Text 1209, 97 rader
Skriven 2006-04-02 03:37:48 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
===================================================
Hello All!

                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

EUROPE: CREATIVE FIDELITY TO CHRISTIAN HERITAGE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received
a group of representatives from the European parliamentary group of the Popular
Party on the occasion of the Study Days on Europe, an initiative organized by
the group.

The Pope began his English-language address to the parliamentarians by
recalling how "Roman Pontiffs have always devoted particular attention to this
continent; today's audience is a case in point, and it takes its place in the
long series of meetings between my predecessors and political movements of
Christian inspiration."

"At present, Europe has to address complex issues of great importance, such as
the growth and development of European integration, the increasingly precise
definition of neighborhood policy within the Union and the debate over its
social model. In order to attain these goals, it will be important to draw
inspiration, with creative fidelity, from the Christian heritage which has made
such a particular contribution to forging the identity of this continent.

"By valuing its Christian roots," said the Holy Father, "Europe will be able to
give a secure direction to the choices of its citizens and peoples, it will
strengthen their awareness of belonging to a common civilization and it will
nourish the commitment of all to address the challenges of the present for the
sake of a better future."

The Pope then expressed his appreciation for the Popular Party's "recognition
of Europe's Christian heritage" which, he said, "offers valuable ethical
guidelines in the search for a social model that responds adequately to the
demands of an already globalized economy, ... assuring growth and employment,
protection of the family, equal opportunities for education of the young and
solicitude for the poor.

"Your support for the Christian heritage, moreover, can contribute
significantly to the defeat of a culture that is now fairly widespread in
Europe, which relegates to the private and subjective sphere the manifestation
of one's own religious convictions. Policies built on this foundation not only
entail the repudiation of Christianity's public role; more generally, they
exclude engagement with Europe's religious tradition, which is so clear,
despite its denominational variations, thereby threatening democracy itself,
whose strength depends on the values that it promotes."

To oppose or ignore the European Christian tradition "would be a sign of
immaturity, if not indeed weakness. ... In this context one has to recognize
that a certain secular intransigence shows itself to be the enemy of tolerance
and of a sound secular vision of State and society."

The Pope then expressed his pleasure "that the European Union's constitutional
treaty envisages a structured and ongoing relationship with religious
communities, recognizing their identity and their specific contribution. Above
all, I trust that the effective and correct implementation of this relationship
will start now, with the cooperation of all political movements irrespective of
party alignments.

"It must not be forgotten," he stressed, "that when Churches or ecclesial
communities intervene in public debate, expressing reservations or recalling
various principles, this does not constitute a form of intolerance or
interference, since such interventions are aimed solely at enlightening
consciences, enabling them to act freely and responsibly, according to the true
demands of justice, even when this should conflict with situations of power and
personal interest."

The main area of the Catholic Church's interventions in the public sphere, said
Benedict XVI, "is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person,
and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which
are not negotiable." Among these principles he listed: "Protection of life in
all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death;
recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family, as a union
between a man and a woman based on marriage, and its defense from attempts to
make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in
reality harm it and contribute to its destabilization, obscuring its particular
character and its irreplaceable social role; and the protection of the right of
parents to educate their children.

"These principles are not truths of faith, even though they receive further
light and confirmation from faith; they are inscribed in human nature itself
and therefore they are common to all humanity. The Church's action in promoting
them is therefore not confessional in character, but is addressed to all
people, irrespective of any religious affiliation they may have."

The Holy Father closed his address by calling on the parliamentarians "to be
credible and consistent witnesses of these basic truths through your political
activity, and more fundamentally through your commitment to live authentic and
consistent lives."
AC/.../EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY VIS 060330 (770)

SUMMARY

--- MPost/386 v1.21
 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)