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STRASBOURG, FRANCE, November 26, 2014 - Here below is an English translation of the transcript of Pope Francis' press conference given on the flight back from Strasbourg yesterday afternoon. Father Lombardi: Here we are. Well then, we are already returning from this brief but very intense trip. We are in admiration of the two long and demanding addresses you made. You have already said many things. However, journalists always still have some questions to ask. We have prepared five: you will decide if you wish to respond to all five. Well, we have two Frenchmen – given that we are in France, – and we give the floor immediately to Renaud Bernard, who is of France Television. Renaud Bernard: Your Holiness, good evening. I am happy to ask this question on behalf of the French journalists. This morning, before the European Parliament, you gave an address with pastoral words, but with words that can be heard as political words, and which can come close – in my opinion – to a social-democratic sentiment. I can give a brief example. When you say that we must avoid removing the real expressive force of peoples in face of multi-national powers -- can we say that you are a social-democratic Pope? Pope Francis: My dear, this is reductionism! I felt there that I was in a collection of insects: “This is a social-democratic insect …” No, I would say no: I don’t know if there is a social-democratic Pope or not … I don’t dare qualify myself on one side or the other. I dare to say that this comes from the Gospel: This is the message of the Gospel, a matter of the Social Doctrine of the Church. In this, concretely, and in other things – social or political – which I said, I did not detach myself from the Social Doctrine of the Church. The Social Doctrine of the Church comes from the Gospel and from the Christian Tradition. What I said – the identity of peoples – is an evangelical value, no? I say it in this sense. But you have made me laugh, thank you! Father Lombardi: Thank you very much, Holiness. And now we give the floor to Jean-Marie Guenois of “Le Figaro.” He also represents the French. Jean-Marie Guenois: Your Holiness, there was almost no one on the streets of Strasbourg this morning. It was said that people were disappointed. Do you regret that you did not go to the Cathedral of Strasbourg, which is celebrating its millennial this year? And when will you make your first trip to France and where -- perhaps to Lisieux? Pope Francis: No, it is not planned yet, but one must certainly go to Paris, no? Then, there is a proposal to go to Lourdes … I have asked for a city where no Pope has ever gone, to greet the citizens. However, the plan has not been made. No, the thing was thought out for Strasbourg, but to go to the Cathedral would already have been a visit to France, and this was the problem. Father Lombardi: In any case, the Bishop of Strasbourg says that he gave the Pope two very beautiful volumes on the Cathedral, which you will thus be able to study and see personally. Well, now we give the floor to Giacomo Galeazzi of “La Stampa,” who represents, to an extent, the Italian journalists present on the flight. Giacomo Galeazzi: Holiness, good evening. I was struck, in your address to the Council of Europe, by the concept of transversality, which you recalled, and in particular you made reference to the meetings you have had with young politicians of several countries. In fact, you have spoken of the need for a sort of pact between the generations, of an inter-generational agreement, on the margin of this transversality. Then, if you allow me -- a personal curiosity: is it true that you are a devotee of Saint Joseph? Pope Francis: … of course! Giacomo Galeazzi: …and that you have a statue in your room? Pope Francis: Yes! Whenever I have asked Saint Joseph for something he has always given it to me. The issue of “transversality” is important. I have seen in conversations with young politicians, in the Vatican, especially of different parties and nations, that they speak with a different tone, that is conducive to transversality: it’s a value! They are not afraid to come out of their own membership, without denying it, but to come out to dialogue. And they are courageous! I think we must imitate this, and also the inter-generational dialogue. This going out to find persons of other memberships and to dialogue: Europe is in need of this today. Father Lombardi: Now we give the floor to Javier Maria Alonso Martinez for whom, if I’m not mistaken, this is also the first international trip he is on. He represents the Spanish and we give him the honor to ask the Pope a question. Javier Maria Alonso Martinez: Good evening, Holiness. This is a question on behalf of the Spanish journalists, who are interested. In your second address, that to the Council of Europe, you spoke of the sins of the children of the Church. I would like to know how you received the news on what occured in Granada, which you in some way brought to light … Pope Francis: I received it, as it was sent to me, I read it, I called the person and I said: “Tomorrow, you go to the Bishop”; and I wrote to the Bishop to begin the work, to do the investigation and to go ahead. How did I receive it? With great pain, with very great pain, but the truth is the truth, and we must not hide it. Father Lombardi: Well, one last question will be asked by Andreas Englisch, on behalf of journalists of other linguistic groups. Andreas Englisch: Your Holiness, I have the honor to ask the question for the group of international journalists. In your addresses now at Strasbourg you spoke often be it of the terrorist threat be it of the threat of slavery: these are also typical attitudes of the Islamic State, which threatens a great part of the Mediterranean, they even threaten Rome and you also, in your person. Do you think that there can also be dialogue with these extremists, or do you believe that this is something wasted? Pope Francis: I never consider something wasted, never. Perhaps there can’t be dialogue, but a door must never be closed. It’s difficult, I can say “almost impossible,” but the door must always be open. You used the word “threat” twice: it’s true, terrorism is a reality that threatens … But slavery is a reality inserted in today’s social fabric, and has been for a long time! Slave labor, the traffic of persons, the commerce of children … it’s a tragedy! Let’s not close our eyes in face of this! Today, slavery is a reality, the exploitation of persons … And then there is the threat of the terrorists. Another threat is also State terrorism. When things come up, come up, come up and every State on its own feels it has the right to kill the terrorists and with the terrorists so many fall who are innocent. And this is a high-level anarchy that is very dangerous. We must fight terrorism, but I repeat what I said in the previous trip: when unjust aggression must be stopped, it must be done with international consensus. Father Lombardi: Well, there is still another question, a last one. Caroline Pigozzi: Your Holiness, good day. I would like to know if, when you travel to Strasbourg, you travel in your heart as Successor of Peter, as Bishop of Rome, or as Archbishop of Buenos Aires … Pope Francis: Caroline is very sharp! I don’t know, truly, I don’t know. But … I travel, I believe, with the three things, because I’ve never asked myself this question. You’re realy making me think now! Caroline Pigozzi: It’s a woman’s question … Pope Francis: No, but truly … The memory is of Archbishop of Buenos Aires, but this is no longer. Now I am Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter, and I believe that I travel with that memory but with this reality: I travel with these things. For me, at this moment, Europe is my concern and, to help, it is good that I go forward, and this as Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter: there I am Roman. Thank you so much for your work! It was truly an intense day. Thank you, thank you so much. Don’t forget to pray for me. Thank you. Father Lombardi: Thank you. Have a good lunch. VATICAN CITY, November 26, 2014 - Here is a translation of the telegrams that Pope Francis sent Tuesday en route to Strasbourg, where he addressed the Council of Europe and European Parliament. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE HONORABLE GIORGIO NAPOLITANO PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC PALAZZO DEL QUIRINALE AT THE MOMENT I LEAVE ROME TO GO TO VISIT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, I AM DELIGHTED TO ADDRESS TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, MY DEFERENTIAL GREETING, WHICH I ACCOMPANY WITH FERVENT WISHES FOR THE SPIRITUAL, CIVIL AND SOCIAL WELLBEING OF THE ITALIAN PEOPLE, TO WHOM I GLADLY SEND MY BLESSING. FRANCISCUS PP [Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT] HIS EXCELLENCY DIDIER BURKHALTER PRESIDENT OF THE SWISS CONFEDERATION BERN I SEND CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOUR EXCELLENCY, AS I FLY OVER SWITZERLAND ON MY WAY TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE. WITH PRAYERS FOR THE NATION AND ITS PEOPLE, I INVOKE UPON ALL OF YOU THE LORD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS. [Original Text: English] HIS EXCELLENCY MR. FRANCOIS HOLLANDE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC PARIS I GREET YOU CORDIALLY, WHILE I FLY OVER YOUR COUNTRY TO GO TO THE SEAT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE. ON THIS CENTENARY OF THE START OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, I ARDENTLY WISH FOR FRANCE, AND FOR THE WHOLE OF EUROPE, PEACE AND PROSPERITY. MAY GOD BLESS YOUR NATION AND ALL ITS INHABITANTS. FRANCISCUS PP VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Strasbourg, France Tuesday, 25 November 2014 Mr President and Vice Presidents, Members of the European Parliament, All associated with the work of this Institution, Dear Friends, I thank you for inviting me to address this institution which is fundamental to the life of the European Union, and for giving me this opportunity to speak, through you, to the more than five-hundred million citizens whom you represent in the twenty-eight Member States. I am especially grateful to you, Mr President, for your warm words of welcome in the name of the entire assembly. My visit comes more than a quarter of a century after that of Pope John Paul II. Since then, much has changed throughout Europe and the world as a whole. The opposing blocs which then divided the continent in two no longer exist, and gradually the hope is being realized that “Europe, endowed with sovereign and free institutions, will one day reach the full dimensions that geography, and even more, history have given it”.[1] As the European Union has expanded, the world itself has become more complex and ever changing; increasingly interconnected and global, it has, as a consequence, become less and less “Eurocentric”. Despite a larger and stronger Union, Europe seems to give the impression of being somewhat elderly and haggard, feeling less and less a protagonist in a world which frequently regards it with aloofness, mistrust and even, at times, suspicion. In addressing you today, I would like, as a pastor, to offer a message of hope and encouragement to all the citizens of Europe. It is a message of hope, based on the confidence that our problems can become powerful forces for unity in working to overcome all those fears which Europe – together with the entire world – is presently experiencing. It is a message of hope in the Lord, who turns evil into good and death into life. It is a message of encouragement to return to the firm conviction of the founders of the European Union, who envisioned a future based on the capacity to work together in bridging divisions and in fostering peace and fellowship between all the peoples of this continent. At the heart of this ambitious political project was confidence in man, not so much as a citizen or an economic agent, but in man, in men and women as persons endowed with transcendent dignity. I feel bound to stress the close bond between these two words: “dignity” and “transcendent”. “Dignity” was a pivotal concept in the process of rebuilding which followed the Second World War. Our recent past has been marked by the concern to protect human dignity, in contrast to the manifold instances of violence and discrimination which, even in Europe, took place in the course of the centuries. Recognition of the importance of human rights came about as the result of a lengthy process, entailing much suffering and sacrifice, which helped shape an awareness of the unique worth of each individual human person. This awareness was grounded not only in historical events, but above all in European thought, characterized as it is by an enriching encounter whose “distant springs are many, coming from Greece and Rome, from Celtic, Germanic and Slavic sources, and from Christianity which profoundly shaped them”,[2] thus forging the very concept of the “person”. Today, the promotion of human rights is central to the commitment of the European Union to advance the dignity of the person, both within the Union and in its relations with other countries. This is an important and praiseworthy commitment, since there are still too many situations in which human beings are treated as objects whose conception, configuration and utility can be programmed, and who can then be discarded when no longer useful, due to weakness, illness or old age. In the end, what kind of dignity is there without the possibility of freely expressing one’s thought or professing one’s religious faith? What dignity can there be without a clear juridical framework which limits the rule of force and enables the rule of law to prevail over the power of tyranny? What dignity can men and women ever enjoy if they are subjected to all types of discrimination? What dignity can a person ever hope to find when he or she lacks food and the bare essentials for survival and, worse yet, when they lack the work which confers dignity? Promoting the dignity of the person means recognizing that he or she possesses inalienable rights which no one may take away arbitrarily, much less for the sake of economic interests. At the same time, however, care must be taken not to fall into certain errors which can arise from a misunderstanding of the concept of human rights and from its misuse. Today there is a tendency to claim ever broader individual rights – I am tempted to say individualistic; underlying this is a conception of the human person as detached from all social and anthropological contexts, as if the person were a “monad” (uovάς), increasingly unconcerned with other surrounding “monads”. The equally essential and complementary concept of duty no longer seems to be linked to such a concept of rights. As a result, the rights of the individual are upheld, without regard for the fact that each human being is part of a social context wherein his or her rights and duties are bound up with those of others and with the common good of society itself. I believe, therefore, that it is vital to develop a culture of human rights which wisely links the individual, or better, the personal aspect, to that of the common good, of the “all of us” made up of individuals, families and intermediate groups who together constitute society.[3] In fact, unless the rights of each individual are harmoniously ordered to the greater good, those rights will end up being considered limitless and consequently will become a source of conflicts and violence. To speak of transcendent human dignity thus means appealing to human nature, to our innate capacity to distinguish good from evil, to that “compass” deep within our hearts, which God has impressed upon all creation.[4] Above all, it means regarding human beings not as absolutes, but as beings in relation. In my view, one of the most common diseases in Europe today is the loneliness typical of those who have no connection with others. This is especially true of the elderly, who are often abandoned to their fate, and also in the young who lack clear points of reference and opportunities for the future. It is also seen in the many poor who dwell in our cities and in the disorientation of immigrants who came here seeking a better future. This loneliness has become more acute as a result of the economic crisis, whose effects continue to have tragic consequences for the life of society. In recent years, as the European Union has expanded, there has been growing mistrust on the part of citizens towards institutions considered to be aloof, engaged in laying down rules perceived as insensitive to individual peoples, if not downright harmful. In many quarters we encounter a general impression of weariness and aging, of a Europe which is now a “grandmother”, no longer fertile and vibrant. As a result, the great ideas which once inspired Europe seem to have lost their attraction, only to be replaced by the bureaucratic technicalities of its institutions. Together with this, we encounter certain rather selfish lifestyles, marked by an opulence which is no longer sustainable and frequently indifferent to the world around us, and especially to the poorest of the poor. To our dismay we see technical and economic questions dominating political debate, to the detriment of genuine concern for human beings.[5] Men and women risk being reduced to mere cogs in a machine that treats them as items of consumption to be exploited, with the result that – as is so tragically apparent – whenever a human life no longer proves useful for that machine, it is discarded with few qualms, as in the case of the sick, of the terminally ill, the elderly who are abandoned and uncared for, and children who are killed in the womb. This is the great mistake made “when technology is allowed to take over”;[6] the result is a confusion between ends and means”.[7] It is the inevitable consequence of a “throwaway culture” and an uncontrolled consumerism. Upholding the dignity of the person means instead acknowledging the value of human life, which is freely given us and hence cannot be an object of trade or commerce. As members of this Parliament, you are called to a great mission which may at times seem an impossible one: to tend to the needs, the needs of individuals and peoples. To tend to those in need takes strength and tenderness, effort and generosity in the midst of a functionalistic and privatized mindset which inexorably leads to a “throwaway culture”. To care for individuals and peoples in need means protecting memory and hope; it means taking responsibility for the present with its situations of utter marginalization and anguish, and being capable of bestowing dignity upon it.[8] How, then, can hope in the future be restored, so that, beginning with the younger generation, there can be a rediscovery of that confidence needed to pursue the great ideal of a united and peaceful Europe, a Europe which is creative and resourceful, respectful of rights and conscious of its duties? To answer this question, allow me to use an image. One of the most celebrated frescoes of Raphael is found in the Vatican and depicts the so-called “School of Athens”. Plato and Aristotle are in the centre. Plato’s finger is pointed upward, to the world of ideas, to the sky, to heaven as we might say. Aristotle holds his hand out before him, towards the viewer, towards the world, concrete reality. This strikes me as a very apt image of Europe and her history, made up of the constant interplay between heaven and earth, where the sky suggests that openness to the transcendent – to God – which has always distinguished the peoples of Europe, while the earth represents Europe’s practical and concrete ability to confront situations and problems. The future of Europe depends on the recovery of the vital connection between these two elements. A Europe which is no longer open to the transcendent dimension of life is a Europe which risks slowly losing its own soul and that “humanistic spirit” which it still loves and defends. Taking as a starting point this opening to the transcendent, I would like to reaffirm the centrality of the human person, which otherwise is at the mercy of the whims and the powers of the moment. I consider to be fundamental not only the legacy that Christianity has offered in the past to the social and cultural formation of the continent, but above all the contribution which it desires to offer today, and in the future, to Europe’s growth. This contribution does not represent a threat to the secularity of states or to the independence of the institutions of the European Union, but rather an enrichment. This is clear from the ideals which shaped Europe from the beginning, such as peace, subsidiarity and reciprocal solidarity, and a humanism centred on respect for the dignity of the human person. I wish, then, to reiterate the readiness of the Holy See and the Catholic Church, through the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (COMECE), to engage in meaningful, open and transparent dialogue with the institutions of the European Union. I am likewise convinced that a Europe which is capable of appreciating its religious roots and of grasping their fruitfulness and potential, will be all the more immune to the many forms of extremism spreading in the world today, not least as a result of the great vacuum of ideals which we are currently witnessing in the West, since “it is precisely man’s forgetfulness of God, and his failure to give him glory, which gives rise to violence”.[9] Here I cannot fail to recall the many instances of injustice and persecution which daily afflict religious minorities, and Christians in particular, in various parts of our world. Communities and individuals today find themselves subjected to barbaric acts of violence: they are evicted from their homes and native lands, sold as slaves, killed, beheaded, crucified or burned alive, under the shameful and complicit silence of so many. The motto of the European Union is United in Diversity. Unity, however, does not mean uniformity of political, economic and cultural life, or ways of thinking. Indeed, all authentic unity draws from the rich diversities which make it up: in this sense it is like a family, which is all the more united when each of its members is free to be fully himself or herself. I consider Europe as a family of peoples who will sense the closeness of the institutions of the Union when these latter are able wisely to combine the desired ideal of unity with the diversity proper to each people, cherishing particular traditions, acknowledging its past history and its roots, liberated from so many manipulations and phobias. Affirming the centrality of the human person means, above all, allowing all to express freely their individuality and their creativity, both as individuals and as peoples. At the same time, the specific features of each one represent an authentic richness to the degree that they are placed at the service of all. The proper configuration of the European Union must always be respected, based as it is on the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, so that mutual assistance can prevail and progress can be made on the basis of mutual trust. Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the European Parliament, within this dynamic of unity and particularity, yours is the responsibility of keeping democracy alive, democracy for the peoples of Europe. It is no secret that a conception of unity seen as uniformity strikes at the vitality of the democratic system, weakening the rich, fruitful and constructive interplay of organizations and political parties. This leads to the risk of living in a world of ideas, of mere words, of images, of sophistry… and to end up confusing the reality of democracy with a new political nominalism. Keeping democracy alive in Europe requires avoiding the many globalizing tendencies to dilute reality: namely, angelic forms of purity, dictatorships of relativism, brands of ahistorical fundamentalism, ethical systems lacking kindness, and intellectual discourse bereft of wisdom[10]. Keeping democracies alive is a challenge in the present historic moment. The true strength of our democracies – understood as expressions of the political will of the people – must not be allowed to collapse under the pressure of multinational interests which are not universal, which weaken them and turn them into uniform systems of economic power at the service of unseen empires. This is one of the challenges which history sets before you today. To give Europe hope means more than simply acknowledging the centrality of the human person; it also implies nurturing the gifts of each man and woman. It means investing in individuals and in those settings in which their talents are shaped and flourish. The first area surely is that of education, beginning with the family, the fundamental cell and most precious element of any society. The family, united, fruitful and indissoluble, possesses the elements fundamental for fostering hope in the future. Without this solid basis, the future ends up being built on sand, with dire social consequences. Then too, stressing the importance of the family not only helps to give direction and hope to new generations, but also to many of our elderly, who are often forced to live alone and are effectively abandoned because there is no longer the warmth of a family hearth able to accompany and support them. Alongside the family, there are the various educational institutes: schools and universities. Education cannot be limited to providing technical expertise alone. Rather, it should encourage the more complex process of assisting the human person to grow in his or her totality. Young people today are asking for a suitable and complete education which can enable them to look to the future with hope instead of disenchantment. There is so much creative potential in Europe in the various fields of scientific research, some of which have yet to be fully explored. We need only think, for example, of alternative sources of energy, the development of which will assist in the protection of the environment. Europe has always been in the vanguard of efforts to promote ecology. Our earth needs constant concern and attention. Each of us has a personal responsibility to care for creation, this precious gift which God has entrusted to us. This means, on the one hand, that nature is at our disposal, to enjoy and use properly. Yet it also means that we are not its masters. Stewards, but not masters. We need to love and respect nature, but “instead we are often guided by the pride of dominating, possessing, manipulating, exploiting; we do not ‘preserve’ the earth, we do not respect it, we do not consider it as a freely-given gift to look after”.[11] Respect for the environment, however, means more than not destroying it; it also means using it for good purposes. I am thinking above all of the agricultural sector, which provides sustenance and nourishment to our human family. It is intolerable that millions of people around the world are dying of hunger while tons of food are discarded each day from our tables. Respect for nature also calls for recognizing that man himself is a fundamental part of it. Along with an environmental ecology, there is also need of that human ecology which consists in respect for the person, which I have wanted to emphasize in addressing you today. The second area in which people’s talents flourish is labour. The time has come to promote policies which create employment, but above all there is a need to restore dignity to labour by ensuring proper working conditions. This implies, on the one hand, finding new ways of joining market flexibility with the need for stability and security on the part of workers; these are indispensable for their human development. It also implies favouring a suitable social context geared not to the exploitation of persons, but to ensuring, precisely through labour, their ability to create a family and educate their children. Likewise, there needs to be a united response to the question of migration. We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery! The boats landing daily on the shores of Europe are filled with men and women who need acceptance and assistance. The absence of mutual support within the European Union runs the risk of encouraging particularistic solutions to the problem, solutions which fail to take into account the human dignity of immigrants, and thus contribute to slave labour and continuing social tensions. Europe will be able to confront the problems associated with immigration only if it is capable of clearly asserting its own cultural identity and enacting adequate legislation to protect the rights of European citizens and to ensure the acceptance of immigrants. Only if it is capable of adopting fair, courageous and realistic policies which can assist the countries of origin in their own social and political development and in their efforts to resolve internal conflicts – the principal cause of this phenomenon – rather than adopting policies motivated by self-interest, which increase and feed such conflicts. We need to take action against the causes and not only the effects. Mr President, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Awareness of one’s own identity is also necessary for entering into a positive dialogue with the States which have asked to become part of the Union in the future. I am thinking especially of those in the Balkans, for which membership in the European Union could be a response to the desire for peace in a region which has suffered greatly from past conflicts. Awareness of one’s own identity is also indispensable for relations with other neighbouring countries, particularly with those bordering the Mediterranean, many of which suffer from internal conflicts, the pressure of religious fundamentalism and the reality of global terrorism. Upon you, as legislators, it is incumbent to protect and nurture Europe’s identity, so that its citizens can experience renewed confidence in the institutions of the Union and in its underlying project of peace and friendship. Knowing that “the more the power of men and women increases, the greater is the personal and collective responsibility”,[12] I encourage you to work to make Europe rediscover the best of itself. An anonymous second-century author wrote that “Christians are to the world what the soul is to the body”.[13] The function of the soul is to support the body, to be its conscience and its historical memory. A two-thousand-year-old history links Europe and Christianity. It is a history not free of conflicts and errors, and sins, but one constantly driven by the desire to work for the good of all. We see this in the beauty of our cities, and even more in the beauty of the many works of charity and constructive human cooperation throughout this continent. This history, in large part, must still be written. It is our present and our future. It is our identity. Europe urgently needs to recover its true features in order to grow, as its founders intended, in peace and harmony, since it is not yet free of conflicts. Dear Members of the European Parliament, the time has come to work together in building a Europe which revolves not around the economy, but around the sacredness of the human person, around inalienable values. In building a Europe which courageously embraces its past and confidently looks to its future in order fully to experience the hope of its present. The time has come for us to abandon the idea of a Europe which is fearful and self-absorbed, in order to revive and encourage a Europe of leadership, a repository of science, art, music, human values and faith as well. A Europe which contemplates the heavens and pursues lofty ideals. A Europe which cares for, defends and protects man, every man and woman. A Europe which bestrides the earth surely and securely, a precious point of reference for all humanity! Thank you! [1] JOHN PAUL II, Address to the European Parliament (11 October 1988), 5. [2] JOHN PAUL II, Address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (8 October 1988), 3. BENEDICT XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 7; SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 26. Evangelii Gaudium, 55. [6] BENEDICT XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 71. Evangelii Gaudium, 209. [9] BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps, 7 January 2013. [10] Evangelii Gaudium, 231. [11] FRANCIS, General Audience, 5 June 2013. SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL, Gaudium et Spes, 34. Letter to Diognetus, 6. VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE Strasbourg, France Tuesday, 25 November 2014 Mr Secretary General, Madame President Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to address this solemn session which brings together a significant representation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, representatives of member States, the Judges of the European Court of Human Rights as well as the members of the various institutions which make up the Council of Europe. Practically all of Europe is present in this hall, with its peoples, its languages, its cultural and religious expressions, all of which constitute the richness of this continent. I am especially grateful to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, for his gracious invitation and for his kind words of welcome. I greet Madame Anne Brasseur, President of the Parliamentary Assembly. To all of you I offer my heartfelt thanks for your work and for your contribution to peace in Europe through the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. This year the Council of Europe celebrates its sixty-fifth anniversary. It was the intention of its founders that the Council would respond to a yearning for unity which, from antiquity, has characterized the life of the continent. Frequently, however, in the course of the centuries, the pretension to power has led to the dominance of particularist movements. We need but consider the fact that, ten years before the Treaty instituting the Council of Europe was signed in London (5 May 1949), there broke out the most lethal and destructive conflict in the memory of these lands. The divisions it created long continued, as the so-called Iron Curtain split the continent into two, from the Baltic Sea to the Gulf of Trieste. The dream of the founders was to rebuild Europe in a spirit of mutual service which today too, in a world more prone to make demands than to serve, must be the cornerstone of the Council of Europe’s mission on behalf of peace, freedom and human dignity. The royal road to peace – and to avoiding a repetition of what occurred in the two World Wars of the last century – is to see others not as enemies to be opposed but as brothers and sisters to be embraced. This entails an ongoing process which may never be considered fully completed. This is precisely what the founders grasped. They understood that peace was a good which must continually be attained, one which calls for constant vigilance. They realized that wars arise from the effort to occupy spaces, to crystallize ongoing processes and to attempt to halt them. Instead, the founders sought peace, which can be achieved only when we are constantly open to initiating processes and carrying them forward. Consequently, the founders voiced their desire to advance slowly but surely with the passage of time, since is it is precisely time which governs spaces, illumines them and makes them links in a constantly expanding chain, with no possibility of return. Building peace calls for giving priority to actions which generate new processes in society and engage other persons and groups, who can then develop them to the point where they bear fruit in significant historical events.[1] That is why the founders established this body as a permanent institution. Pope Paul VI, several years later, had occasion to observe that “the institutions which in the juridical order and in international society have the task and merit of proclaiming and preserving peace, will attain their lofty goal only if they remain continually active, if they are capable of creating peace, making peace, at every moment”.[2] What is called for is a constant work of humanization, for “it is not enough to contain wars, to suspend conflicts… An imposed peace, a utilitarian and provisional peace, is not enough. Progress must be made towards a peace which is loved, free and fraternal, founded, that is, on a reconciliation of hearts”;[3] in other words, to encourage processes calmly, yet with clear convictions and tenacity. Achieving the good of peace first calls for educating to peace, banishing a culture of conflict aimed at fear of others, marginalizing those who think or live differently than ourselves. It is true that conflict cannot be ignored or concealed; it has to be faced. But if it paralyzes us, we lose perspective, our horizons shrink and we grasp only a part of reality. When we fail to move forward in a situation of conflict, we lose our sense of the profound unity of reality,[4] we halt history and we become enmeshed in useless disputes. Tragically, peace continues all too often to be violated. This is the case in so many parts of the world where conflicts of various sorts continue to fester. It is also the case here in Europe, where tensions continue to exist. How great a toll of suffering and death is still being exacted on this continent, which yearns for peace yet so easily falls back into the temptations of the past! That is why the efforts of the Council of Europe to seek a political solution to current crises is so significant and encouraging. Yet peace is put to the test by other forms of conflict, such as religious and international terrorism, which displays deep disdain for human life and indiscriminately reaps innocent victims. This phenomenon is unfortunately bankrolled by a frequently unchecked traffic in weapons. The Church is convinced that “the arms race is one of the greatest curses on the human race and the harm it inflicts on the poor is more than can be endured”.[5] Peace is also violated by trafficking in human beings, the new slavery of our age, which turns persons into merchandise for trade and deprives its victims of all dignity. Not infrequently we see how interconnected these phenomena are. The Council of Europe, through its Committees and Expert Groups, has an important and significant role to play in combating these forms of inhumanity. This being said, peace is not merely the absence of war, conflicts and tensions. In the Christian vision, peace is at once a gift of God and the fruit of free and reasonable human acts aimed at pursuing the common good in truth and love. “This rational and moral order is based on a conscientious decision by men and women to seek harmony in their mutual relationships, with respect for justice for everyone”.[6] How then do we pursue the ambitious goal of peace? The path chosen by the Council of Europe is above all that of promoting human rights, together with the growth of democracy and the rule of law. This is a particularly valuable undertaking, with significant ethical and social implications, since the development of our societies and their peaceful future coexistence depends on a correct understanding of these terms and constant reflection on them. This reflection is one of the great contributions which Europe has offered, and continues to offer, to the entire world. In your presence today, then, I feel obliged to stress the importance of Europe’s continuing responsibility to contribute to the cultural development of humanity. I would like to do so by using an image drawn from a twentieth-century Italian poet, Clemente Rebora. In one of his poems,[7] Rebora describes a poplar tree, its branches reaching up to the sky, buffeted by the wind, while its trunk remains firmly planted on deep roots sinking into the earth. In a certain sense, we can consider Europe in the light of this image. Throughout its history, Europe has always reached for the heights, aiming at new and ambitious goals, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, development, progress, peace and unity. But the advance of thought, culture, and scientific discovery is entirely due to the solidity of the trunk and the depth of the roots which nourish it. Once those roots are lost, the trunk slowly withers from within and the branches – once flourishing and erect – bow to the earth and fall. This is perhaps among the most baffling paradoxes for a narrowly scientific mentality: in order to progress towards the future we need the past, we need profound roots. We also need the courage not to flee from the present and its challenges. We need memory, courage, a sound and humane utopian vision. Rebora notes, on the one hand, that “the trunk sinks its roots where it is most true”.[8] The roots are nourished by truth, which is the sustenance, the vital lymph, of any society which would be truly free, human and fraternal. On the other hand, truth appeals to conscience, which cannot be reduced to a form of conditioning. Conscience is capable of recognizing its own dignity and being open to the absolute; it thus gives rise to fundamental decisions guided by the pursuit of the good, for others and for one’s self; it is itself the locus of responsible freedom.[9] It also needs to be kept in mind that apart from the pursuit of truth, each individual becomes the criterion for measuring himself and his own actions. The way is thus opened to a subjectivistic assertion of rights, so that the concept of human rights, which has an intrinsically universal import, is replaced by an individualistic conception of rights. This leads to an effective lack of concern for others and favours that globalization of indifference born of selfishness, the result of a conception of man incapable of embracing the truth and living an authentic social dimension. This kind of individualism leads to human impoverishment and cultural aridity, since it effectively cuts off the nourishing roots on which the tree grows. Indifferent individualism leads to the cult of opulence reflected in the throwaway culture all around us. We have a surfeit of unnecessary things, but we no longer have the capacity to build authentic human relationships marked by truth and mutual respect. And so today we are presented with the image of a Europe which is hurt, not only by its many past ordeals, but also by present-day crises which it no longer seems capable of facing with its former vitality and energy; a Europe which is a bit tired and pessimistic, which feels besieged by events and winds of change coming from other continents. To Europe we can put the question: “Where is your vigour? Where is that idealism which inspired and ennobled your history? Where is your spirit of curiosity and enterprise? Where is your thirst for truth, a thirst which hitherto you have passionately shared with the world? The future of the continent will depend on the answer to these questions. Returning to Rebora’s image of the tree, a trunk without roots can continue to have the appearance of life, even as it grows hollow within and eventually dies. Europe should reflect on whether its immense human, artistic, technical, social, political, economic and religious patrimony is simply an artefact of the past, or whether it is still capable of inspiring culture and displaying its treasures to mankind as a whole. In providing an answer to this question, the Council of Europe with its institutions has a role of primary importance. I think particularly of the role of the European Court of Human Rights, which in some way represents the conscience of Europe with regard to those rights. I express my hope that this conscience will continue to mature, not through a simple consensus between parties, but as the result of efforts to build on those deep roots which are the bases on which the founders of contemporary Europe determined to build. These roots need to be sought, found and maintained by a daily exercise of memory, for they represent the genetic patrimony of Europe. At the same time there are present challenges facing the continent. These summon us to continual creativity in ensuring that the roots continue to bear fruit today and in the realization of our vision for the future. Allow me to mention only two aspects of this vision: the challenge of multipolarity and the challenge of transversality. The history of Europe might lead us to think somewhat naïvely of the continent as bipolar, or at most tripolar (as in the ancient conception of Rome-Byzantium-Moscow), and thus to interpret the present and to look to the future on the basis of this schema, which is a simplification born of pretentions to power. But this is not the case today, and we can legitimately speak of a “multipolar” Europe. Its tensions – whether constructive or divisive – are situated between multiple cultural, religious and political poles. Europe today confronts the challenge of “globalizing”, but in a creative way, this multipolarity. Nor are cultures necessarily identified with individual countries: some countries have a variety of cultures and some cultures are expressed in a variety of countries. The same holds true for political, religious, and social aggregations. Creatively globalizing multipolarity, and I wish to stress this creativity, calls for striving to create a constructive harmony, one free of those pretensions to power which, while appearing from a pragmatic standpoint to make things easier, end up destroying the cultural and religious distinctiveness of peoples. To speak of European multipolarity is to speak of peoples which are born, grow and look to the future. The task of globalizing Europe’s multipolarity cannot be conceived by appealing to the image of a sphere – in which all is equal and ordered, but proves reductive inasmuch as every point is equidistant from the centre – but rather, by the image of a polyhedron, in which the harmonic unity of the whole preserves the particularity of each of the parts. Today Europe is multipolar in its relationships and its intentions; it is impossible to imagine or to build Europe without fully taking into account this multipolar reality. The second challenge which I would like to mention is transversality. Here I would begin with my own experience: in my meetings with political leaders from various European countries, I have observed that the younger politicians view reality differently than their older colleagues. They may appear to be saying the same things, but their approach is different. The lyrics are the same but the music is different. This is evident in younger politicians from various parties. This empirical fact points to a reality of present-day Europe which cannot be overlooked in efforts to unite the continent and to guide its future: we need to take into account this transversality encountered in every sector. To do so requires engaging in dialogue, including intergenerational dialogue. Were we to define the continent today, we should speak of a Europe in dialogue, one which puts a transversality of opinions and reflections at the service of a harmonious union of peoples. To embark upon this path of transversal communication requires not only generational empathy, but also an historic methodology of growth. In Europe’s present political situation, merely internal dialogue between the organizations (whether political, religious or cultural) to which one belongs, ends up being unproductive. Our times demand the ability to break out of the structures which “contain” our identity and to encounter others, for the sake of making that identity more solid and fruitful in the fraternal exchange of transversality. A Europe which can only dialogue with limited groups stops halfway; it needs that youthful spirit which can rise to the challenge of transversality. In light of all this, I am gratified by the desire of the Council of Europe to invest in intercultural dialogue, including its religious dimension, through the Exchange on the Religious Dimension of Intercultural Dialogue. Here is a valuable opportunity for open, respectful and enriching exchange between persons and groups of different origins and ethnic, linguistic and religious traditions, in a spirit of understanding and mutual respect. These meetings appear particularly important in the current multicultural and multipolar context, for finding a distinctive physiognomy capable of skilfully linking the European identity forged over the course of centuries to the expectations and aspirations of other peoples who are now making their appearance on the continent. This way of thinking also casts light on the contribution which Christianity can offer to the cultural and social development of Europe today within the context of a correct relationship between religion and society. In the Christian vision, faith and reason, religion and society, are called to enlighten and support one another, and, whenever necessary, to purify one another from ideological extremes. European society as a whole cannot fail to benefit from a renewed interplay between these two sectors, whether to confront a form of religious fundamentalism which is above all inimical to God, or to remedy a reductive rationality which does no honour to man. There are in fact a number of pressing issues which I am convinced can lead to mutual enrichment, issues on which the Catholic Church – particularly through the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE) – can cooperate with the Council of Europe and offer an essential contribution. First and foremost there is, in view of what I have said above, the area of ethical reflection on human rights, which your Organization is often called to consider. I think in particular of the issues linked to the protection of human life, sensitive issues that demand a careful study which takes into account the truth of the entire human being, without being restricted to specific medical, scientific or juridic aspects. Similarly, the contemporary world offers a number of other challenges requiring careful study and a common commitment, beginning with the welcoming of migrants, who immediately require the essentials of subsistence, but more importantly a recognition of their dignity as persons. Then too, there is the grave problem of labour, chiefly because of the high rate of young adults unemployed in many countries – a veritable mortgage on the future – but also for the issue of the dignity of work. It is my profound hope that the foundations will be laid for a new social and economic cooperation, free of ideological pressures, capable of confronting a globalized world while at the same time encouraging that sense of solidarity and mutual charity which has been a distinctive feature of Europe, thanks to the generous efforts of hundreds of men and women – some of whom the Catholic Church considers saints – who over the centuries have worked to develop the continent, both by entrepreneurial activity and by works of education, welfare, and human promotion. These works, above all, represent an important point of reference for the many poor people living in Europe. How many of them there are in our streets! They ask not only for the food they need for survival, which is the most elementary of rights, but also for a renewed appreciation of the value of their own life, which poverty obscures, and a rediscovery of the dignity conferred by work. Finally, among the issues calling for our reflection and our cooperation is the defence of the environment, of this beloved planet earth. It is the greatest resource which God has given us and is at our disposal not to be disfigured, exploited, and degraded, but so that, in the enjoyment of its boundless beauty, we can live in this world with dignity. Mr Secretary General, Madame President, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Pope Paul VI called the Church an “expert in humanity”.[10] In this world, following the example of Christ and despite the sins of her sons and daughters, the Church seeks nothing other than to serve and to bear witness to the truth.[11] This spirit alone guides us in supporting the progress of humanity. In this spirit, the Holy See intends to continue its cooperation with the Council of Europe, which today plays a fundamental role in shaping the mentality of future generations of Europeans. This calls for mutual engagement in a far-ranging reflection aimed at creating a sort of new agorá, in which all civic and religious groups can enter into free exchange, while respecting the separation of sectors and the diversity of positions, an exchange inspired purely by the desire of truth and the advancement of the common good. For culture is always born of reciprocal encounter which seeks to stimulate the intellectual riches and creativity of those who take part in it; this is not only a good in itself, it is also something beautiful. My hope is that Europe, by rediscovering the legacy of its history and the depth of its roots, and by embracing its lively multipolarity and the phenomenon of a transversality in dialogue, will rediscover that youthfulness of spirit which has made this continent fruitful and great. Thank you! Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 223. [2] PAUL VI, Message for the Eighth World Day of Peace, 8 December 1974. Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 226. [5] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2329, and SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 81. [6] JOHN PAUL II, Message for the Fifteenth World Day of Peace, 8 December 1981, 4. [7] “Vibra nel vento con tutte le sue foglie/ il pioppo severo;/ spasima l’aria in tutte le sue doglie / nell’ansia del pensiero: / dal tronco in rami per fronde si esprime / tutte al ciel tese con raccolte cime: / fermo rimane il tronco del mistero, / e il tronco s’inabissa ov’è più vero”: Il pioppo, in: Canti dell’Infermità, ed. Vanni Scheiwiller, Milan, 1957, 32. JOHN PAUL II, Address to the Parlamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg, 8 October 1988, 4. [10] Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 13. [11] Cf. ibid.
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Govor pape Franje u Europskom parlamentu Papa Franjo održao je govor u Europskom parlamentu u Strasbourgu u utorak, 25. studenoga 2014. Ovdje donosimo cijeli govor koji je preveo fra Šimun Markulin. Gospodine Predsjedniče, gospođe i gospodo potpredsjednici, poštovani eurozastupnici, djelatnici u ovom sazivu parlamenta, dragi prijatelji, zahvaljujem vam na pozivu da održim govor pred temeljnom institucijom za život Europske unije i za priliku da se – preko vas – obratim građanima (preko 500 milijuna), koje predstavljate iz 28 zemalja članica. Osobitu zahvalnost izričem Vama gospodine Predsjedniče Parlamenta, za lijepe riječi dobrodošlice koje ste mi uputili uime svih nazočnih. Moj posjet događa se nakon 26 godina od posjeta pape Ivana Pavla II. Mnogo se toga promijenilo od tada u Europi i cijelom svijetu. Više ne postoje suprotstavljeni blokovi koji su dijelili kontinent i polako se ostvaruje želja „da Europa, uz pomoć suverenih i slobodnih institucija, dosegne granice zadane zemljopisno, a još više povijesno“[1]. Dok se Europska unija širila, i svijet je postajao sve složeniji i neprestano se mijenjao. Kako svijet postaje sve povezaniji i globalniji, tako je sve manje „eurocentričan“. Unatoč većoj i snažnijoj Uniji, Europa se čini nekako starija i iscrpljenija te osjeća sve manju i manju važnost u svijetu koji je često gleda suzdržano, nepovjerljivo, pa čak i sumnjičavo. Obraćajući vam se danas, želim – kao pastir – poslati poruku nade i ohrabrenja svim građanima Europe. Ova poruka nade temelji se na uvjerenju da sve naše poteškoće mogu postati snažni poticaji za jedinstvo, s ciljem da se pobijede svi strahovi s kojima se suočava Europa, zajedno s ostatkom svijeta. Ovo je poruka nade u Gospodina, koji pretvara zlo u dobro, a smrt u život. Ovo je ohrabrenje da se vratite čvrstom uvjerenju utemeljiteljâ Europske unije, koji su vidjeli budućnost utemeljenu na sposobnosti zajedničkog nadvladavanja podjela i u učvršćivanju mira i zajedništva među svim narodima kontinenta. U središtu ovog velikog političkog projekta stajalo je povjerenje u čovjeka: ne toliko kao u građanina ili subjekta ekonomije, nego u čovjeka kao osobu obdarenu transcendentnim dostojanstvom. Čini mi se važnim naglasiti povezanost između riječî „dostojanstvo“ i „transcendentno“. „Dostojanstvo“ je bila ključna riječ koja je obilježila obnovu poslije Drugog svjetskog rata. Naša nedavna povijest bila je zaokupljena zaštitom ljudskog dostojanstva, a protiv tolikih nasilja i diskriminacija, što se i u Europi očitovalo tijekom stoljećâ. Važnost brige za ljudska prava prepoznata je nakon dugog procesa, kojeg su obilježile mnoge patnje i žrtve; a što je doprinijelo svijesti o vrijednosti, jedinstvenosti i nepovrjedivosti svake osobe. Ovo iznašašće nije plod isključivo povijesnih događaja, nego se napose temelji na europskoj misli; koju obilježava široko ušće, čiji različiti i daleki izvori potječu „od Grčke i Rima, Kelta, Germana i Slavena te kršćanstva koje ih je duboko obilježilo“[2] tako stvarajući ideju o „osobi“. Danas je promicanje ljudskih prava središnja zadaća Europske unije s ciljem unaprjeđenja dostojanstva osobe, bilo unutar same Unije, bilo u odnosima s drugim zemljama. Govori se o važnoj i žurnoj zadaći, budući da i dalje ima previše situacija u kojima se ljudska bića tretiraju kao objekti; čiji se nastanak, izgled i iskoristivost mogu programirati te se mogu odbaciti kada više ne budu korisni, zahvaljujući slabosti, bolesti ili starosti. Ustvari, o kakvoj se vrsti dostojanstva radi kad pojedinac nema mogućnost izreći svoje mišljenje ili ispovjediti svoju vjeru? Kako dostojanstvo može postojati bez jasnih pravnih okvira, koji ograničuju uporabu sile i omogućuju premoć zakona nad tiranijom? Kakvo uopće dostojanstvo može imati muškarac ili žena kada su izloženi svim oblicima diskriminacije? Kakvom se dostojanstvu osoba može nadati kada on ili ona nemaju hrane ili osnovne potrepštine za život; ili još gore: kad nemaju dostojanstven posao? Promicati dostojanstvo osobe znači prepoznati da on ili ona posjeduju neotuđiva prava, koja im nitko ne može oduzeti sporazumno, a još manje iz ekonomskih interesa. Međutim, mora se paziti da se ne upadne u neke pogrješke koje se događaju zbog nerazumijevanja koncepta ljudskih prava ili iz njihove zloupotrebe. Danas se nastoji proglasiti još veća osobna prava – u napasti sam reći individualistička, čime se pridonosi poimanju ljudske osobe kao istrgnute iz svih društvenih i antropoloških datosti; kao da bi osoba bila kakva „monada“ (µ????), sve više nezainteresirana za druge „monade“ koje ju okružuju. Čini se da takvo poimanje prava narušava bitan i komplementaran koncept dužnosti. Kao rezultat, potvrđuju se prava pojedinca, ne uzimajući u obzir činjenicu da je svako ljudsko biće dio društvenog konteksta, u kojem su njegova ili njezina prava i dužnosti povezana s pravima i dužnostima drugih i općim dobrom samog društva. Stoga, mislim da je danas presudno raditi na kulturi ljudskih prava, koja može mudro povezati individualnu značajku, bolje govoreći: osobnu, sa značajkom općeg dobra, onog „svih nas kojeg tvore pojedinci, obitelji i različite grupe a koji zajedno čine društvo“[3]. Ustvari, sve dok prava svakog pojedinca nisu usklađena s općim dobrom, ona će se smatrati bezgraničnima te će postati izvor sukoba i nasilja. Govoriti o transcendentalnom ljudskom dostojanstvu znači okrenuti se ljudskoj naravi, našoj urođenoj sposobnosti da razlikujemo dobro od zla, „kompasu“ koji se nalazi duboko u našim srcima, kojeg je Bog utisnuo u cijelo stvorenje.[4] Ponad svega, to znači ne promatrati ljudska bića kao apsolutna, nego kao bića u odnosu. Po meni, danas je u Europi najraširenija bolest usamljenost, tipična za one koji nemaju odnose s drugima. Ovo se osobito odnosi na starije, koji su često prepušteni vlastitoj sudbini, i na mlade, kojima nedostaje jasan orijentir, kao i ponude za budućnost. To se vidi i po mnogim siromašnima koji žive po našim gradovima i po nesnalaženju imigranata koji su došli ovdje tražiti bolju budućnost. Ovu usamljenost pospješuje ekonomska kriza, čiji efekti i dalje imaju tragične posljedice po život društva. Posljednjih godina, kako se Europska unija širila, raste nepovjerenje građana prema institucijama, koje se čine otuđenima i koje se bave pisanjem pravila neosjetljivih na pojedine osobe, ako im izravno i ne štete. Na mnogim područjima može se steći dojam zamorenosti i starenja, Europe koja je sada „baka“, a ne više plodna i živahna. Kao rezultat, čini se da su velike ideje koje su jednoć nadahnjivale Europu izgubile svoju privlačnost, a zamijenile su ih birokratske tehnikalije institucija. Također, primjećujemo pomalo egoistične stilove života, obilježene bogatstvom bez pokrića i često bezosjećajne na svijet oko nas, osobito na najsiromašnije među siromašnima. Sa zaprepaštenjem promatramo kako tehnička i ekonomska pitanja prevladavaju u političkim nadmetanjima, a sve na štetu ljudskih bića.[5] Muškarci i žene riskiraju da budu svedeni na djelove u stroju koji se troše, a rezultat je – kao što je to tragično jasno – da se ljudski život, kad god se pokaže beskorisnim za taj stroj, odbacuje bez imalo grižnje savjesti; kao što je slučaj s bolesnima i bolesnima na smrt, sa starijima koji su napušteni i za koje se nitko ne brine, s djecom koja su ubijena u utrobi. Događa se velika pogrješka „kada prevlada tehnologija“[6], a rezultat je „konfuzija između ciljeva i sredstava“[7]. To je neizbježna posljedica kulture otpada i nekontroliranog konzumerizma. Nasuprot tomu, podržavati dostojanstvo osobe znači prepoznati dragocjenost ljudskog života, koji nam je besplatno darovan, stoga ne može biti predmetom razmjene ili trgovine. Kao članovi ovog Parlamenta, pozvani ste na veliku misiju koja se ponekad može činiti beskorisnom: brinuti o potrebama pojedinaca i zajednice. Za pomoći onima u potrebi potrebna je snaga i nježnost, trud i velikodušnost nasuprot funkcionalističkom i egoističnom sustavu koji nepogrješivo vodi u „kulturu otpada“. Brinuti o pojedincima i zajednicama u potrebi znači očuvati pamćenje i nadu, znači danas preuzeti odgovornost za situacije krajnje marginaliziranosti i tjeskobe te biti sposoban vratiti im dostojanstvo[8]. Kako nada može biti obnovljena, da bi se, polazeći od mlađih generacija, nastavio veliki ideal Europe koja je ujedinjena i u miru, kreativna i snalažljiva, koja poštuje prava i svjesna je svojih dužnosti? Da bih odgovorio na ovo pitanje, dopustit ćete mi da upotrijebim jednu sliku. Jedna od najpoznatijih Raffaellovih fresko-slika koje se nalaze u Vatikanu predstavlja tzv. Atensku školu. U njezinom središtu nalaze se Platon i Aristotel. Prvi s prstom uperenim prema gore, prema svijetu ideja, možemo reći prema nebu; drugi drži ispruženu ruku, prema onom tko gleda, prema zemlji, prema konkretnoj stvarnosti. Čini mi se da ova slika dobro oslikava Europu i njezinu povijest, koja se sastoji od neprestanog susreta neba i zemlje, pri čemu nebo označava otvorenost transcendentalnom, Bogu, što je oduvijek odlikovalo europskog čovjeka; a zemlja predstavlja praktičnu i konkretnu mogućnost suočavanja sa situacijama i problemima. Budućnost Europe ovisi o obnovi životne i neraskidive veze između ovih dvaju elemenata. Europa koja se nije sposobna otvoriti transcendentalnoj dimenziji života je Europa koja polako riskira da izgubi vlastitu dušu i „humanistički duh“ koji ju još voli i čuva. Polazeći od potrebe za otvaranjem transcendentalnom, želim potvrditi središnjost ljudske osobe, koja je predana na milost i nemilost kretanjima i pritiscima sadašnjeg trenutka. U tom smislu temeljnim držim ne samo nasljeđe koje je kršćanstvo u prošlosti dalo socio-kulturološkoj formaciji kontinenta, nego posebno na doprinos kojeg daje za rast Europe danas i u budućnosti. Taj doprinos ne predstavlja opasnost za sekularnost država i za neovisnost institucija Unije, nego obogaćenje. To potvrđuju ideali koji su je oblikovali od početka, kao što je mir, supsidijarnost i solidarnost; humanizam izgrađen na poštivanju dostojanstva osobe. Stoga, želim potvrditi raspoloživost Svete Stolice i Katoličke crkve – preko Vijeća biskupskih konferencija Europe (COMECE) – za plodan, otvoren i transparentan dijalog s institucijama Europske unije. Duboko sam uvjeren da se Europa koja se zna poslužiti svojom religioznom tradicijom, u svom njezinom bogatstvu i otvorenosti, može lakše suočiti s tolikim ekstremizmima koji su rašireni u suvremenom svijetu – koji se javljaju i kao nedostatak idealâ, što svjedočimo i na Zapadu – jer upravo „čovjekov zaborav Boga i njegova nezahvalnost čine da nasilje raste“[9]. Ovdje ne možemo zaboraviti brojne nepravde i progone koje svakodnevno proživljavaju vjerske manjine, posebno kršćanske, u različitim djelovima svijeta. Zajednice i pojedinci koji su izloženi okrutnom nasilju: protjerani iz vlastitih domova i zemalja; prodani u roblje; ubijeni, obezglavljeni, razapeti i živi spaljeni, dok drugi sramotno i odobravajući šute. Geslo Europske unije je Jedinstvo u različitosti, pri čemu jedinstvo ne znači političku, ekonomsku, kulturalnu ili misaonu ujednačenost. Zapravo, autentično zajedništvo crpi iz bogatstva različitostî koje ga čine: tako je to i u obitelji, koja je ujedinjenija kad se svaki od njezinih članova može ostvariti bez straha. U tom smislu, držim da je Europa obitelj narodâ koji će osjetiti blizinu institucija Unije koje su sposobne mudro spojiti ideal jedinstva s različitošću svakog pojedinca; njegujući pojedine tradicije, prihvaćajući vlastitu povijest i oslobađajući se mnogih manipulacija i strahova. Postaviti u središte ljudsku osobu znači dopustiti joj da slobodno izražava vlastitu volju i kreativnost: bilo na osobnoj razini, bilo na zajedničarskoj. S druge strane, posebnost pojedinca predstavlja autentično bogatstvo u mjeri u kojoj se tî pojedinci daju drugima. Dobro je podsjetiti na vlastitu strukturu Europske unije, koja se temelji na načelima solidarnosti i supsidijarnosti, tako da se napredak ostvaruje kroz međusobnu suradnju i povjerenje. Dame i gospodo eurozastupnici, u ovoj dinamici jedinstva i posebnosti vaša je dužnost podržavati demokraciju, demokraciju za narode Europe. Nije tajna da koncepcija jedinstva shvaćenog kao ujednačenost ugrožava životnost demokratskog sustava, slabeći tako bogat, plodan i konstruktivan odnos organizacija i političkih stranaka. Ovako riskiramo da živimo u svijetu ideja, ispraznih riječi, slika, sofizama… i da zamijenimo stvarnost demokracije s novim političkim nominalizmom. Podržavati životnost demokracije u Europi traži izbjegavanje mnogih globalnih kretanja koja nagrizaju stvarnost: pobožni purizam, diktaturu relativizma, fundamentalizme, eticizme, intelektualizme bez mudrosti.[10] Podržavati životnost demokracije izazov je sadašnjeg trenutka. Istinska snaga naše demokracije, koja je politička volja naroda, ne smije pokleknuti pred međunarodnim interesima – koji nisu univerzalni interesi – koji ju slabe i pretvaraju u sustave financijske moći, a koji služe nevidljivim carstvima. Ovo je jedan od izazova koje povijest stavlja danas pred vas. Podariti Europi nadu više je od pukog priznavanja središnjosti ljudske osobe, to podrazumijeva uvažavanja talenata svakog muškarca i žene. To znači ulaganje u pojedince i u područja na kojima će se njihovi talenti oblikovati i razviti. Na prvom mjestu radi se o odgoju, počevši od obitelji, temeljne i najdragocjenije sastavnice svakog društva. Ujedinjena, plodna i nerazdvojiva obitelj u sebi sadrži temeljne elemente nade u bolju budućnost. Bez ovog čvrstog uporišta, budućnost je utemeljena na nestabilnom tlu, s teškim posljedicama za društvo. Također, ističući važnost obitelji, ne daju se samo smjernice i nada novim generacijama, već i starijima, koji su često osuđeni na usamljenost i napuštenost, jer nemaju toplog obiteljskog srca koje je sposobno pratiti ih i podržavati. Uz obitelj, tu su različite odgojne ustanove: škole i učilišta. Odgoj i obrazovanje ne ograničavaju se samo na poučavanje tehničkih iskustava. Štoviše, treba potaknuti složen proces sazrijevanja ljudske osobe. Mladi ljudi danas traže prikladan i potpun odgoj koji će im omogućiti da na budućnost gledaju s nadom umjesto s nezadovoljstvom. U Europi je toliko kreativnih mogućnosti na različitim poljima znanstvenog istraživanja, a neka od njih tek trebaju biti potpuno istražena. Sjetimo se samo obnovljivih izvora energije, koji će pomoći u očuvanju okoliša. Europa je uvijek prednjačila u promicanju ekologije. Naša zemlja treba neprestanu brigu i pažnju. Svatko od nas je odgovoran pred stvorenim, pred tim dragocjenim darom kojeg nam je Bog povjerio. To znači da nam je priroda na raspolaganju, da je ispravno koristimo. Također, to znači da nismo njezini gospodari. Upravitelji, a ne gospodari. Moramo voljeti i poštivati prirodu, no često smo „vođeni željom za vladanjem, posjedovanjem, manipuliranjem, iskorištavanjem; ne čuvamo zemlju, ne poštujemo je, ne smatramo je darom kojeg treba čuvati“[11]. Poštivanje okoliša više je od njegova ne-uništavanja, poštivanje traži i njegovu uporabu za dobre svrhe. Osobito mislim na poljoprivredni sektor, koji osigurava hranu ljudskim obiteljima. Nedopustivo je da milijuni ljudi po svijetu umiru od gladi dok se svakodnevno s naših stolova bacaju tone hrane. Poštovanje prirode traži priznanje da smo i sami njezin temeljni dio. Uz ekologiju okoliša potrebna je ekologija među ljudima, koja se sastoji u poštivanju osobe, što sam želio naglasiti u svojem današnjem obraćanju. Rad je drugo područje u kojem se razvijaju ljudski talenti. Došlo je vrijeme za politiku koja će promicati zapošljavanje, a ponad svega se mora vratiti dostojanstvo radu osiguravanjem odgovarajućih radnih uvjeta. To znači da na nov način treba pomiriti tržišnu fleksibilnost s potrebom radničke stabilnosti i sigurnosti, što je neophodno za ljudski razvoj radnikâ. To znači i stvaranje povoljnog društvenog okruženja, koje neće biti usmjereno na iskorištavanje osoba, nego će jamčiti – upravo kroz rad – mogućnost podizanja obitelji i odgoja djece. Isto tako, mora postojati zajednički odgovor na pitanje migracija. Ne možemo dopustiti da Mediteran postane veliko groblje! Brodovi koji svakodnevno pristižu u europske vode puni su žena i muškaraca kojima je potrebna pomoć i utočište. Nepostojanje zajedničke politike unutar Europske unije povećava rizik djelomičnog rješavanja problema, koje ne računa na ljudsko dostojanstvo imigranata, tako pospješujući robovski odnos prema radnicima i socijalne napetosti. Europa će biti sposobna suočiti se s problemima imigracije ako bude sposobna jasno prihvatiti vlastiti kulturalni identitet i donijeti odgovarajuće zakone, kako bi zaštitila prava europskih građana i osigurala prihvat imigranata. Samo ako bude sposobna provoditi pravedne, hrabre i ostvarive politike koje će pomoći zemljama porijekla u njihovom društvenom i političkom razvoju te njihovim naporima da razriješe nutarnje sukobe – što je glavni uzrok ovog fenomena; radije negoli provoditi politike motivirane vlastitim interesima, koje povećavaju i doprinose takvim sukobima. Moramo poduzeti mjere protiv uzrokâ, a ne samo protiv posljedica. Gospodine Predsjedniče, Ekselencije, dame i gospodo zastupnici, Potrebna je i svijest o vlastitom identitetu kako bi se započeo pozitivan dijalog sa zemljama koje su zatražile biti dijelom Unije u budućnosti. Osobito mislim na zemlje Balkana, za koje članstvo u Europskoj uniji može biti odgovor na toliko željkovani mir u regiji koja je mnogo propatila u posljednjim ratovima. Svijest o vlastitom identitetu neophodna je i za odnose sa susjednim zemljama, osobito onima koje graniče s Mediteranom, a od kojih mnoge proživljavaju nutarnje sukobe, porast vjerskog fundamentalizma i stvarnost globalnog terorizma. Na vas zakonodavce spada zaštita europskog identiteta, kako bi građani vratili povjerenje u institucije Unije i u njezin temeljni projekt mira i prijateljstva. Znajući da „što više raste moć muškaraca i žena, veća je osobna i zajednička odgovornost“[12], potičem vas da pomognete Europi da otkrije najbolji dio sebe. Nepoznat autor iz II. st. napisao je da su „kršćani u svijetu ono što je duša u tijelu“[13]. Uloga duše je da bude podrška tijelu, njegova savjest i povijesno sjećanje. Europa i kršćanstvo prožimlju se tijekom dvotisućljetne povijesti. Ta povijest nije bez sukoba, pogrješaka i grijeha, no stalno je vođena željom da se radi na dobro svih. To vidimo u ljepoti naših gradova, a još više u ljepoti tolikih djela ljubavi i konstruktivne ljudske suradnje na cijelom kontinentu. Velikim dijelom ova priča čeka da bude zapisana. Ona je naša sadašnjost i naša budućnost. Ona je naš identitet. Europa treba žurno ponovno otkriti svoj identitet kako bi rasla – kao što su to željeli njezini utemeljitelji – u miru i slozi, budući da i dalje nije oslobođena sukoba. Dragi članovi Europskog parlamenta, došlo je vrijeme da zajedno gradimo Europu koja ne počiva na ekonomiji, nego na svetosti ljudske osobe, na nepovrjedivim vrijednostima. Graditi Europu koja hrabro prihvaća svoju prošlost i s povjerenjem gleda u budućnost, kako bi punim plućima i s nadom živjela sadašnjost. Došlo je vrijeme da napustimo ideju strašljive i samodopadne Europe, a oživimo i potaknemo Europu koja predvodi, nositeljicu znanosti, umjetnosti, glazbe, ljudskih vrijednosti i vjere. Europu koja kontemplira nebo i teži ka uzvišenim idealima. Europu kojoj je stalo, koja brani i štiti čovjeka, svakog muškarca i ženu. Europu koja sigurno i uporno korača zemljom, dragocjen orijentir za čitavo čovječanstvo! Hvala. [1] Ivan Pavao II., Govor u Europskom parlamentu (11. listopada 1988.), 5. [2] Ivan Pavao II., Govor Parlamentarnoj skupštini Vijeća Europe (8. listopada 1988.), 3. Benedikt XVI., Caritas in veritate , 7; Drugi vatikanski sabor, Pastoralna konstitucija o Crkvi u suvremenom svijetu Gaudium et spes, 26. Kompedij društvenog nauka Crkve, 37. Evangelii Gaudium, 55. [6] Benedikt XVI., Caritas in Veritate, 71. Evangelii Gaudium, 209. [9] Benedikt XVI., Govor članovima Diplomatskog zbora (7. siječnja 2013.). [10] Evangelii Gaudium, 231. [11] Franjo, Opća audijencija (5. lipnja 2013.) Drugi vatikanski sabor, Gaudium et Spes, 34. Pismo Diognetu, 6.