural collapse in his talk to participants in a Rome conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome: the pact that led to the establishment of the European Union. The conference was organized by the Commission of European Episcopal Conferences (COMECE), and centered on the theme of "Values and Perspectives for Europe's Future."
The Pope seized upon that theme, demanding that European leaders recognize the crisis that has been created by the failure to embrace the spiritual and cultural heritage of their continent. His speech reflected his dismay that the Rome Declaration, issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Rome treaty, did not mention the influence of Christianity.
Pope Benedict stated flatly that "it is unthinkable that we can build an authentic common European house by disregarding the identities of the peoples of this continent of ours. It is an historical, cultural and moral identity even before it is a geographic, economic or political reality. It is an identity built on a set of universal values in which Christianity played a role in molding them, which gives it a role that is not only historical but also foundational vis-à-vis Europe."
The Pope began his remarks by saluting the progress to unite Europe, most notably by eliminating the "curtain of justice" that split East and West in the late 20th century. He recognized the progress that has been made toward economic integration, although he cautioned that it should be balanced by attention toward "the legitimate expectations of the poor and marginalized." However, the Pope then noted that Europe's future is endangered by a demographic slide and a failure to recognize the cultural strengths that formed the continent's civilization.
If the European Union is to play a credible role in the 21st century, the Pope argued, it can only do so with the "spark" supplied by its cultural and spiritual heritage. Scolding the government leaders who failed to recognize that patrimony, the Pontiff asked, "how can they exclude from Europe’s identity an essential element like Christianity in which a vast majority continues to identify themselves?"
"Is it surprising, then," the Pope continued, "that while it aspires to be a community of values, modern Europe seems to question universal and absolute values?"
"A community that is built without respect for the authentic dignity of human beings, that forgets that each person is created in God’s image, ends up not doing any one any good," the Pope said.
Pope Benedict said that the European Union today is built upon a cynical form of pragmatism that compromises on all principles, sacrificing fundamental ideals and undermining the dignity of human nature and freedom. If the Union is to have any lasting legal integrity, he said, it "must clearly recognize that human nature has something stable and permanent to it and that it is the source of common rights for all individuals, including even those who deny them."