SYNOD OF BISHOPS
____________________________________________________________
II SPECIAL ASSEMBLY FOR EUROPE
JESUS CHRIST ALIVE IN HIS CHURCH
THE SOURCE OF HOPE FOR EUROPE
LINEAMENTA
VATICAN CITY
1998
© The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops and Libreria
Editrice Vaticana.
This text can be reproduced by Bishops' Conferences, or at their
authorization, provided that the content is not altered in any way and two
copies of the same be sent to the General Secretariat of the Synod of
Bishops, 00120 Vatican City State.
PREFACE
The significance of the moment was not lost when the Holy Father
announced in his Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente (n.
21, 38), a series of synods on the topic of evangelisation in view of the
Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, and communicated his intention to convoke
continental synods for America, Asia and Oceania. At that time, he made
mention of still other synod initiatives. Indeed, in the course of his
apostolic visitation to Germany, during his Angelus talk in Berlin
on 23 June 1996, the Holy Father convoked the Second Special Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops for Europe.
Such a decision deserves attention not only because of the matter
of the timing of the announcement and the continent concerned, but above
all because of its impact on the Church and her pastoral life.
A similar happening in the Church's history is not easy to find, at
least in recent times. Indeed, since the Synod is a young institution in
the Church, it would be inappropriate to seek in that brief period of its
history monumental moments. Nevertheless, the fact that a synodal assembly
is again to be devoted to a continent in a such a brief space of time is
certainly an exceptional event.
This matter of time and the choice of the European continent as
well as the extraordinary and impelling character associated with the
event, also brings to mind an urgency of another kind, that is, one which
carries both a spiritual and theological significance, perceived as res
novae, for which the city of Berlin stands as a symbol. These "new
matters" involved both society and the Church. Within the Church they
called into play a discernment process and commanded the attention of the
Pastors and the entire community of believers.
The urgent nature of these happenings also brought about the
convocation of the Second Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for
Europe.
At this time, the local Churches in Europe are invited through this
Lineamenta document to undertake an initial preparation for the
celebration of this assembly. To do so, it is necessary to recall the
circumstances surrounding its convocation, to consider the purpose
attached to this assembly by the Holy Father, to be aware of people's
attitudes and actions in various fields so that matters of real urgency
and the true aspirations of the individual might be brought to the Synod
so as to receive pastoral action for the good of the Church in Europe.
The present text is intended to encourage local Churches to reflect
on various aspects of their local situation keeping in mind the overall
picture of both the Church in Europe and the European continent, "from
the Atlantic to the Urals." Such a reflection will involve using the
suggestions and points presented in the Lineamenta to draw
attention to the many necessities coming from both small communities to
great centres and to bring to the synod the spiritual needs of each part
of the Church in Europe.
Never before has Europe experienced a sense of her oneness than at
this present moment. For this reason, it is right that all its bishops are
involved in still another synodal assembly so as to give Europe the
maximum pastoral concern. Before this takes place, however, an extensive
consultation of all interested parties must be carried out in the
different dioceses and communities, a consultation involving every
territorial and ecclesial aspect of the European continent. Indeed, the
success of a synod depends on the vastness and depth of the preparation in
the particular Churches. This is particularly true in the case of this
synodal gathering, since an extensive consultation could not be
accomplished for the first synodal assembly, given the special urgency in
celebrating that synod and the particular condition of the Church in
Central and Eastern Europe which had recently emerged from her notable
ordeal.
The Lineamenta are offered to meet the above requirements.
After the general presentation of the topic chosen by the Holy Father,
"Jesus Christ Alive in His Church, Source of Hope for Europe",
a series of Questions is proposed directed to fostering responses
which are to contain the most pressing matters of the particular Churches.
These responses will make it possible to know the various concerns which
will arrive at the synod through the direct participation of the many
sectors of the Church community.
Maximum results in both the number and the quality of the responses
will be possible only if the local Churches, in addition to attentively
examining their own situation, will look beyond their own setting; not in
a sense of inquiry but in the spirit of communion, "in companionship"
with the whole Church in Europe, that is, with the catholic sense of an "exchange
of gifts", of participating with a concern based on fellowship and
the desire to carry one another's burdens (cf. Gal 6:2), and, of
giving concrete suggestions to respond to the situations of the whole of
Europe as they are perceived and experienced in their proper settings in
the local Church.
The efficacy of the responses will be in direct proportion to how
faithfully the series of Questions is followed. In other words,
the content of the responses will be rich and truly reflective if the
questions are understood to be directed to local situations. This does not
preclude, however, the freedom to present and treat other subjects, absent
or barely touched in the Lineamenta or in the Questions.
Responses are to arrive at the General Secretariat of the Synod of
Bishops by 1 November 1998 and are to come from those Church bodies in
Europe customarily called upon in these matters, that is, the Oriental
Churches, Episcopal Conferences or similar Episcopal Bodies, Departments
of the Roman Curia and the Union of Superiors General.
It is hoped that special initiatives will be fostered in dioceses
and communities so that the Lineamenta might be widely
distributed, reflected upon and discussed in view of drafting a response
involving the whole community, which will be more easily achieved through
the interest and contact of those structures of dialogue which the Second
Vatican Council has encouraged in the particular Churches. Such a
situation will represent the initial step in the synodal journey.
If the Lineamenta document is well received and discussed,
engaging the participation and prayers of all, it will be a valuable
occasion for coming to know--even in this first step of the synodal
experience--the Lord Jesus as the source of hope for Europe and all its
peoples.
Jan P. Card. Schotte, C.I.C.M.
General Secretary
INTRODUCTION
1. The Lord Jesus, before returning to the Father, promised to abide
always with the Eleven and to sustain them in their mission (cf. Mt
28:18- 20). Immediately after the resurrection, indeed "on that very
day" (Lk 24:13), he anticipated in a concrete way the promise
he would announce before his ascension. On Easter Sunday, the Risen Christ
made his presence known to "two of them" (Lk 24:13) who
were returning home that evening downcast and troubled in spirit. Their
words disclosed the sadness and the hopelessness which they felt in their
lives: "we were hoping" (Lk 24:21). The past so full of
trust and expectation was now but a painful memory. The Lord, who appeared
to the two "in another form" (Mk 16:12), was momentarily
hidden from them, "their eyes were kept from recognizing him" (Lk
24:16). Despite this, he made himself known to them, although in a veiled
way, through the words he used "to interpret to them in all the
Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Lk 24:27). By
personally accompanying the two disciples, his presence served to guide
them to a revelation in word which gradually restored trust and vigour to
their hearts (cf. Lk 24:32), thereby leading them to a full
recognition of him as risen from the dead (cf. Lk 24:31). The
revelation at Emmaus was the first new evangelisation, the work of the
Lord Jesus, the Master from the very beginning, now risen to his perennial
mission as Saviour sent by the Father.
What happened to the two disciples at Emmaus stands before the Church in
Europe as an interpretive model for her daily experiences on the continent
characterizing her journey over 20 centuries, a journey enlightened by the
Word of God which is extensively spread among her members and deeply
penetrates her life. As an epoch comes to an end with the approach of the
Third Millennium, Europe is fully in possession of great signs of faith
and testimony. At the same time, however, the continent feels the wear on
its peoples produced by history's various tensions, oftentimes generating
great disappointment. Despite this situation, Europe is not abandoned to a
hopelessness beyond redemption; its Christian roots remain and constantly
endure. Above all, there is the presence of the Word of the Lord, who
never tires of accompanying the people, in being at their side as they go
their way, reserving to Himself the Kairos or proper time when
grace will result in a new revelation of his Person.
Such a new revelation, a new evangelisation, will re-awaken hope; and
faith, once strengthened by this new encounter, will rouse the courage
known in the early days of the Church, and bring about an announcement to
the people that "the Lord has risen indeed" (Lk 24:34).
2. The mystery of the Word and the presence of the living Jesus Christ
in the Church nourishes communion in the Church and ceaselessly sustains
her as she fulfills her mission. Before returning to heaven, to the right
hand of the Father, Jesus approached the Eleven and said to them: "All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I
have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age"
(Mt 28:18-20). With these words, the Master, clothed again in all
his power, sends forth his disciples to the nations--thus making them
apostles--to instruct, to baptize, to teach obedience to his commandments,
while assuring them of his abiding presence and constant company (cf. Mk
16:20).
This event accounts for the birth of the vocation of the Church which
finds its source in the mystery of the Lord who died, rose again and
ascended into heaven, a vocation which is exercised in the bond of
communion and spread in the mission of salvation for all people. This
Church, sent forth to the nations, participates in human history and walks
alongside humanity. In the midst of the human family, the Church wishes to
announce again the eternal message of Jesus Christ, the wellspring of life
and hope.
This intimate union of the Church with the community of peoples is
poignantly expressed in the following words from the Second Vatican
Council's Pastoral Constitution on the Church: "The joys and hopes,
the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who
are poor or in any way afflicted, these too are the joys and hopes, the
griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely
human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. For theirs is a community
composed of men. United in Christ, they are led by the Holy Spirit in
their journey to the kingdom of their Father and they have welcomed the
news of salvation which is meant for every man. That is why this community
realizes that it is truly and intimately linked with mankind and its
history.(1)
Today, this characteristic of the universal Church is reflected in a
particularly clear manner in every part of the European continent. Not
only is it seen by outside observers, but especially by those who live in
her boundaries and who suffer, rejoice and hope in the wake of the great
historical, civil, social, cultural and political revolution which has
recently taken place.
3. Following these memorable events, other profound transformations are
having an impact on peoples in the family of European nations. Bearing
this in mind, while looking towards the approach of the Third Millennium,
the Holy Father has desired to enrich the "series of Synods(2) with a
Second Special Assembly for Europe.
During his apostolic visitation to Germany, at the Angelus
prayer in Berlin on 23 June 1996, Pope John Paul II said: "From this
famous city, which in a very special way has experienced the fate of
European history in this century, I would like to announce to the whole
Church my intention to convoke a Second Assembly for Europe of the Synod
of Bishops. Together with similar synod assemblies in other parts of the
world, it is to support preparations for the Great Jubilee of the Year
2000 (cf. Tertio millennio adveniente, 38). Following the
well-known events of 1989 and the new conditions after the fall of the
wall which had been built in this very city, it appeared that a reflection
on the part of representatives of the continent's episcopal conferences
was necessary. This task was carried out by the Special Assembly in 1991.
Further developments in the succeeding five years in Europe suggested a
new meeting with representatives of the European bishops for the purpose
of a thorough examination of the situation of the Church in view of the
coming Jubilee. This must be done in such a way that the immense spiritual
reserves of this continent can fully develop in all areas, and conditions
can be created for an era of true rebirth at the religious, economic and
social levels. This will be the result of a new proclamation of the
Gospel.(3)
When the Holy Father, John Paul II, announced at Velehrad on 22 April
1990 the convocation of the First Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod
of Bishops, he pronounced words which revealed his cognisance of the
extraordinary events which were taking place in those years in the vast
central and eastern parts of Europe, and thus demonstrated his
faithfulness to the episcopal vocation to keep watch over the passing of
time so as to read the signs.(4)
This same pastoral responsibility is being evoked today in the
consciences of the bishops of Europe, in light of the new events taking
place in Europe which are revealing compelling new tasks and calling for
new undertakings.
The events of 1989, initially having received an immediate and
enthusiastic response, gave the impression that in one stroke many social,
cultural and spiritual crises were resolved; in reality these events only
opened a door unexpectedly on a vast area where different peoples found
themselves without notice in possession of age-old prerogatives which had
been repressed for a long-time. These same people also found themselves in
a process of pursuing paths of their own choosing.
This widespread movement of a new-found freedom could not, by its very
nature, be contained in the territory where it first began; in some way,
its effects were felt in the rest of Europe, placing other nations before
the same new conditions which, from that time onwards, could no longer be
hidden within the forced confines of an oppressive regime.
Geographically, Europe found itself open, dramatically exposed to a
grave series of demands as well as "new dangers and new threats,"
especially that of nationalism.(5)
The Holy Father had these new happenings in mind--happenings which he
scrutinized in light of history and the Spirit who works mysteriously in
that history--when he decided to convoke this second synodal assembly for
Europe. To his thinking, these events provided a moment eagerly to be
seized so that the continent, with its present changing geographic
dimensions, might also devote energy to its integral rebirth.
These new events are also seen in relation to other phenomena which by
now have become a part of the entire continent of Europe: materialism,
agnostic indifference, a new mentality in countries which have emerged
from totalitarian oppression, the complex character of society with its
occurrences of religious subjectivism and relativistic individualism, the
norm of truth in pluralism, the over-valuing of subjectivity and
tolerance, and the temptation of gnosticism in culture, particularly
through movements characterized by pantheism.
In a positive sense, other new elements must also be noted in the
European experience, e.g., the dialogue with European culture founded on
the fact that the doctrine of creation, redemption and communion with God
is higher than relativism or pantheism; the catechumenate of adults; the
search for spirituality in civil life and in the interaction of peoples;
the new awareness of the importance of the family; and the protection of
human life in all its stages and aspects. These elements provide avenues
for hope and permit a glimpse into the future of the continent.
4. The synod fathers who will gather in synodal assembly will have the
increasingly urgent task of meditating on the proclamation of the Gospel
as a faithful response to the Lord's mandate and as the Church's offer of
service to the peoples of Europe.
It is a question of a proclamation to be accomplished with a renewed
spirit of mission on a continent which is deeply and distinctly marked by
signs calling for an active obedient response to what the Holy Spirit is
saying to the Church through the experiences of each particular Church on
the European continent, in this period approaching the beginning of the
Third Millennium after Christ.(6)
The manner of thinking manifested by the Holy Father in preparation for
the first synodal assembly for Europe establishes a profound relation to
the second assembly, since both are directed towards a goal which is both
set in time and directed towards the future, i.e., the threshold of hope
placed at the entrance of the Third Millennium, the date commemorating a
Christological event, precisely that of the birth in time of the Word of
God made man, who is salvation for all ages and millennia.
Furthermore, the two assemblies are linked together by a proclamation
which spans time and the vicissitudes of history, and is characterized by
a constant determination and faithfulness as well as an innate sense of
salvific communion with humanity.
The celebration of this assembly, then, has great significance, since it
associates Europe with the other continents whose Pastors are also to be
involved in synods in preparation for the same Jubilee event. This element
corresponds to the internal unity given by the Holy Father to the "series
of synods(7) which can be called in a certain sense "jubilee synods",
since they are part of the program leading to the opening of the Third
Millennium.
5. The correlation among these synods is seen as a special exercise of
episcopal collegiality and pastoral charity. At the same time, since the
Special Assembly for Europe will follow all the other continental
assemblies, it is beneficial from an historical and ecclesial point of
view also to point out that the unifying bond between the synod for Europe
and those of the other continents is the Gospel and its proclamation.
As the synod movement proceeds in a spirit of anticipation towards the
Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the Holy Father awaits a "new spring
of the Christian life" in that Christ's followers might be docile to
the action of the Holy Spirit, the principal agent of the new
evangelisation.(8)
In contemplating the action of the Holy Spirit, Pope John Paul II
exhorts believers to rediscover the theological virtue of hope. In fact, "the
basic attitude of hope, on the one hand encourages the Christian not to
lose sight of the final goal which gives meaning and value to life, and on
the other, offers solid and profound reasons for a daily commitment to
transform reality in order to make it correspond to God's plan.(9)
The path leading the Church in Europe towards this goal in the present
historical, civil and religious circumstances, draws on the meditation of
the Gospel as its true force. Doing so helps overcome fatigue, doubt and
discouragement. In this case, the incident of the two disciples of Emmaus
holds a message concerning deep harmony in life, serving as an invitation
to re-evaluate one's relationship with the Lord, who was and is and ever
shall be, today, yesterday and always, the one and only Saviour of all.
Hope consists in again finding, in the course of listening and welcoming
the Lord, the strength and light to disperse the many dark clouds hanging
over Europe in these days, a Europe which once welcomed the first
apostolic preaching, widely proclaimed it to others within her boundary
and carried it to other peoples. Lack of energy and routine, loss and
slowness to learn are no excuse for either obstinance or passivity. The
revelation of the Lord to the two grief-stricken disciples and their
subsequent witness urges, encourages, and even guarantees hope for all
those who, having known the Lord for such a long time, are unable to lose
or remove the traces of him forever.
PART I
EUROPE TOWARDS THE THIRD MILLENNIUM
Discerning the Spirits
6. The events at the origin of the two synodal assemblies for Europe are
notably those linked to the fall of communism, symbolically represented in
the destruction of the wall which divided the city of Berlin. These social
and political happenings were signs of a profound cultural reform and a
compelling need for renewal.
"The wall which divided Europe collapsed. Fifty years after the
Second World War began, its effects ceased to ravage the face of our
continent. A half a century of separation ended, for which millions of
people living in Central and Eastern Europe had paid a terrible price.(10)
Such an upheaval took the whole world by surprise, but none more than
the people themselves who were directly involved.
Faced with these events, the Church asked herself their significance,
and continues to ask herself this question even today. Above all, she
seeks to know the consequences of these events for her pastoral ministry
of a new evangelisation in response to the perennial unescapable mandate
of preaching Jesus Christ, who in diverse times and among various peoples
was, is and will be, yesterday, today and always, the one Saviour of
peoples and every person.
The Church discerns the new living situation in the nations of Europe by
searching out the underlying elements present in the various delusions
resulting from the incapacity of the political, social and economic
structures to satisfy the aspirations of the person.
Europeans are witnessing today the unmasking of real socialism,
permitting the negative consequences of communism to appear in all their
gravity. At the same time, a naive euphoria has developed, prompted by the
regaining of the basic freedom of the individual. And yet this freedom is
unsupported by a sound attitude of how to exercise it. Consequently, in
the face of the necessity of adapting to the real situation which still
remains objectively difficult, some people look to the past with a certain
nostalgia and attempt or desire to return to it.
Increasingly more widespread in the West are the evils of a human
progress oftentimes devoid of spiritual values and those values related to
the person. Such tendencies easily find their way into the East,
resulting, paradoxically, in a situation which is very similar to the one
based on the materialistic philosophy of the fallen regimes, and
manifested in an anthropology closed to a transcendent vision of human
existence.
The Lord's Spirit speaks to the Church, even in historic events. The
community of the faithful, far from being separated from these happenings,
lives in their midst as a sign set before the nations.(11) Discerning
these events- -properly her task for two thousand years--is also her role
at the present moment marked by profound changes, and in the years to
come, at the beginning of the Third Millennium.
Contradictory Signs and Delusions
7. It should be pointed out that today's Europe has been acknowledged to
be in possession of high achievements in the social and cultural fields, a
fact which serves not only as a reason for its great development but also
as an expression of it, even if these achievements also conceal threats
and risks in other fields.
The breaking down of totalitarianism and the consequent re-establishment
of democracy has brought with it a lack of appreciation of values and
objective truth. In the field of human rights measures have been reached
to safeguard the individual, but oftentimes at the expense of the poorest
and those with no one to defend them. Though freedom of choice is a
person's inalienable right, it can serve as a pretext for justifying a
code of behaviour exclusively centred on the person. When a person's
dignity is taken from him in truly a perverse chain of events which
reduced him in the recent past to being a simple part of a great
collective movement, it cannot help but lead to a solitude without
meaning and to a weakening of the sense of solidarity.
Culture appears in Europe today as an absolute and all-inclusive quality
attributed to the person. This attitude towards culture can hold a certain
danger in deliberately fragmenting faith in Jesus Christ. Concretely
speaking, such an attitude attempts to eliminate reference to the Faith as
a fundamental and basic element of European culture and its unity. Such a
situation favours the rise of a culture based on law which proposes models
of behaviour devoid of the values of the Gospel.
The new evangelisation, an understanding of the human being and the
history of humanity and the person of Jesus Christ in every aspect of his
relation to the Church are the decisive goals of the Church's proclamation
in Europe today.
After the political turmoil on the continent, many people have
spontaneously passed to speaking of a new Europe in reaction to a
restriction of free communication among states and, at the same time, in
appreciation of a common sense of belonging, not only as a result of
living in the same continent but also on a moral and social basis.
The new element in these changes cannot be confined only to a form of
government, a social organization or international communication. This new
reality should also encompass the ever-new character of the Gospel, the
Word of God which makes all things new. The new evangelisation is an
integral part of today's Church in today's Europe and ought to have
bearing on the new situation. Europe is to be renewed through witness and
the Spirit of the Lord who works in mysterious ways, in communion and in
the Church's mission.
Examination of Conscience
8. The new action of proclaiming the Gospel is directly linked to an
urgent necessity: an examination of conscience. "After 1989, however,
there arose new dangers and threats. In the countries of the
former Eastern bloc, after the fall of Communism, there appeared the
serious threat of exaggerated nationalism, as is evident from events in
the Balkans and other neighbouring areas. This obliges the European
nations to make a serious examination of conscience, and to
acknowledge faults and errors, both economic and political, resulting from
imperialist policies carried out in the previous and present centuries vis
a vis nations whose rights have been systematically violated.(12)
In light of these new circumstances, the Church needs to make an
examination of conscience,(13) above all in those fields where the
proclamation of the Gospel affects human needs. Today's sensitivity,
urging a manner of living together in a less isolated manner, makes all
the more serious and contradictory the lack of unity among Christians, a
situation which discourages harmony and movements towards peace. Religious
indifference and the lack of clarity in the witness of the Church's
members contributes to the increase of movements which make false promises
of salvation. The growth of sects and new religious movements, both in the
East and West, is a challenge to the Church, diminishing the unity of the
Church. However, it also points to the fact that people are in search of a
"saviour".
Intolerance and the use of violence in service of the truth,(14) often
an expression of a certain nationalism which uses the faith for its own
purposes, are areas to be considered attentively by the Church so that
they might never overshadow her testimony. Reflection on the importance of
respect for religious freedom in the present world would also be a timely
topic.(15)
A further source of concern is the lack of a clear condemnation of the
grave injustices existent in the social and economic order(16) as well as
the difficulty in the formation of conscience of adopting a catechesis
directed to applying the values of the faith to practical situations in a
person's everyday life.
PART II
THE LIVING JESUS CHRIST IN THE CHURCH
Mystery
The Lord's Presence
9. In the course of sharing in the preparatory activities of the Great
Jubilee of the Year 2000 and accepting the invitation of the Holy Father
to live a period of anticipation as a "new advent", a particular
sensitivity needs to be fostered for this Second Special Assembly for
Europe as to what the Spirit is saying to the Church and to the
Churches,(17) above all in reference to the Divine Person of the Son of
God made man two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, alive today and always
and continuously present in his Church.
The Constitution on the Divine Liturgy of the Second Vatican CouncilSacrosanctum
Concilium, n. 7, sets forth the diverse modes of the Lord's presence
which carries a great significance in the celebration of the synodal
assembly for Europe. "Christ is always present in his Church,
especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice
of the Mass, not only in the person of his ministers...but especially
under the Eucharistic species. By his power he is present in the
sacraments... He is present in His word, since it is he himself who speaks
when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church. He is present, finally,
when the Church prays and sings, for he promised: ?Where two or three are
gathered together for my sake, there am I in the midst of them' (Mt
18:20)."
Another special presence of the Lord is seen in individual persons
having a particular claim of nearness to him. "In the lives of those
who shared in our humanity and yet were transformed into especially
successful images of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 3:18) God vividly manifests
to men his presence and his face. He speaks to them and gives them a sign
of his kingdom.(18)
Presence in History
10. "The People of God believes that it is led by the Spirit of the
Lord, who fills the earth. Motivated by this faith, it labours to discern
authentic signs of God's presence and purpose in the happenings, needs and
desires in which this people has a part along with other men of our
age.(19)
The whole Church acknowledges the effects of the Lord's presence in the
recent happenings in Europe. On this continent he has worked with his
unfathomable yet decisive presence and remains part of the fibre of the
thoughts and actions of Europe's people. This presence is revealed in the
signs which are taking place today in Europe.
It can be said about God's relation with humanity that discerning his
presence in history is possible not only in past history but in the
present: the cry of my people has reached my ears (cf. Ex 3:9); "in
many and various ways God spoke..." (Heb 1:1).
God's communication culminates in the person of Jesus Christ, the Lord
of all, the Lord of history, the one and only who gives sense and
universal meaning to the world and human existence. Christ is the one who
not only participates in the sufferings of man, but is also the only one
capable of transcending them and transforming them, because he alone is
truly divine and truly human. In his person Christ assumed the problems
flowing from the fragility of human nature and from the experience of
death of which the people of Europe are afraid to speak.(20)
Communion
Communion with God and Humanity
11. God's efficacious presence in history does not simply bring to the
Church the benefits of "the great works of God" but also the
inestimable gift of communion with God himself and humanity. The gift of
Christ is given in and through the Church as a work of Christ who always
sustains her in holiness. He is the cornerstone of the Church, the
sacrament of God's union with men and that of all humanity.(21)
All this comes not by the power, not by the will, but by the Holy
Spirit. The Church is, at one and the same time, instituted by Christ
and constituted in the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit's power human
weakness becomes the source of salvation. Christ invites people to
friendship with God; he invites them to the communion of life enjoyed by
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is the fountain and
wellspring of life for the whole person and for every person.
Communion and Hope
12. The first synodal assembly for Europe concluded with a Declaratio
which set forth principles and suggestions for constructing a new Europe.
These directives correspond to the demands of communion, unity and
hope(22) as well as permit a profound examination of conscience in light
of the approaching Jubilee and a reflection on the application of the
principles contained in this document in the six years which have passed
since the first synodal assembly.
The deep aspirations towards unity and communion seem to accompany the
course of events which have taken place since the first assembly. In that
time, people spoke of the need for an exchange between the two lungs
of the Church in Europe, as if referring to an act which had been
violently inhibited in preceding decades. Then, after the fall of
governments in the communist block countries, relations were
re-established. At the same time, these relations allowed for the
unchallenged spreading in both East and West of the harmful phenomena
which gave rise to the social, political, economic and religious crises.
In this regard, it is sufficient to call to mind the proliferation of the
sects and movements expounding fundamentalist philosophy or to consider
the unyielding urge to react to or escape from historic conditions of the
past.
Mission
A Widespread Task
13. Because of her intimate union with all humanity as elect creatures
of God, the Church has the widespread task of extending the goodness of
God manifested in history and, above all, revealed in the person of his
Son through his words and works. The mission to the world represents the
exercise of the driving imperative which is connatural to the existence of
the Church herself. Fullness of life is always a gift; salvation is God's
work in Christ, never a human work only. The promise of salvation in its
fullness is eschatological and proceeds in a world marked by the reality
of sin.
The first task of the Church is to live fully the mystery of Christ as a
communion of love and to proclaim this communion to all people. In
proclaiming the message of salvation through mission, the Church has the
aim of inviting people to participate in the mystery of God, thus opening
the door of human existence to a transcendent meaning.
At this particular moment in the history of Europe, the mission of the
Church takes the form of a new evangelisation as the basic mandate
received from the Risen Lord and as her historic task in view of the
synods in anticipation of the Jubilee of the Year 2000.(23)
"On the threshold of the Third Millennium...we need to take up with
fresh vigour...the work of evangelisation. Let us help those who have
forgotten Christ and his teaching to discover him anew. This will happen
when ranks of faithful witnesses to the Gospel begin once more to traverse
our continent; when works of architecture, literature and art show in a
convincing way to the people of our time the One who is 'the same
yesterday and today and for ever'; when in the Church's celebration of the
liturgy people see how beautiful it is to give glory to God; when they
discern in our lives a witness of Christian mercy, heroic love and
holiness.(24)
"Europe, with its grand missionary past, is questioning itself at
the various points of its present 'ecclesial geography' and wondering if
it is not about to become a missionary continent. There exists therefore
for Europe the problem that was defined in Evangelii nuntiandi as
'self evangelisation'. The Church must always evangelise herself. Catholic
and Christian Europe needs this evangelisation.(25)
"If it is true that the difficulties and obstacles to
evangelisation in Europe can sometimes be found in the Church herself and
in Christianity, the remedies and the solutions, then, are to be sought
inside the Church and Christianity, that is, within the truth and grace of
Christ, the Redeemer of Man, the Centre of the Universe and History.
The Church herself ought then to evangelise herself so as to respond to
the challenges of the man of today.(26)
Ecumenism and Mission
14. "We know that the effectiveness of preaching the Gospel depends
to a great extent on the harmony with which it is offered to the world.
There is an intrinsic bond between ecumenism and mission. In this appeal
for the unity of Christians for an effective missionary activity my
thoughts especially turn to the peoples of the European continent. By its
past and present, Europe is called to ?feel ever more strongly the need
for religious and Christian unity and for a fraternal communion of all its
peoples'( Slavorum Apostoli, 30).(27)
It is certain that in this post-conciliar era the ecumenical endeavours
of Catholic communities are showing a special sign of vitality and
maturity in the faith. Historical events in this field have been difficult
and complex. Past experience has not brought Christians to a point of
living the depth of communion created by the gift of Baptism. It is
difficult to imagine how Baptism can receive an authentic witness today by
neglecting the bonds established among those who have received it.(28)
"We have had a privileged and providential opportunity to discover
'in the various cultures of European nations, both in the East and the
West, in music, literature, the figurative arts and architecture, as well
as in ways of thinking, that there flows a common stream leading to a
single source' (Apostolic Letter Euntes in mundum, V, 12)".(29)
PART III
JESUS CHRIST THE SOURCE OF HOPE
Leitourgia
Gift of God and Human Spirituality
15. The Liturgy (leitourgia) is the response of man to God who
comunicates himself and seeks a dialogue with all people. God's self-
communication consists in the revelation of himself, calling each person
to a colloquium through which he offers the gift of truth.
Despite certain tendencies today to place the individual at the centre
of the liturgical action, a reason for hope proclaims that the human
person is the masterpiece of God's work, coming from a free act on God's
part. In his humanity, Jesus Christ remains the first and the last, the
alfa and the omega, the beginning and the end (cf. Rev 1:8; 21:6;
22:13), the sole mediator (cf. 1 Tim 2:5) of grace and every
perfect gift which comes from above (cf. James 1:17); he calls to
salvation every person under heaven.
This dialogue of salvation at work in the liturgy becomes for the Church
an habitual act, an attitude of communion, a manner of acting which
qualifies the Church's action and presence in her various tasks: a
communion internal to her very life shared among Christians in the service
of truth; a dialogue with other religions on the double basis of the
communal demands of truth and faithfulness to the truth received; and a
dialogue with society, often on the basis of the dignity of the human
person.
In light of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 this character of the
liturgy needs to be recalled more than ever so as to keep the Person of
Jesus Christ, born, died and risen, at the centre of each celebration, so
as to avoid depriving the event of its true animating principle and
ultimate end.
The Demand for Spirituality
16. Today in both the East and West, one can easily notice a general
desire for the goods of the spirit, a search for a response to the deep
questions of human existence and a disquiet and constant yearning after
the definitive goal of humanity.(30)
If, in such circumstances, it is true that individuals in Europe can
sometimes revert to unsuitable methods and means in achieving their
desires--and indeed do--it remains equally true that the millennia-old
culture of Europe still provides a truth capable of satisfying the
perennial longings of humanity.
The Church offers the one valid measure for interpreting the decisive
moments of human life and undertaking evangelisation in a universal
manner. "This measure is Christ, the incarnate word of God; in
Christ, born, dead and risen, the Church can read the true
meaning, the full meaning, of the birth and death of every human
being.
Pascal already noted: 'We not only know God through Jesus Christ, but we
know ourselves through Jesus Christ, and only through him do we know
life and death. Outside of Jesus Christ we do not know what life
and death are, who God is, or who we are (Pensées, n.
548). It is an intuition that the Second Vatican Council expressed with
justly famous words: 'Only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the
mystery of man take on true light... Christ, the final Adam, by the
revelation of the mystery of the Father and his love, fully reveals man to
himself and makes his supreme calling clear' (Gaudium et spes,
22). Instructed by Christ, the Church has the task of leading modern man
to rediscover the full truth about himself...(31)
In today's democratic society--constantly affirmed by Europe over the
centuries--a certain lack of tolerance is being displayed under the weight
of time and the outdated institutions of the old continent. Europe
is growing old on the historical level and is also growing old in the
areas of demographics and in the passing of generations of people. This
debilitation risks undermining its capacity for a true rebirth, unless it
has recourse to the spiritual origin of its history, culture and European
mode of being.
Truthfully, one can say that Europe has a Christian soul. Paul VI "called
on us to 'awaken the Christian soul of Europe in which its unity is
rooted'; to purify and bring back to their source the evangelical values
still present but, as it were, disarticulated, geared to purely earthly
aims; to awaken and strengthen consciences in the light of the faith
preached in season and out of season; to cause their flame to converge
above all barriers...(32)
"The history of the formation of the European nations runs parallel
with their evangelisation, to the point that the European frontiers
coincided with those of the inroads of the Gospel. After twenty centuries
of history, notwithstanding the bloody conflicts which have set the
peoples of Europe in opposition to one another, and in spite of the
spiritual crises which have marked the life of the continenteven to
the point of raising serious questions in our own time about its future
destinyit can be said that the European identity is not
understandable without Christianity, and that precisely in Christianity
are found those common roots by which the continent has seen its
civilization mature: its culture, its dynamism, its activity, its capacity
for constructive expansion in other continents as well; in a word, all
that makes up its glory.
Today still, the soul of Europe remains united, because, beyond its
common origin, it has similar Christian and human values...(33)
A reflection on the events of 1989 carried John Paul II to the following
happy and prophetic announcement: "...the Holy See has welcomed with
satisfaction the great transformations which have recently marked the
life of many peoples, especially in Europe. The irrepressible thirst
for freedom which we have witnessed there has accelerated the process of
evolution; it has brought down walls and opened doors. All this has the
appearance of a veritable overthrow. ... Before our eyes a 'Europe of the
spirit' seems to be coming to birth, in direct correspondence to those
values and symbols which brought her into being, to 'that Christian
tradition which unites all her peoples' (Address to Members of an
International Study Group on Martin Luther, 24 March 1984). Even as we
point to this happy evolution which has led so many people to recover
their identity and their equal dignity, we must remember that nothing is
ever achieved once and for all. ... Ancient rivalries can always reappear;
conflicts between ethnic minorities can be sparked off anew; forms of
nationalism can increase.(34)
Martyria
The Witness of Human Existence
17. Witness (martyria) is proclaiming in word and deed the
message of Christ who has freed us in all aspects of human life. He points
to the true significance of freedom in human existence.
In both Nazism and Stalinism freedom was used in a mistaken way: "work
renders a person free" (Auschwitz) and "I do not know another
country in which men are able to breathe with such freedom" (Soviet
National Anthem).
This abuse of freedom provoked various inhuman and unheard of evils:
hate, persecution, exile, genocide, prisons, capital punishment. During
this season of suffering many Christians bore witness to the grace of
martyrdom and other actions which manifested the redemptive capacity of
suffering. Today, the spiritual fruit of this suffering is awaited in
reconciliation as the gift of God and the reason for hope in the future.
Freedom and Truth
18. Freedom which does not acknowledge the inherent limits of the
demands of truth and those of the "truth of the person in community"
immediately becomes license. Freedom without obligations and
responsibility is illusory.
The truth revealed in Christ is the context for the exercise of
freedom.(35)
"The very word 'freedom' now makes the heart beat faster. And this
is certainly the case because during the past decades a high price had to
be paid for freedom. Deep are the wounds that remain in the human spirit
from that period. Much time must yet pass before they will be completely
healed.(36) With these words the Holy Father invited a meditation on
freedom in Europe "which for many years was sorely tried by being
deprived of freedom under Nazi and communist totalitarianism,(37) and at
the same time expressed the essential bonds of freedom: "Yes, true
freedom demands order. But what kind of order are we talking about here?
We are talking first of all about the moral order, order in the sphere
of values, the order of truth and goodness. When there is a void in
the area of valueswhen chaos and confusion reign in the moral spherefreedom
dies, man is reduced from freedom to slavery, becoming a slave to
instincts, passions and pseudo-values.(38)
In posing the question on the way which leads to freedom, Pope John Paul
II added: "Can man build the order of freedom by himself, without
Christ, or even against Christ? This is an exceedingly important
question, but how relevant it is in a social context permeated by ideas of
democracy inspired by liberal ideology! In fact, attempts are being made
to convince man and whole societies that God is an obstacle on the path to
full freedom, that the Church is the enemy of freedom, that she does not
understand freedom, that she is afraid of it. In this there is an
incredible confusion of ideas! The Church never ceases to be in the
world the proclaimer of the gospel of freedom! This is her
mission. 'For freedom Christ has set us free' (Gal 5:1). For this
reason a Christian is not afraid of freedom, nor does he flee from it! He
takes it up in a creative and responsible way as the task of his life.,
Freedom, in fact, is not just a gift of God; it is also given to
us as a task! It is our vocation: 'For you were called to freedom,
brethren' (Gal 5:13), the Apostle reminds us.(39)
Diakonia
Service
19. Service (diakonia) towards the person in suffering becomes
the source of hope insofar as it is a concrete manifestation of the
dignity of the human person.
The nations of Europe are undoubtedly showing progress in acknowledging
human dignity and human rights in various areas of life. Considerable
sensitivity is being shown to the issue of human rights, especially in
relation to the past. Progress in this area is manifested in practical
interventions and charitable works.
Moreover, major attention is being dedicated to growing situations which
are greatly affecting various persons: poverty in the midst of abundance,
drug dependence, pornography, sexual tourism, pedophilia, abortion and
euthanasia.
On the other hand, insensitivity to other people's sufferings also seems
to be on the increase, caused by its excessive coverage and diffusion by
the information media.
Such a situation reveals a deep inconsistency between culture and life
in Europe, exemplified in a dramatic dichotomy between the elements of
progress and concrete practice which needs to be healed through recourse
to the true font of salvation and hope. The Gospel teaches an attitude of
service and self-giving, the central aspect of its proclamation and the
manner of putting the Gospel into practice. The capacity to love according
to the Gospel is exercised primarily through placing a high value,
particularly in the case of vulnerable persons and the poor, and
developing evangelical charity in the various expressions of solidarity.
In this sense, service can indeed be proclaimed as the way to hope in a
world de-sensitized to giving due regard to the dignity of each human
person.
This situation requires putting into practice what constitutes the
specific contribution of the Church in Europe in the present historical
moment.
The Church has a diakonia to exercise towards the peoples of
Europe who, in the wake of social and political delusions and the present
widespread expansion of liberalism and a philosophy based on economics,
not to mention a loss of hope and a sense of tradition, have a need to
hear the Gospel of salvation at the end of the second millennium. The
specific character of the Church in Europe consists in presenting herself
as a communion in her work of evangelising a continent which is Christian
by nature, even if the Christian message is not always proclaimed in a
dynamic and efficacious manner.
Europe also displays another particular feature: specific change has
came about, but sometimes without content and values. Jesus Christ is able
to offer hope and communion to today's Europe.
Europe's proper task is to seek the spiritual sense of its social and
political process, something already being done by certain ruling European
politicians in the midst of signs of hate and violence.
In this undertaking the Church makes her contribution by proposing the
way of communion in response to calls for unity and in answer to those who
advocate hate. In this regard, it must not be forgotten that the goal of
communism was always to destroy the communion of the Church. Therefore,
if, after emerging from communism, the Church is to be renewed, communion
must be strengthened.
Hope
20. "But I am among you as one who serves" (Lk 22:27).
With these words the Master indicates his manner of life to his disciples
and likewise asks them to imitate him (cf. Lk 22:24ff). In giving
them such a precept he makes reference to the heads of nations who use
other methods in exercising their office, methods of power and prestige.
"He who serves" offers a benefit to others, knowing how to
fulfill his mission in this way, without pretense for what transforms his
existence and very identity; he is a servant so as to be a servant (cf.
Lk 17:10).
In the momentous happenings which are taking place in history, the
Lord's disciples cannot avoid this vocation. In making a commitment to the
human and religious community, they fulfill the mandate of service
received from their Master, imitating him first of all by example.
Showing themselves as servant among the nations, whose heads make their
authority felt and have themselves called benefactors (cf. Lk 22:25),
means to point out to them the way which leads to those goods which they
are unable to expect from those they govern: the richness of faith, the
gifts of charity and the service of hope.
At this moment in the life of the European continent, such a message has
an immediate appeal, since "he who serves" is the Lord, risen,
alive in his Church and in his disciples who continue his work. In fact, "The
Church believes that Christ, who died and was raised up for all, can
through his Spirit offer man the light and strength to measure up to his
supreme destiny. Nor has any other name under heaven been given to man by
which it is fitting for him to be saved. She likewise holds that in her
most benign Lord and Master can be found the key, the focal point, and the
goal of all human history. The Church maintains that beneath all changes
there are many realities which do not change and which have their ultimate
foundation in Christ, who is the same yesterday and today, yes and
forever.(40)
The Church is the sign of this hope and this proclamation, that is, the
teaching of hope, the response in God's goodness and love for all (cf.
Titus 3:4). She stimulates the nations of Europe to keep alive an
awareness of its identity and to cultivate an historic optimism in
approaching the future, the optimism of hope, always mindful of the "mighty
works" (Acts 2:11) done by God in its past.
CONCLUSION
Theological Hope
21. When the Church speaks of hope she surely does not intend to deny
the truth and power of hope nor overlook those hopes longed for by the
whole of humanity, at times strongly expressed, at other times hidden or
even unknown. Such hopes move the history of the human family and give its
great thoughts and charitable works their moral, civil, social and
cultural value.
Nevertheless, the danger exists of confusing Christian hope with human
hope. Christian hope is transcendent and fundamental in the Church's
belief; it is a theological virtue.
In this sense, Christ is understood as the sign of hope for all. The
Church has the mission to render a service to society through proclaiming
this message of hope. Christ is the source of hope in the present moment
of history (kairos), above all in reference to the liturgy,
witness and service.
"Surrexit Christus spes mea" is the Church's song in
the liturgical sequence of Easter. The Lord's resurrection is full of
faith, because if Christ is not risen our faith is vain (cf. 1 Cor
15:14.17); at the same time, he is the basis for hope (cf. 1 Pt 1:21;
1 Cor 3:11;Rom 5:4.5), because being risen from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep, so shall the Christian
be raised together with him (cf. 1 Cor 15:20ff; 1 Thess
4:16ff).
On the last day all shall be raised; until then, there is a continual
rising movement in this world's history, strongly bearing people along
towards the destiny of their earthly works (cf. 1 Pt 1:9). Just as
in the case of the disciples of Emmaus, earthly happenings have set Europe
on the path leading to an encounter with the Lord, as recent events bear
witness and as the continent's future destiny appeals, since it is an
offshoot of the faith (Rm 11:16ff). Europe, in its continuous act
of evolution from its origins, immersed in the need to give to
itself--over and above the obstacles and failures--the certainty of
knowing how to recuperate its identity and, in the company of the risen
Lord, to find the solutions of peace and not of misfortune (cf. Jer
29:11) for its sons and daughters.
Jesus Christ is he who is risen and has promised to be faithful (cf.
Heb 10:23). In virtue of hope, all have become inheritors of
eternal life through him (cf. Titus 3:6-7). His promise is the
reason for hope which is not a trust in its own capacity separated from
trust in God (cf. Jer 17:5). The Catechism of the Catholic
Church(41) recalls that "man cannot fully respond to the divine
love by his own powers" and Europe knows well that at times its "own
strength" has betrayed it. Instead, in faithfulness to the Lord and
in virtue of his resurrection, Europe possesses the source and sustenance
for its hope.
Spes Nostra, Salve
22. Furthermore, in the events leading to the Great Jubilee of the Year
2000, the Second Special Assembly for Europe has a singular place by
reason of the special presence of the Mother of God in the Europe's
history. The convocation of the first synodal assembly for Europe took
place following the fall of totalitarianism, fostering at that time the
new living conditions which now provide the basis for calling this second
synodal assembly. In this regard, Pope John Paul II expressly declared: "It
would be difficult not to recall that the Marian Year took place only
shortly before the events of 1989. Those events remain surprising for
their vastness and especially for the speed with which they occurred. The
Eighties were years marked by a growing danger from the 'Cold War'. 1989
ushered in a peaceful resolution which took the form, as it were, of an
'organic' development. ... In the unfolding of those events one could
already discern the invisible hand of Providence at work in a motherly
way: 'Can a woman forget her child...?' (Is 49:15)(42) With this
intuition, Pope John Paul II, in his ongoing meditation on Europe,
discovers a precise origin for this "organic" development, a
place where the new light and dignity is born. That Marian Year is
considered as a gestation period in which Mary showed again her motherhood
towards the human race; she who is Mother of the Lord, to whom the angels
(Cf. 1 Pet 1:12; Rev 4:6.8; 5:6ff) and all people (cf.
Acts 1:11) are turned in contemplation and expectation of mercy
(cf. Ps 123:2).
This history of mercy and wonderful works is the sure ground for hope
even in the present moment and in the future. The Church rightly continues
to greet Mary with the ancient words full of love and wonder: "Spes
Nostra, Salve".
If the motherhood of Mary is able to be presented for Europe as an act
of providence which opens the door to every hope, it certainly must be
said that Europe has witnessed frequent and intense signs of the maternal
presence of the Virgin Mother of God. This is exemplified in the places,
apparitions and interventions which have almost literally accompanied
humanity on its travels through history on the European continent, as seen
in its many sanctuaries; in its striking memories of devotion and answered
prayers; in assistance received to pressing requests; and in a gracious
maternal concern which elicits security in the present and is every reason
for trust in the future. These many Marian sites and interventionseven
their very number--are undeniable signs from history and from Europe's own
territory of that visible quality which makes the Virgin Mother like her
son the "dynamic fountain of hope", according to the words
of Europe's own son.(43)
23. The numerous disquieting events which have marked the recent history
of Europe call for serious undertakings by the Pastors of the Church,
requiring them to call upon the Lord's Spirit for discernment, counsel and
pastoral action in the daily concerns of their ecclesial ministry.
The hope offered by the Risen Lord to the people of Europe at this
particular moment of its history, also provides light for the Pastors in
their particular Churches as well as in the future synodal assembly.
Theirs is the hope of fulfilling the task of bringing to Europe, as a
result of the new evangelisation, a new consciousness of its proper
identity, a more acute capacity of seeing the future path. Theirs is the
hope of fulfilling the task of putting into action each good decision for
approaching the future with a sincere "love for all people" (cf.
Titus 3:4) and obedience to the Spirit of the Lord of history and all
peoples.
This Lineamenta document has the purpose of
offering in a general manner the topic of the Second Special Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops for Europe and presenting points to foster reflection
in the various particular Churches on the expectations and the urgent
needs of each community or episcopal conference.
The attached Series of Questions is intended to draw attention
to particular situations, to generate discussion and to assist the work of
formulating responses which, coming from individual Churches, will be
later integrated to form the necessary summary document and framework of
discussion offered by the Church in Europe to the upcoming synodal
assembly.
On the vigil of the Great Jubilee of the Millennium, "Jesus Christ,
Alive in His Church, Source of Hope for Europe", is placed now more
than ever as the cornerstone and the sign to the nations (cf. 11:10), who
in himself brings into unity all things (cf. Eph 2:14), all times
and seasons, today and always, to support and to move through space and
time, this part of the universal Church so as to show her to all "in
splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she be holy and
without blemish" (Eph 5:27).
The Pastors gathered in Synod intend to proclaim to the Church in Europe
with a new enthusiasm, new energies and in new ways, "in season and
out of season...unfailing in patience and in teaching" (2 Tim
4:2), this Jesus (cf. Acts 1:32), "Author of life" (Acts
3:15), "Pioneer of salvation" (Heb 2:10), "Pioneer
and Perfecter of the faith" (Heb 12:2) and also the Author of
Europe's Hope.
QUESTIONS
The following series of Questions proposes some points, based
upon the various parts of the Lineamenta text, to promote the
reflection on various subjects so as to facilitate the drafting of the
responses which are to be used in the composition of the Instrumentum
laboris.
Although the Lineamenta necessarily has a general character, the
questions are meant to focus attention on specific situations in the
community and the local Churches and generate responses which relate to
the concerns of these faith communities and their particular and immediate
expectations.
The questions deal with subjects and situations which have a particular
urgency in the local Churches of Europe today, but are not intended to
cover all possible expectations and necessities. For this reason, persons
are at liberty in the responses to make suggestions and treat subjects
which reflect the given state of affairs.
Two Synods for Today's Europe
1. The First Special Assembly for Europe took place in 1991, scarcely
two years after the events of 1989, whose consequences can be more fully
evaluated today.
What signs of the events of 1989 exist in your Church? What
opportunities are awaiting action in the new living conditions in Europe?
What disappointments, if any, resulted after the events of 1989? What
positive signs are observed for welcoming the Gospel? Enumerate signs of
renewal in living the mystery of the Lord alive in his Church? What
dangers and threats are present?
2. What are the bishop's principal concerns in the religious and moral
situation of society of today in Europe? How does he go about making an
examination of conscience concerning the new circumstances and their
impact on his ministry?
The Church, Culture and Society
3. How is your Church reacting to the pluralism of faith and culture in
Europe? What is the basis for ethics in society today? From what sources
in culture do atheism, agnosticism and religious indifference find
nourishment today?
4. How is the separation between progress and the values of the spirit
manifested in your area? What are its consequences in the difficult
relationship between freedom and solidarity? Do people enjoy religious
freedom or are there still episodes of intolerance?
5. What development is needed in the relations between Church and State?
The Church as Mystery, Communion and Mission
6. Is the awareness that the Church is mystery, communion and mission
encouraged in your area? Or do other conceptions of the Church prevail?
Mystery and Liturgy in the Church
7. In your Church, what consideration and attention is given to the
sense of divine mystery as an inherent part of liturgy and worship
celebrations? Is the Liturgy truly an event where God is present and a
time of union with the Lord, or do other things take precedence, e.g., the
externals of expression, human capabilities in the leading the assembly,
over-emphasis on observing rubrics and carrying out the rites, too much
attention to speaking or gestures?
8. How is a desire for spirituality manifested in your area, and how
does it find response?
Communion and Service in the Church
9. How do believers in your Church manifest their communion with God and
neighbour? How do the laity and priests collaborate in seeking communion
in the Church? Describe efforts towards Christians of little faith or with
those who might be distant from the Church?
10. In your area, does the lack of unity among Christians have
particular consequences? How is ecumenism manifested in your Church? What
are your experiences and difficulties in relation to other Churches? How
do you consider and approach the phenomenon of the increasing spread of
the sects?
11. Communion is the essential character of the Church but also a task
to fulfill: how does your Church manifest this service to communion in
various places and on behalf of the various categories of persons inside
or outside of the Church community?
The Church's Mission and Witness
12. Is the work of the new evangelisation in your ministry centred on
the person of Jesus Christ alive in the Church, always keeping in mind the
new conditions of humanity and the historic moment? Is the new
evangelisation considered a primary duty? If it is true that Europe has a
Christian soul, can the spiritual sense of social and political progress
be used as a means of the new evangelisation in your Church? In what way
is the regained freedom in Europe inspiring the new evangelisation?
Describe the obstacles to the new evangelisation in your area?
13. What are the priorities in Christian testimony in your area? Which
persons have a major need of the witness of charity by Christians? How is
the service to life manifested, from conception to natural death? What
attention is given to abuses to the person and to those persons most
exposed to material and moral misery?
Jesus Christ, the Church and Hope
14. Jesus Christ, alive in his Church, is the source of hope for Europe.
In what ways does the Church's spirituality, communion and missionary
witness nourish hope in Europe today? Is the hope offered by your Church
linked to presenting the good things coming from the Gospel or is it based
on other resources?
Other Subjects
15. Do you perceive in your Church needs and aspirations which are not
included in the above questions or in the Lineamenta text, but
have a particularly urgent pastoral character and are shared with other
particular Churches? Do you have other subjects to suggest for treatment
during the synod?
SELECTIONS
At the time of the celebration of the First Special Assembly for
Europe of the Synod of Bishops, a volume was published containing all the
addresses of Pope John Paul II on Europe. Readers were surprised at the
Holy Father's repeated references to Europe in his many discourses,
messages and appeals as he took into consideration the new situation which
resulted and Europe's still uncertain though foreseeable future.
The important papal teaching in this book, drawing the attention
even of non-Catholics, has continued without interruption since the time
of the synodal assembly in that historic period marked by the dramatic
events of freedom, conscience and the re-drawing of Europe's boundaries.
Since that time, this "ongoing meditation on Europe" has
not ended. On the eve of the Second Assembly, this "Summa on
Europe", which the Holy Father is composing as a passionate and
thought-provoking tribute to Europe and the Church, is being further
enriched.
The following selections are gathered from documents coming from the
years 1992 to the first months of 1998 which have revealed the untiring
teaching of Pope John Paul II on Europe. These selections are not intended
to be a substitute for reading the source documents from which they are
taken. In fact, it is hoped that the present citations will serve to
encourage the reader to search out the full richness of the papal
magisterium on the subject.
1 - Address to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe
(1 December 1992); L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in English,
9 December 1992, p. 4.
1. ... In the face of the new situation, whose beginning can be traced
back to 1989, there is the need for a new arrangement especially of
the structures of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE)
because per se it includes the Church of the whole continent. In
fact, during this meeting the conclusions in this regard will be explained
and discussed so that in the coming year the Council can already work in
its complete dimension. Precisely so that it can have new strength and
more effective authority in its institutional activity, the presidents of
the Episcopal Conferences themselves are called to be members of it. This
more adequately corresponds to the representative dignity of the European
episcopal organization and to the intentions and wishes expressed within
the present Council of the European Episcopal Conferences.
2. ... If the word "synodos" indicates "the communion
of ways" on which the Church is travelling, then the Council of
the Episcopates should systematically realize, deepen and strengthen this
"communion". This is required by the Church's internal dynamism.
This is also required by the Church's mission in the contemporary world
(cf. Gaudium et spes) and her service to man, this "European
man" from the Atlantic to the Urals, because this is the Church's
"way" on this continent....
3. ... When we speak of the "new evangelisation" we do so
because it is always and everywhere "new". "Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb 13:8). This "newness"
belongs to the identity of the Gospel and evangelisation, which is a
continuous, constant imperative for Christ's witnesses. ... The imperative
of evangelisation is, therefore, always timely.
As for what concerns Europe, however, everyone knows that in this
century it has been subjected to strong currents of "counter-evangelisation".
... As we can see all about us, it is necessary that the Church renew and
strengthen her readiness to give a consistent witness on behalf of Christ,
who "is the same yesterday, today and forever". ...
4. ... The Declaration of last year's Synod emphasized the need for
cooperation among all the Christians of Europe for the cause of the
Gospel. For our part we want to do everything possible to foster this
ecumenical cooperation. ...
2 - Address to the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (16
April 1993); L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in English, 21
April 1993, pp. 6, 10.
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
1. During these days the liturgy proposes for our reflection the
invitation found in the First Letter of Peter to build "a spiritual
edifice" for offering sacrifices pleasing to God (cf. 1 Pt 2:5).
These words help us understand even more deeply the value and importance
of the Church's commitment during this singular period of European
history: a commitment to renewed evangelisation and active involvement in
building a "new Europe", open to universal solidarity.
In such a context this meeting could, in a certain sense, be considered "historic",
not only because it sets for the Council of European Episcopal Conferences
(CCEE) a new impulse in its line of action by now consolidated for many
years, but it also helps to adapt it to the "signs" and "challenges"
of the present time so as to make it an effective instrument of the
new evangelisation in view of the third Millennium of Christianity. It
means searching together for the most appropriate ways to evangelise
Europe, and to foster an authentic renewal of society based on the risen
Christ, the "living stone rejected by men and chosen and precious to
God" (1 Pt 2:4). The Pastors therefore are gathered around Christ,
place their trust in him, and on him, and on him alone, base their
apostolic and missionary plans.
With these intentions we met in the Special Assembly for Europe of the
Synod of Bishops, which took place in autumn of 1991, and "gathered
in Christ's name, we prayed that we might hear what the Spirit is saying
today to the Churches of Europe (cf. Rv 2:7,11,17) and be able to discern
the paths of the new evangelisation of our continent" (Final
Declaration, Preface).
2. That important Synod assembly was the source of guidelines and
proposals into which the CCEE, in its new composition, should delve deeper
and fulfil. . . .
3. The history of the CCEE began during the years immediately following
the Council as a response to the need felt by many people for
appropriate forms of cooperation among the Churches of Europe.
Following on the first symposiums - held in Noordwijkerhout, the
Netherlands, in 1967 and in Chur, Switzerland, in 1969 - which were open
to the Bishops of the whole European continent, the "Consilium
Conferentiarum Episcopalium Europae" was founded in Rome, during the
meeting of 23-24 March 1971, and its statutes were approved by the
Congregation for Bishops on 10 January 1977. Other symposiums followed,
all of them held in Rome, and through regular contacts between the
representatives of the various Episcopal Conferences, especially those of
Western Europe who could freely meet and communicate with one another,
there was an ever more intense exchange of information, experience and
points of view on the main pastoral problems of the nations, fostering the
development of a spirit of true cooperation and fraternal communion on a
European dimension.
Nor should we ignore the contribution made to ecumenical dialogue with
the various Christian confessions through the special mixed working group
established by the CCEE and the Conference of European Churches (KEK) in
1971. Special attention was also given to the problems of other religions.
The results of this patient work of listening and fraternal seeking are
consoling: indeed, an atmosphere of mutual respect has developed, and
cooperation has extended to the Christians of the whole continent who are
concerned to offer the people of our day the Gospel message of salvation.
4. If we pause to analyze the topics discussed during the various
general assemblies of the CCEE we can note a certain evolution
over time: in the first years the emphasis was placed on the typical post-
conciliar problems; later attention was given to more specifically
European problems. In the face of the profound, complex changes of society
in the cultural, political, ethical and spiritual areas, there has been an
ever increasing awareness of the need for a new evangelisation.
Following the events of 1989 which saw the fall of ideologies
which had dominated for decades, and the collapse of historical barriers
between the peoples of Europe, the Special Assembly for Europe of the
Synod of Bishops, which took place in 1991, was an important and
providential step in this perspective. "Europe today", the Final
Declaration recalls, "must not simply appeal to its former Christian
heritage: it needs to be able to decide about Europe's future in
conformity with the person and message of Jesus Christ" (n. 2).
Europe is therefore called to a necessary work of courageous
self-evangelisation, a mission which the Church intends to provide in
the context of the changed social and political situations, which surely
favour a more fruitful encounter and "exchange of gifts"
between the ecclesial communities of East and West.
I sincerely hope and pray that the Lord may bless the efforts your group
has made up to now, and give an ever wider range to your activity, more
important than ever for the future of the continent.
5. Indeed, the CCEE is faced with sensitive tasks concerning the new
evangelisation of Europe: it is necessary to provide for the promotion of
an ever more intense communion among Dioceses and the national Episcopal
Conferences, for the growth in ecumenical cooperation among Christians and
the surmounting of the obstacles which threaten the future of peace and
the progress of peoples, for the strengthening of affective and effective
collegiality and of hierarchical "communion".
Dear brothers in the Episcopate, please allow me to offer you some
reflections which I hope will be useful for your work during this phase of
renewal and planning.
In the light of the positive experience of recent years, the CCEE, which
is a continental group, will be concerned with problems related to
the situation and duties of the Church in Europe. Although it is true
that, because of the demands of subsidiarity, each national
conference dedicates itself to what is its primary field of concern, just
as the Pastor of a given Diocese devotes himself to the service of the
portion of the Christian people entrusted to his care, it is, however,
easy to understand that it cannot limit its horizons to the boundaries of
the nation, since the situation always has a particular European aspect.
The CCEE's task is to analyse the problems from that perspective, assess
their supranational implications, and thus offer assistance to the
Episcopates of each region and the Pastors of the local Churches.
6. Knowing the European and everything that concerns him is
indispensable for fulfilling the salvific mission of the People of God on
the continent. However, such an up-to-date knowledge is equally important
so that the CCEE may present itself authoritatively to the various forms
of public opinion as the witness and spokesman of the Church's
incisive presence. The community of believers thus will be able to
make its voice heard in civic forums as well, the voice of a
harmonious community ready to proclaim the Gospel of hope and charity
to all.
From this point of view, dialogue with the other Christian confessions
united in the KEK is more opportune than ever. However, this cooperation
must be cultivated especially with a view to the progressive
re-establishment of complete unity among the Christians of the "old"
continent where the beginning of the divisions and the painful wounds took
place.
Thus, besides subsidiarity, the CCEE must have its action inspired by
solidarity in all its many aspects: solidarity among the Catholic
Episcopates, solidarity in the search for unity among Christians, and last
of all, solidarity with Europe, the continent on which different peoples
have set out together on the path of social, political and economic
understanding. Through the CCEE, the Church will seek to give the
continental community that "added soul", thereby strengthening
what could be called "the soul of Europe".
7. Dear and esteemed brothers in the Episcopate, how could one fail to
realize that all this is closely related to the historical turn of the
new millennium? An evangelising mission of great dimension is calling
us. We must rediscover and strengthen the Christian roots of the diverse
nations of the whole continent; we must help them find the Christian
leaven which has permeated the manifold expressions of its cultural
heritage and foster the presence of the Gospel ferment in Europe's "today"
and "tomorrow", especially in light of the unveiled attempts
to remove the faith and saving truth from every expression of public life.
Precisely in the perspective of this urgent need for evangelisation,
could we not think of a European "plan" in view of the coming
jubilee of the faith in the year 2000?
8. Solidarity, which must inspire the relations between the various
components of ecclesial and civil society, will not fail to urge the CCEE
to broaden its horizons and create contacts and understanding with the
Churches and peoples "beyond Europe" too. It is not simply a
question of organizational problems and ongoing relationships with similar
groups of other continents. The objective is much greater, and more
essential is the task which awaits it. In fact, it is a question of
highlighting the close solidarity between Europe and the countries of
Africa, Asia and the Americas, in whose regard the countries of the
European continent and its Churches deserve some credit, but also have
some debts to resolve. Growth in this awareness and helping to develop the
firm conviction that all are responsible for one another, especially for
the poor and least fortunate, will be your constant concern, thus
fulfilling the Gospel of charity and peace which the risen Lord proclaims
with power to the whole of humanity during this Easter season.
9. Let us turn, then, to Christ, who conquered death and sin,
in order to reaffirm our readiness to build with our self- offering that "spiritual
edifice" in which his justice and love reign.
Indeed, great is the awareness of our limitations, but equally powerful
is our certainty of his presence and his constant saving intervention.
The mission of believers, dear brothers in the Episcopate, is always and
everywhere directed to the future, towards the eschatological
future of which we are certain in the faith, and to the historical future,
of which we can be humanly unsure. Let us recall the first evangelisers of
the European continent, Saints Peter and Paul; St Benedict, the father of
Western monasticism, which had such an important role in the formation of
Christian Europe; let us think also of those who paved the way of the
Gospel for new peoples, such as Augustine, Boniface, or the saintly
brothers from Thessalonika, Cyril and Methodius. They were not sure of the
human success of their mission, or even of their own fate. Stronger than
every uncertainty was their faith, and firm was their hope; more powerful
was the love of Christ which "impelled" them (cf. 2 Cor 5:14).
In their apostolic zeal the active and sanctifying Spirit became
visible. Like them, we too are invited to be docile and effective
instruments of the Spirit's action in the age in which we live.
Let us ask this of Mary, the Star of Evangelisation, and entrust to her
the development of the new CCEE, serving the European continent and its
Christian future.
With these sentiments I thank you for the work you do these days and
express my fervent, fraternal Easter wishes to each of you. I add a
special Apostolic Blessing for you and the ecclesial communities entrusted
to your pastoral care.
3 - Message on the 50th Anniversary of the End of the Second World
War in Europe (8 May 1995): L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in
English, 17 May 1994, p. 1, 2, 3, 4.
1. Fifty years ago, on 8 May 1945, the Second World War ended in Europe.
The conclusion of that terrible calamity not only led people to hope for
the return of the prisoners, deportees and refugees; it also awakened a
desire to build a better Europe. The Continent could begin once more to
hope in a future of peace and democracy.
Half a century later, individuals, families and peoples still retain
memories of those six terrible years: memories of fear, violence, extreme
poverty, death; tragic experiences of painful separation, endured in the
absence of all security and freedom; recurring traumas brought about by
the incessant bloodshed.
2. It was not easy at the time to comprehend fully the many tragic
dimensions of the conflict. But the passage of time has brought an
increased awareness of the effect of that event on the 20th century and on
the future of the world. The Second World War was not only an historical
event of the first order; it also marked a turning-point for humanity in
our time. As the years go by, the memories of the War must not grow dim;
rather, they ought to become a stern lesson for our generation and for
generations yet to come.
What the War meant for Europe and for the world has come to be
understood over the past five decades, thanks to new information which has
made possible a better knowledge of the sufferings it caused. The tragic
experience of the years 1939-1945 today represents a kind of point of
reference necessary for all who wish to reflect on the present and on the
future of humanity.
In 1989, on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the War, I wrote: "Fifty
years later, it is our duty before God to remember these tragic events in
order to honour the dead and to share in the sorrow of all those whom this
outbreak of cruelty wounded in body and soul, while at the same time
forgiving the offences that were committed".
The memory of all that took place must be kept alive: this is our clear
duty. Six years ago, at the time of the anniversary just mentioned,
unprecedented social and political developments were taking shape in
Eastern Europe with the rapid fall of the Communist regimes. This was a
profound social upheaval which made it possible to put an end to certain
tragic consequences of the World War, the end of which, for many European
nations, had not in fact meant the beginning of a full enjoyment of peace
and democracy, as might have been expected on 9 May 1945. Indeed, some
peoples lost their power of self-determination and had been enclosed in
the constricting boundaries of an empire, while attempts were made to
destroy not only their religious traditions but also their historical
memory and the age-old roots of their culture. I wished to stress this in
my Encyclical Letter Centesimus annus. For those peoples, in a
certain sense, it was only in 1989 that the Second World War came to an
end. . . .
11. After 1945, wars unfortunately did not come to an end. Violence,
terrorism and armed attacks have continued to darken these last decades.
We have witnessed the so-called "Cold War", in which two
opposing blocs preserved a dangerous balance of power thanks to a
continual arms race. Even when this bilateral confrontation disappeared,
armed clashes did not come to an end.
Today too many conflicts are still raging in different parts of the
world. Public opinion, shaken by the horrible pictures which enter homes
each day via television, reacts emotionally but all too quickly grows
accustomed to these conflicts and comes to accept their inevitability.
Besides being unjust, this attitude is extremely dangerous. We must never
forget what happened in the past and what is still happening today. These
are tragedies which affect countless innocent victims, whose cries of
terror and suffering are a challenge to the consciences of all decent men
and women. We cannot and must not yield to the logic of arms!
The Holy See, in addition to being a signatory of the major
International Treaties and Conventions, has tirelessly sought to remind
the international community of the urgent need to strengthen guidelines
for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and for the elimination of
chemical and biological weapons, especially those which are especially
deadly and which strike indiscriminately. The Holy See has also recently
invited public opinion to become more aware of the continuing phenomenon
of the arms trade, a grave matter urgently calling for serious
ethical reflection. Nor should it be overlooked that not only the
militarization of States but also the easy access to arms enjoyed by
private individuals or groups, which favours the spread of organized crime
and terrorism, represents an unpredictable and constant threat to peace.
12. War never again! Yes to peace! These were the sentiments commonly
expressed after the historic date of 8 May 1945. The six horrible years of
conflict provided everyone with an opportunity to grow in the school of
suffering. Christians too were able to draw closer together and question
their own responsibilities for their disunity. They also discovered anew
the solidarity of a destiny which they share in common and with all men
and women of whatever nation. An event which marked the depths of strife
and division between peoples and individuals thus proved for Christians a
providential opportunity to become aware of their profound
communion in suffering and in bearing witness. Beneath the Cross of
Christ, members of all the Churches and Christian communities were able to
resist even unto the supreme sacrifice. Many of them, with the peaceful
weapons of witness in suffering and of love, stood up in an exemplary way
to their torturers and oppressors. Together with others believers
and non-believers, men and women of every race, religion and nation
they held aloft very clearly, above the mounting wave of violence, a
message of brotherhood and forgiveness.
On this anniversary, how can we fail to remember those Christians who,
bearing witness in the face of evil, prayed for their oppressors and bent
down to bind the wounds of all? By sharing in suffering, they saw one
another as brothers and sisters, and fully experienced the
unreasonableness of their divisions. Shared suffering made them feel ever
more deeply both the weight of the divisions still existing among Christ's
followers and the negative consequences which these divisions entail for
the building of Europe's spiritual, cultural and political identity. Their
experience serves as a warning for us: we need to continue along this
path, praying and working with fervent confidence and generosity, in
expectation of the fast-approaching Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. May
Christians set out towards that goal on a pilgrimage of penance and
reconciliation, in the hope of being able at last to restore full
communion between all believers in Christ, a step which will assuredly
benefit the cause of peace.
13. The wave of suffering with which the War engulfed the earth has
impelledbelievers belonging to all religions to put their
spiritual resources at the service of peace. Every religion, albeit in
historically different ways, has had this singular experience in these
past five decades. The world can bear witness that, after the enormous
tragedy of the War, something new was born in the hearts of members of the
different religious denominations: they feel more responsible for peace on
earth and they have begun to co-operate with one another. The World Day of
Prayer for Peace held in Assisi on 27 October 1986 publicly ratified this
attitude born of suffering. Assisi revealed "the intrinsic link
between an authentic religious attitude and the great good of peace".19
In the subsequent Days of Prayer for Peace in the Balkans (held in Assisi
on 9-10 January 1993 and in St Peter's Basilica on 23 January 1994),
particular attention was given to the specific contribution asked of
believers for the fostering of peace through the weapons of prayer and
penance.
The world as it travels toward the end of the second millennium expects
from believers more resolute action on behalf of peace. As I said to the
representatives of the Christian Churches and major religions assembled in
Warsaw in 1989 for the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the war: "From
the heart of our various religious traditions flows the testimony of
compassionate sharing in the sorrows of mankind, of respect for the
sacredness of life. This is a great spiritual force which makes us more
confident for the future of humanity". Even after 50 years, the
unfortunate events of the Second World War still make us acutely aware of
the need to unleash these spiritual energies with rekindled power and
commitment.
In this regard we need to recall that it was precisely the terrible
experience of the War which led to the birth of the United Nations
Organization, which Pope John XXIII of venerable memory considered a sign
of our times for the "maintenance and consolidation of peace among
peoples". From the cruel contempt for people's dignity and rights
there was also born the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The
50th anniversary of the United Nations, being celebrated this year, should
be an occasion for consolidating the international community's commitment
to the service of peace. For this to happen, the United Nations
Organization will have to be granted the instruments which it needs in
order to carry out its mission effectively.
14. During these days, in many parts of Europe, celebrations and
commemorations are taking place in the presence of civil authorities and
leaders from every community and country. As I join in this commemoration
of the sacrifice made by the many victims of the war, I wish to invite all
men and women of good will to reflect seriously on the connection that
must exist between the memory of that terrible world conflict and the aims
which should inspire national and international policies. In particular,
it will be necessary to ensure effective means of controlling the
international arms market and to make joint efforts to set up adequate
structures for intervention in case of crises, in order to persuade
all those involved to prefer negotiations to violent confrontation. Sadly,
while we are celebrating the return of peace, is it not a fact that there
are people who continue to prepare for war, both by promoting a culture of
hatred and by distributing sophisticated weapons of war? In Europe, is it
not a fact that painful conflicts which have gone on for years still await
peaceful solutions? Unfortunately, this 8 May 1995 is not a day of peace
for some areas of Europe! I am thinking especially of the tormented lands
of the Balkans and the Caucasus, where arms are still roaring and human
blood continues to be shed.
Twenty years after the end of the Second World War, in 1965, Pope Paul
VI, addressing the United Nations Organization, asked: "Will the
world ever come to change the selfish and bellicose outlook that has spun
out such a great part of its history up to now?" This question still
awaits a response. May the memory of the Second World War rekindle in all
according to their possibilities a resolve to work for a
firm political commitment to peace in Europe and in the entire world.
15. My thoughts now turn to the young people who have had no personal
experience of the horrors of that War. To them I say: dear young people, I
have great confidence in your ability to be authentic witnesses to the
Gospel. Make a personal commitment to serve life and peace. The victims,
the combatants and the martyrs of the Second World War were for the most
part young people like you. For this reason I ask you, the young people of
the 21st century, to be particularly alert to the signs that the culture
of hatred and death is growing. Reject sterile and violent ideologies.
Renounce every form of extreme nationalism and intolerance. It is along
these paths that the temptation to violence and war slowly but surely
appears.
You have been given the mission of opening new paths to fraternity among
peoples, building a single human family, and coming to understand more
deeply the "law of reciprocity in giving and receiving, of
self-giving and of the acceptance of others". This is demanded by the
moral law written by the Creator in the heart of every person, a law
confirmed by God in the Revelation of the Old Testament and then brought
to perfection by Jesus in the Gospel: "You shall love your neighbour
as yourself" (Lv 19:18; Mk 12:31); "Just as I
have loved you, you also should love one another" (Jn 13:34).
A civilization of love and truth can only be built if openness to others
extends to the relations between peoples, nations and cultures. May this
appeal resound in the heart of everyone: Love other peoples as you
love your own! The path of humanity's future is that of unity; and
authentic unity so the Gospel proclaims is found through
Jesus Christ, our reconciliation and our peace (cf. Eph 2:14-18).
16. "And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has
led you these 40 years in the wilderness, that he might humble you,
testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his
commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you
with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he
might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man
lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord" (Dt
8:2-3).
We have not yet entered the "promised land" of peace. The
memory of the painful journey of the War and of the difficult journey of
the second post-war period is a constant reminder of this. This journey,
in the dark days of the war, in the trying post-war years, and in our own
uncertain and problematic times, has often shown that in human hearts,
including those of believers, there is a strong temptation to hate, to
despise others and to deceive them. But on this same journey the Lord has
not failed to help us; he has brought about attitudes of love,
understanding and peace, and a sincere desire for reconciliation and
unity. As believers, we know that man lives by everything that comes from
the mouth of the Lord. We also know that peace takes root in the hearts of
all who open themselves to God. Remembering the Second World War and the
subsequent post-war decades cannot fail to evoke in Christians the desire
for a new heart, capable of respecting man and of promoting his true
dignity.
This is the basis of true hope for peace in the world. As Zechariah
prophesied: "The day shall dawn upon us, to give light to those who
sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way
of peace" (Lk 1:78-79). In this Easter season, which
celebrates Christ's victory over sin, the source of division, grief and
injustice, let us repeat the prayer with which my venerable Predecessor
Pope John XXIII closed his Encyclical Letter Pacem in terris: "May
the Lord enlighten the minds of rulers, so that, besides caring for the
proper material welfare of their peoples, they may also guarantee them the
great gift of peace. Finally, may Christ inflame the desires of all to
break through the barriers which divide them, to strengthen the bonds of
mutual love, to learn to understand one another, and to pardon those who
have done them wrong. Through his power and inspiration may all peoples
become as brothers, and may the peace they long for ever flourish and ever
reign among them".
May Mary, the Mediatrix of grace, ever watchful and concerned for all
her children, obtain for all humanity the precious gift of harmony and
peace.
4 - Homily at a Mass Celebrated at Senne Military Airport,
Paderborn, Germany (22 June 1996); L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly
Edition in English, 3 July 1996, p. 3, 9.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, ...
3....Our own century too has a rich martyrology (cf. Apostolic Letter
Tertio millenio adveniente, n. 37). Let us make sure that all
these testimonies of true greatness of spirit and holiness are not
forgotten.
A martyrology is not just a record of facts. It is an
exhortation. Martyrdom in our century too is an exhortation. Was not
the work of the Second Vatican Council a result of this? And the World Day
of Prayer for Peace? And the many apostolic initiatives, such as the World
Youth Days?
Through martyrdom, which represents the experiences of our
century, the Church has gained a better understanding of herself and
of her duty to the world....
6. Dear brothers and sisters, the "one hope" and the "unity
of the Spirit" unite us in the Catholic, that is, universal Church.
In this place of great importance for ecumenism, not the least because of
the commitment of the memorable Cardinal Jaeger, I again call all
Christians to unity! Especially in view of the Holy Year 2000, the Church
prays insistently to the Holy Spirit, beseeching him for the grace of the
unity of all Christians (cf. Tertio millennio adveniente, n.
34)....
7. Dear brothers and sisters, 1989 radically changed the world. The one
world is simultaneously increasing in speed and growing smaller. We should
welcome this process, because it offers countless persons new prospects in
life. But this joint growth of the North, South, East and West must assume
a form that is worthy of man. It must not give birth to a world that might
again be characterized as a "radically capitalist ideology" (Centesimus
annus, n. 42). The world hopes for a relationship between nations and
States that respects the basic rights of all men and that fosters their
development. For the rich countries especially this means learning to
share, and not just helping peoples in need, but also welcoming them and
accepting them as partners. This inevitable transformation must and can be
achieved through solidarity and justice....
8. ... The same holds for the unity of Europe, which cannot depend
solely on a commonality of material interests. It is based on agreement
regarding fundamental goals and moral concepts, on a common cultural
heritage and, last but not least, on solidarity of mind and heart. Without
the Christian faith Europe would have no soul. We Christians are called to
foster the spirit which will unite and shape the Europe of the future.
This is a great challenge and a great responsibility, which we seriously
wish to and must assume above and beyond borders...
5 - Sunday Angelus, Berlin (23 June 1996): L'Osservatore
Romano: Weekly Edition in English, 26 June 1996, p. 3.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. At the close of this liturgy I would like to thank you cordially once
again for this impressive celebration of the beatification of Karl Leisner
and Bernhard Lichtenberg. The history and symbolic nature of this city
invite us to be aware of the responsibility which they and we have,
whether opportune or inopportune. We must courageously call right and
wrong, justice and injustice, humaneness and inhumaneness by name and
openly and decisively stand up for freedom, solidarity and human dignity.
2. From this famous city, which in a very special way has experienced
the fate of European history in this century, I would like to announce to
the whole Church my intention to convoke a Second Special Assembly for
Europe of the Synod of Bishops. Together with similar Synod assemblies
in other parts of the world, it is to support preparations for the Great
Jubilee of the Year 2000 (cf. Tertio millennio adveniente, n. 38)
Following the well-known events of 1989 and the new conditions after the
fall of the wall which had been built in this very city, it appeared that
a reflection on the part of representatives of the continent's Episcopal
Conferences was necessary. This task was carried out by the Special
Assembly in 1991. Further developments in the succeeding five years in
Europe suggested a new meeting with representatives of the European
Bishops for the purpose of a thorough examination of the situation of the
Church in view of the coming Jubilee. This must be done in such a way that
the immense spiritual reserves of this continent can fully develop in all
areas, and conditions can be created for an era of true rebirth at the
religious, economic and social levels. This will be the result of a new
proclamation of the Gospel.
3. I invite everyone, from this moment on, to ask for the heavenly
intercession of the patrons of Europe, St Benedict and the brother saints,
Cyril and Methodius. Starting from their respective Western and Eastern
traditions they will be able to make a fundamental contribution to the
cultural and spiritual unity of this continent.
We would like also to entrust the coming Synod assembly to all the
saints and blesseds of the old continent, and in a special way to the
motherly protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who enjoys such great
devotion among all the peoples of Europe. May she, who by her "fiat"
was the first to receive the incarnate Word and gave him to all humanity,
accompany and support our journey to its historic goal of the beginning of
the third Christian millennium.
6- Sunday Regina Caeli, Sarajevo (13 April 1997); L'Osservatore
Romano: Weekly Edition in English, 16 April 1997, p. 4.
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
1. At the end of this solemn concelebration, while throughout the world
in accordance with an ancient and beautiful tradition a hymn of praise is
raised to the Mother of God with the Regina Caeli, my thoughts
turn in prayer to the entire region in which there live, together with
other peoples, the Southern Slavs. A significant trait links the
Christians of these lands: their profound devotion and great love for
the Mother of God.
With intense gratitude to God I remember the visits that I have been
able to make to Albania, in April 1993, to Croatia, in
September 1994, and to Slovenia, in May of last year. As my stay
in Sarajevo and in Bosnia-Hercegovina draws to a close, I wish to send a
cordial greeting to the people of the neighbouring Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia, whom I long to visit and whom I accompany in solidarity,
and in prayer, in their difficulties and their hopes. My good wishes go
also to the people of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, upon
whom I invoke from the Lord peace and prosperity.
2. As in every other part of the world, so too in this region the Holy
See promotes respect of the equal dignity of peoples and of their right to
choose freely their own future. At the same time, the Holy See works to
safeguard every possible occasion of mutual solidarity in a climate of
peaceful civil coexistence.
This requires the courage of far-sightedness and the patience of
small steps, in order that the spirit of frank and constructive
understanding may flourish until it bears abundant fruit. A climate of
peace and mutual respect is the only way to combat most effectively
unbridled nationalism, the cause of so much sorrow and so much past and
present destruction.
These lands, in which East and West have most intensely experienced the
difficulty of dialogue and mutual co-operation, have become the symbol of
our century filled with bitterness but also rich with promise for the
whole of Europe.
3. From Sarajevo, the city symbolizing this 20th century as it draws to
a close, may all the peoples of Europe hear the call for a united
commitment on the path to peace! May the new millennium now at our
doorstep open with a determined resolve to build an era of social growth
in harmony, with the contribution of the particular gifts with which each
nation, in the course of its history, has been enriched by God, the Lord
and Father of all peoples!
This is the heartfelt hope which along with you I confidently entrust to
Mary, Queen of Peace, invoking her with the traditional prayer of the
Easter season.
7- Homily at the Liturgy Commemorating the Millennium of the
Martyrdom of St. Adalbert (3 June 1997); L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly
Edition in English, 11 June 1997, pp. 1, 4.
1. Veni, Creator Spiritus! Today we are at the tomb of St
Adalbert in Gniezno. We are thus at the centre of the Millennium of
Adalbert. A month ago I began this journey in honour of St Adalbert in
Prague and in Libice, in the Diocese of Hradec Králové,
whence he came. And today we are in Gniezno, at the place it can be said
where he ended his earthly pilgrimage. I give thanks to the Triune God
that at the end of this Millennium I have been granted the opportunity to
pray once again before the relics of St Adalbert, which are one of our
greatest national treasures.
We are here to follow the spiritual journey of St Adalbert, which in
a sense begins in the Upper Room. Today's liturgy leads us precisely
to the Upper Room, to which the Apostles returned from the Mount of Olives
after Christ's Ascension into heaven. For 40 days after the Resurrection
he appeared to them and spoke to them about the kingdom of heaven. He told
them not to leave Jerusalem but to await the promise of the Father: "which,
he said, "you heard from me. John baptized with water, but before
many days ... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
Samaria and to the end of the earth'" (Acts 1: 4, 8).
The Apostles thus receive the missionary mandate. By virtue of the words
of the risen Lord they must go into all the world to teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit (cf. Mt 28: 14-20). But for now they return to the Upper
Room and remain in prayer, awaiting the fulfilment of the promise. On the
10th day, the feast of Pentecost, Christ sent them the Holy Spirit, who
transformed their hearts. They were made strong and ready to assume the
missionary mandate. And so they began the work of evangelisation.
The Church continues this work. The successors of the Apostles
continue to go forth into all the world to make disciples of all nations.
Towards the end of the first millennium, there first set foot on Polish
soil the sons of various nations which had already become Christian,
especially the nations bordering Poland. Among them a central place
belongs to St Adalbert, who came to Poland from neighbouring and
closely-related Bohemia. He was at the origin, in a certain sense, of the
Church's second beginning in the lands of the Piasts. The baptism of the
nation in 966, at the time of Mieszko I, was confirmed by the blood of the
martyr. And not only this: with him Poland became part of the family
of European countries. Before the relics of St Adalbert, the Emperor
Otto III and Boleslaw the Brave met in the presence of a legate of the
Pope. This meeting was of great historical significance the Congress of
Gniezno. Obviously it had political significance, but ecclesial
significance as well. At the tomb of St Adalbert, the first Polish
metropolitan see was announced by Pope Silvester II: Gniezno, to which the
episcopal sees of Kraków, Wroclaw and Kolobrzeg were joined.
2. The seed which dies bears much fruit (cf. Jn 12: 24). These
words of the Gospel of John, spoken one day by Christ to the Apostles, are
singularly applicable to Adalbert. By his death, he bore the supreme
witness. "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his
life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (Jn 12:
25). St Adalbert also bore witness to the apostolic service. For Christ
says: "If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there
shall my servant be also; if anyone serves me, the Father will honour him"
(Jn 12: 26). Adalbert followed Christ. He made a long journey
which took him from his native Libice to Prague, and from Prague to Rome.
Then, after facing resistance from his fellow countrymen in Prague, he
left as a missionary for the Pannonian Plain and from there, through the
Moravian Gate to Gniezno and the Baltic. His mission in a sense was the
crowning point of the evangelisation of the lands of the Piasts. And this
was precisely because Adalbert bore witness to Christ by undergoing a
martyr's death. Boleslaw the Brave ransomed the body of the martyr and had
it brought here, to Gniezno.
In him the words of Christ were fulfilled. Above love of earthly life
Adalbert had placed love of the Son of God. He followed Christ as a
faithful and generous servant, bearing witness to him at the cost of his
own life. And the Father honoured him indeed. The People of God surrounded
him on earth with the veneration reserved to a saint, in the conviction
that a martyr of Christ in heaven is surrounded with glory by the Father.
"The grain of wheat which dies, bears much fruit" (cf. Jn
12: 24). How literally were these words fulfilled in the life and death of
St Adalbert! His death by martyrdom, mingled with the blood of other
Polish martyrs, is at the foundation of the Polish Church and the Polish
State itself in the lands of the Piasts. The shedding of the blood of
Adalbert continues to bear ever fresh spiritual fruit. All Poland,
from its origins as a State and throughout the centuries that followed,
has continued to draw upon it. The Congress of Gniezno opened to Poland
the path of unity with the whole family of the states of Europe. On the
threshold of the second millennium the Polish nation acquired the right to
take part, on a par with other nations, in the formation of a new face of
Europe. St Adalbert is thus a great patron of our continent, then in the
process of unification in the name of Christ. Both by his life and his
death, the holy martyr laid the foundations of Europe's identity and
unity. Many times have I walked in these historic footsteps, at the time
of the Millennium of the Baptism of Poland, coming from Kraków to
Gniezno with the relics of St Stanislaus, and I thank divine Providence
that today I am able to make this journey once more.
We thank you, St Adalbert, for having brought us together today here in
such great numbers. Among us are distinguished guests. I think first of
the Presidents of the countries linked to the person of Vojtech-Adalbert.
For their presence here I thank President Kwasniewski of Poland, President
Havel of the Czech Republic, President Brazauskas of Lithuania, President
Herzog of Germany, President Kovac of the Slovak Republic, President
Kuczma of Ukraine, and President Göncz of Hungary.
Your Excellencies: your presence here in Gniezno today has a particular
significance for the whole continent of Europe. As was the case 1,000
years ago, so too today, such a presence testifies to the desire for
peaceful coexistence and the building of a new Europe, united by bonds of
solidarity. I ask you kindly to convey my cordial greetings to the nations
which you represent.
I express my gratitude also to the Cardinals who have come from the
Eternal City, beginning with the Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo
Sodano, and the Cardinals of the countries linked to the figure of St
Adalbert, led by Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, the successor of St Adalbert in
the episcopal see of Prague. I am pleased that among us are Cardinals from
distant parts of the world, from America to Australia. I cordially greet
and thank for their presence the Polish Cardinals, with the Cardinal
Primate at their head, and the Archbishops and Bishops. I thank also the
Orthodox Bishops and the heads of the Communities of the Reformation, as
well as the leaders of other Ecclesial Communities. I address a cordial
word of greeting to Archbishop Muzynski, Metropolitan of Gniezno, and to
you, dear brothers and sisters, who have come from all over Poland for
this meeting.
3. Deeply impressed upon my memory is the meeting in Gniezno in June
1979, when, for the first time, the Pope, a native of Kraków, was
able to celebrate the Eucharist on the Hill of Lech, in the presence of
the unforgettable Primate of the Millennium, the whole Polish Episcopate
and many pilgrims not only from Poland but also from the neighbouring
countries. Today, 18 years later, we should return to that homily in
Gniezno, which in a certain sense became the programme of my pontificate.
But first of all it was a humble reading of God's plans, linked with the
final 25 years of our millennium. I said then: "Is it not
Christ's will, is it not what the Holy Spirit disposes, that this Polish
Pope, this Slav Pope, should at this precise moment manifest the spiritual
unity of Christian Europe? We know that the Christian unity of Europe is
made up of two great traditions, of the West and of the East.... Yes,
it is Christ's will, it is what the Holy Spirit disposes, that what I am
saying should be said in this very place and at this moment in Gniezno"
(Homily at the Cathedral of Gniezno, 3 June 1979).
From this place there flowed forth at that time the power and strength
of the Holy Spirit. Here reflection on the new evangelisation began to
take shape in concrete terms. In the meantime great transformations took
place, new possibilities arose, other people appeared on the scene. The
wall which divided Europe collapsed. Fifty years after the Second World
War began, its effects ceased to ravage the face of our continent. A half
century of separation ended, for which millions of people living in
Central and Eastern Europe had paid a terrible price. And so here, at
the tomb of St Adalbert, today I give thanks to almighty God for the great
gift of freedom granted to the nations of Europe, and I do so in the
words of the Psalmist: "Then they said among the nations, "The
Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for
us; and we are glad" (Ps 126: 2-3).
4. Dear brothers and sisters, after so many years I repeat the same
message: a new openness is needed. For we have seen, at times in a very
painful way, that the recovery of the right to self- determination and the
growth of political and economic freedom is not sufficient to rebuild
European unity. How can we not mention here the tragedy of the nations of
the former Yugoslavia, the drama experienced by the Albanian people and
the enormous burdens felt by all the societies which have regained their
freedom and with great effort are liberating themselves from the yoke of
the communist totalitarian system?
Can we not say that after the collapse of one wall, the visible one,
another, invisible wall was discovered, one that continues to divide our
continent the wall that exists in people's hearts? It is a wall made out
of fear and aggressiveness, of lack of understanding for people of
different origins, different colour, different religious convictions; it
is the wall of political and economic selfishness, of the weakening of
sensitivity to the value of human life and the dignity of every human
being. Even the undeniable achievements of recent years in the economic,
political and social fields do not hide the fact that this wall exists. It
casts its shadow over all of Europe. The goal of the authentic unity of
the European continent is still distant. There will be no European
unity until it is based on unity of the spirit. This most profound
basis of unity was brought to Europe and consolidated down the centuries
by Christianity with its Gospel, with its understanding of man and with
its contribution to the development of the history of peoples and nations.
This does not signify a desire to appropriate history. For the history of
Europe is a great river into which many tributaries flow, and the variety
of traditions and cultures which shape it is its great treasure. The
foundations of the identity of Europe are built on Christianity. And its
present lack of spiritual unity arises principally from the crisis of this
Christian self-awareness.
5. Brothers and sisters, it was Jesus Christ, "the same yesterday
and today and for ever" (cf. Heb 13: 8) who revealed to man
his dignity! He is the guarantee of this dignity! It was the patrons of
Europe St Benedict and Sts Cyril and Methodius who grafted on to European
culture the truth about God and about man. It was the ranks of missionary
saints, recalled to us today by St Adalbert, Bishop and Martyr, who
brought to the peoples of Europe the teaching about love of neighbour,
even love of enemies a teaching confirmed by the gift of their lives for
the sake of others. This Good News, the Gospel, has sustained our brothers
and sisters in Europe over the course of the centuries, down to the
present day. This message was repeated by the walls of churches, abbeys,
hospitals and universities. It was proclaimed by books, sculpture and
painting, by poetry and musical compositions. Upon the Gospel were laid
the foundations of Europe's spiritual unity.
From the tomb of St Adalbert, then, I ask: are we allowed to reject
the law of Christian life, which states that abundant fruit is borne
only by those who offer their lives for the love of God and of their
brothers and sisters, like a seed cast upon the ground? Here, from
this place I repeat the cry which I made at the beginning of my
pontificate: Open the doors to Christ! In the name of respect for
human rights, in the name of liberty, equality and fraternity, in the name
of solidarity among mankind and in the name of love, I cry out: Do not
be afraid! Open the doors to Christ! Without Christ it is
impossible to understand man. For this reason, the wall which today is
raised in people's hearts, the wall which divides Europe, will not be torn
down without a return to the Gospel. For without Christ it is impossible
to build lasting unity. It cannot be done by separating oneself from the
roots from which the nations and cultures of Europe have grown, and from
the great wealth of the spiritual culture of past centuries. How can a "common
house" for all of Europe be built, if it is not built with the bricks
of men's consciences, baked in the fire of the Gospel, united by the bond
of a fraternal social love, the fruit of the love of God? This was the
reality for which St Adalbert strove, and for this future he gave his
life. He reminds us today that a new society cannot be built without a
renewed humanity, which is society's firmest foundation.
6. On the threshold of the third millennium the witness of St Adalbert
is ever present in the Church and constantly bearing fruit. We need to
take up with fresh vigour his work of evangelisation. Let us help
those who have forgotten Christ and his teaching to discover him anew.
This will happen when ranks of faithful witnesses to the Gospel begin once
more to traverse our continent; when works of architecture, literature and
art show in a convincing way to the people of our time the One who is "the
same yesterday and today and for ever"; when in the Church's
celebration of the liturgy people see how beautiful it is to give glory to
God; when they discern in our lives a witness of Christian mercy, heroic
love and holiness.
Dear brothers and sisters, what an extraordinary hour of history we
have been granted to live in! What important tasks Christ has
entrusted to us! He is calling each of us to prepare the new springtime of
the Church. He wishes the Church ever the same from the time of the
Apostles and of St Adalbert to enter the new millennium full of freshness,
overflowing with new life and evangelical zeal. In 1949 the Primate of the
Millennium exclaimed: "Here, at the tomb of St Adalbert, we will
light torches which will proclaim to our land the "light for
revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people' (Lk 2:
32)" (Pastoral Letter upon Entering the See). Today we raise
this cry anew, imploring the light and fire of the Holy Spirit to kindle
our torches and make us heralds of the Gospel to the farthest limits of
the earth.
7. St Adalbert is always with us. He has remained in Gniezno of the
Piasts and in the universal Church, surrounded by the glory of martyrdom.
And from the perspective of the millennium he seems to speak to us today
with the words of St Paul: "Only let your manner of life be
worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am
absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind
striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel, and not frightened in
anything by your opponent " (Phil 1: 27-28). Yes, in one
spirit, striving side by side for the faith.
Today we re-read once more, after 1,000 years, this testament of Paul
and Adalbert. We ask that their words may be fulfilled in our own
generation too. For in Christ we have been granted the grace not only to
believe in him but also to suffer for his sake, since we too have
sustained the conflict of which Adalbert has left us his witness (cf. Phil
1: 29-30).
We entrust ourselves to St Adalbert, asking him to intercede for us, as
the Church and Europe prepare for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.
And we invoke the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom and fortitude:Veni,
Creator Spiritus! Amen.
8) Sunday Angelus (15 February 1998); L'Osservatore
Romano: Weekly Edition in English, 18 February 1998, p. 1.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. Yesterday we celebrated the feast of Sts Cyril and Methodius.
These two ninth-century Greek brothers from Thessalonika, formed at
the school of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, were dedicated to the
evangelisation of the peoples of Greater Moravia in the middle Danube
region.
Cyril and Methodius carried out their missionary service in union with
the Church of Constantinople and with the See of Peter's Successor,
thereby showing the unity of the Church which at that time had not yet
been wounded by the division between East and West.
I would like to entrust to the intercession of these two saints the
longing for full unity among all believers in Christ especially in view of
the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. The need to make every possible effort
to continue the ecumenical dialogue was strongly emphasized at the meeting
a few days ago of the Central Committee for the Jubilee with the delegates
of the Episcopal Conferences. May God hasten our steps towards complete
reconciliation, so that the dawn of the third millennium can see
Christians, if not fully united, at least closer to this goal.
2. The feast of Sts Cyril and Methodius also gives me the opportunity to
remind Christians and all people of goodwill on our continent of what we
could call the European challenge, that is, the need to build a Europe
which is deeply mindful of its own history, seriously committed to
seeing that human rights are put into practice, united with the
peoples of the other continents in promoting peace and development on
a global scale.
However these lofty objectives cannot be pursued without a deep
and constant spiritual motivation, which the citizens and nations of
Europe can draw from the rich cultural heritage they share, in fruitful
dialogue with other great currents of thought, as they have always done
during the best moments of their 2,000-year-old civilization.
Therefore, celebrating these eminent apostles of Europe means renewing
our commitment to the new evangelisation of the continent, so
that, in the historical transition from the second to the third
millennium, its Christian roots will receive new nourishment for the
benefit of all European peoples, their culture and their peaceful
coexistence.
3. Through the intercession of Mary most holy, as deeply beloved and
venerated in the East as in the West, may today's Christians harmoniously
co-operate in the new evangelisation and may all the nations of Europe
come together in a common house, each making its own contribution and
putting it at the service of all.
INDEX
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
PART I - EUROPE TOWARDS THE THIRD MILLENNIUM
Discerning the Spirits
Contradictory Signs and Delusions
Examination of Conscience
PART II - THE LIVING JESUS CHRIST IN THE CHURCH
Mystery
The Lord's Presence
Presence in History
Communion
Communion with God and Humanity
Communion and Hope
Mission
A Widespread Task
Ecumenism and Mission
PART III - JESUS CHRIST THE SOURCE OF HOPE
Leitourgia
Gift of God and Human Spirituality
The Demand for Spirituality
Martyria
The Witness of Human Existence
Freedom and Truth
Diakonia
Service
Hope
CONCLUSION
Theological Hope
Spes Nostra, Salve
QUESTIONS
SELECTIONS
1. Address to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe
(1 December 1992)
2. Address to the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (16
April 1993)
3. Message on the 50th Anniversary of the End of the Second World
War in Europe (8 May 1995)
4. Homily at a Mass celebrated at Senne Military Airport (22 June
1996)
5. Sunday Angelus, Berlin (23 June 1996)
6. Sunday Regina Caeli, Sarajevo (13 April 1997)
7. Homily at the Liturgy Commemorating the Millennium of the
Martyrdom of St. Adalbert (3 June 1997)
INDEX
ENDNOTES
(1) SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 1.
(2) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente
(10 November 1994), 21: AAS 87 (1995) 17.
(3) JOHN PAUL II, Talk at the Angelus Prayer, 23 June 1996,
Berlin (Germany), 2: L'Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English,
26 June 1996, p. 3.
(4) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Talk at the Regina Caeli Prayer, 22 April
1990, Velehrad (Czechoslovakia), 2: L'Osservatore Romano, Weekly
Edition in English, 23 April, 1990, p. 1.
(5) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente
(10 November 1994), 27: AAS 87 (1995) 22.
(6) JOHN PAUL II, Discourse at the Opening of the Consultation
Meeting in preparation for the Special Assembly for Europe, 5-7 June
1990, Vatican City: L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in English,
11 June 1990, pp. 1, 6.
(7) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente
(10 November 1994), 21: AAS 87 (1995) 17.
(8) Cf. Ibid., 18: AAS 87 (1995) 16; ibid., 45:
AAS 87 (1994) 34.
(9) Ibid., 46: AAS 87 (1994) 34.
(10) JOHN PAUL II, Homily at the Liturgy Commemorating the
Millennium of the Martyrdom of St. Adalbert, Gniezno (Poland), 3 June
1997: L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in English, 11 June
1997, p. 4.
(11) Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Decree on Ecumenism
Unitatis redintegratio, 2.
(12) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente,
(10 November 1994), 27: AAS 87 (1995) 22.
(13) Cf. Ibid., 33-37: AAS 87 (1995) 25-30.
(14) Cf. Ibid., 35: AAS 87 (1995) 27.
(15) Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Declaration on Religious
Freedom Dignitatis Humanae, 1.
(16) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente
(10 November 1994), 36: AAS 87 (1995) 27-29.
(17) Cf. Ibid., 23: AAS 87 (1995) 19.
(18) SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church Lumen gentium, 50.
(19) SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 11.
(20) JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor hominis (4 March
1979), 13: AAS 71 (1979) 282-284; ibid., 15; AAS
71 (1979) 286-289.
(21) Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church Lumen gentium, 1.
(22) Cf. FIRST SPECIAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS FOR EUROPE
(1991), Declaratio: Ut Testes simus Christi qui nos liberavit, 5,
6, 10.
(23) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente
(10 November 1994), 21: AAS 87 (1995) 17.
(24) JOHN PAUL II, Homily at the Liturgy Celebrated for the
Millennium of the Martyrdom of St. Adelbert, Gniezno (Poland), 6; L'Osservatore
Romano: Weekly Edition in English, 11 June 1997, p. 4.
(25) JOHN PAUL II, Homily during the IV Symposium of European
Bishops, 20 June 1979, 4: L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in
English, 2 July 1979, p. 10.
(26) JOHN PAUL II, Address during the V Symposium of European
Bishops, 5 October 1982, 4; L'Osservatore Romano: Italian Daily
Edition 7 October 1982, p. 2.
(27) JOHN PAUL II, Homily at the Conclusion of the Church Unity
Octave, 25 January 1991, 4: L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition
in English, p. 4.
(28) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Letter to Cardinal Carlo Maria MARTINI,
President of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences on the occasion
of the IV European Ecumenical Meeting at Erfurt (29 September 1988),
in "Europa: Un Magistero tra storia e profezia", a cura di M.
Spezzibottiani, 1991, p. 292-294.
(29) Ibid.
(30) Cf. SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 10.
(31) JOHN PAUL II, Discourse to Participants of the Seventh
Symposium of the Bishops of Europe, 17 October 1989, 4: L'Osservatore
Romano: Weekly Edition in English, 27 November 1989, p. 5.
(32) JOHN PAUL II, Discourse to the Council of Episcopal Conferences
of Europe, 19 December 1978, 2: L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly
Edition in English, 1 January 1979, p. 10-11.
(33) JOHN PAUL II, Declaration to Europe, Santiago de Compostela
(Spain), 9 November 1982, 2: L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in
English, 29 November 1982, p. 6.
(34) JOHN PAUL II, Discourse to the Diplomatic Corps to the Holy See,
13 January 1990, 5; L'Osservatore Romano: Weekly Edition in English,
29 January 1990, p. 1.
(35) Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis splendor (6
August 1993) 13, 84-87: AAS 85 (1993) 1200-1203.
(36) JOHN PAUL II, Homily at the Close of the 46th Eucharistic
Congress, 1 June 1997, Wroclaw (Poland), 5; L'Osservatore Romano:
Weekly Edition in English, 4 June 1997, p. 2.
(37) Ibid.
(38) Ibid.
(39) Ibid.
(40) SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 10.
(41) THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 2090.
(42) JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente
10 November 1994), 27: AAS 87 (1995) 22.
(43) DANTE ALIGHERI, The Divine Comedy: Paradise, Canto XXXIII,
12.