Address of the Holy
Father Pope Francis
By Pope Francis
Mr President and Vice
Presidents,
Members of the European Parliament,
All associated with the work of this Institution, Dear Friends,
I thank you for inviting
me to address this institution which is fundamental to the life of the European
Union, and for giving me this opportunity to speak, through you, to the more
than five-hundred million citizens whom you represent in the twenty-eight
Member States. I am especially grateful to you, Mr. President, for your warm
words of welcome in the name of the entire assembly.
My visit comes more than
a quarter of a century after that of Pope John Paul II. Since then, much has
changed throughout Europe and the world as a whole. The opposing blocs which
then divided the continent in two no longer exist, and gradually the hope is
being realized that “Europe, endowed with sovereign and free institutions, will
one day reach the full dimensions that geography, and even more, history have
given it”.1
As the European Union
has expanded, the world itself has become more complex and ever changing;
increasingly interconnected and global, it has, as a consequence, become less
and less “Eurocentric”. Despite a larger and stronger Union, Europe seems to
give the impression of being somewhat elderly and haggard, feeling less and
less a protagonist in a world which frequently regards it with aloofness, mistrust
and even, at times, suspicion.
In addressing you today,
I would like, as a pastor, to offer a message of hope and encouragement to all
the citizens of Europe.
It is a message of hope,
based on the confidence that our problems can become powerful forces for unity
in working to overcome all those fears which Europe – together with the entire
world – is presently experiencing. It is a message of hope in the Lord, who
turns evil into good and death into life.
It is a message of
encouragement to return to the firm conviction of the founders of the European
Union, who envisioned a future based on the capacity to work together in
bridging divisions and in fostering peace and fellowship between all the
peoples of this continent. At the heart of this ambitious political project was
confidence in man, not so much as a citizen or an economic agent, but in man,
in men and women as persons endowed with transcendent dignity.
I feel bound to stress
the close bond between these two words: “dignity” and “transcendent”.
“Dignity” was the
pivotal concept in the process of rebuilding which followed the Second World
War. Our recent past has been marked by the concern to protect human dignity,
in contrast to the manifold instances of violence and discrimination which,
even in Europe, took place in the course of the centuries. Recognition of the
importance of human rights came about as the result of a lengthy process,
entailing much suffering and sacrifice, which helped shape an awareness of the
unique worth of each individual human person. This awareness was grounded not
only in historical events, but above all in European thought, characterized as
it is by an enriching encounter whose “distant springs are many, coming from
Greece and Rome, from Celtic, Germanic and Slavic sources, and from
Christianity which profoundly shaped them”,2 thus forging the very concept of
the “person”.
Today, the promotion of
human rights is central to the commitment of the European Union to advance the
dignity of the person, both within the Union and in its relations with other
countries. This is an important and praiseworthy commitment, since there are
still too many situations in which human beings are treated as objects whose
conception, configuration and utility can be programmed, and who can then be
discarded when no longer useful, due to weakness, illness or old age.
In the end, what kind of
dignity is there without the possibility of freely expressing one’s thought or
professing one’s religious faith? What dignity can there be without a clear
juridical framework which limits the rule of force and enables the rule of law
to prevail over the power of tyranny? What dignity can men and women ever enjoy
if they are subjected to all types of discrimination? What dignity can a person
ever hope to find when he or she lacks food and the bare essentials for
survival and, worse yet, when they lack the work which confers dignity?
Promoting the dignity of
the person means recognizing that he or she possesses inalienable rights which
no one may take away arbitrarily, much less for the sake of economic interests.
At the same time,
however, care must be taken not to fall into certain errors which can arise
from a misunderstanding of the concept of human rights and from its misuse.
Today there is a tendency to claim ever broader individual rights; underlying
this is a conception of the human person as detached from all social and anthropological
contexts, as if the person were a “monad” (μονάς), increasingly unconcerned with other surrounding
“monads”. The equally essential and complementary concept of duty no longer
seems to be linked to such a concept of rights. As a result, the rights of the
individual are upheld, without regard for the fact that each human being is
part of a social context wherein his or her rights and duties are bound up with
those of others and with the common good of society itself.
I believe, therefore,
that it is vital to develop a culture of human rights which wisely links the
individual, or better, the personal aspect, to that of the common good, of the “all of us” made up of individuals,
families and intermediate groups who together constitute society.3 In fact,
unless the rights of each individual are harmoniously ordered to the greater
good, those rights will end up being considered limitless and consequently will
become a source of conflicts and violence.
To speak of transcendent human dignity thus
means appealing to human nature, to our innate capacity to distinguish good
from evil, to that “compass” deep within our hearts, which God has impressed
upon all creation.4 Above all, it means regarding human beings not as
absolutes, but as beings in relation.
In my view, one of the
most common diseases in Europe today is the loneliness typical of those who have no connection with others. This is especially true of the elderly, who are
often abandoned to their fate, and also in the young who lack clear points of
reference and opportunities for the future. It is also seen in the many poor
who dwell in our cities and in the disorientation of immigrants who came here
seeking a better future.
This loneliness has
become more acute as a result of the economic crisis, whose effects continue to
have tragic consequences for the life of society. In recent years, as the
European Union has expanded, there has been growing mistrust on the part of
citizens towards institutions considered to be aloof, engaged in laying down
rules perceived as insensitive to individual peoples, if not downright harmful.
In many quarters we encounter a general impression of weariness and aging, of a
Europe which is now a “grandmother”, no longer fertile and vibrant. As a
result, the great ideas which once inspired Europe seem to have lost their
attraction, only to be replaced by the bureaucratic technicalities of its
institutions.
Together with this, we
encounter certain rather selfish lifestyles, marked by an opulence which is no
longer sustainable and frequently indifferent to the world around us, and
especially to the poorest of the poor. To our dismay we see technical and
economic questions dominating political debate, to the detriment of genuine
concern for human beings.5
Men and women risk being
reduced to mere cogs in a machine that treats them as items of consumption to
be exploited, with the result that – as is so tragically apparent – whenever a
human life no longer proves useful for that machine, it is discarded with few qualms,
as in the case of the terminally ill, the elderly who are abandoned and uncared
for, and children who are killed in the womb.
This is the great
mistake made “when technology is allowed to take over”;6 the result is a
confusion between ends and means”.7
It is the inevitable
consequence of a “throwaway culture” and an uncontrolled consumerism.
Upholding the dignity of
the person means instead acknowledging the value of human life, which is freely
given us and hence cannot be an object of trade or commerce. As members of this
Parliament, you are called to a great mission which may at times seem an
impossible one: to tend to the needs of individuals and peoples. To tend to
those in need takes strength and tenderness, effort and generosity in the midst
of a functionalistic and privatized mindset which inexorably leads to a
“throwaway culture”. To care for individuals and peoples in need means
protecting memory and hope; it means taking responsibility for the present with
its situations of utter marginalization and anguish, and being capable of
bestowing dignity upon it.8
How, then, can hope in
the future be restored, so that, beginning with the younger generation, there
can be a rediscovery of that confidence needed to pursue the great ideal of a
united and peaceful Europe, a Europe which is creative and resourceful,
respectful of rights and conscious of its duties?
To answer this question,
allow me to use an image. One of the most celebrated frescoes of Raphael is
found in the Vatican and depicts the so-called “School of Athens”. Plato and
Aristotle are in the centre. Plato’s finger is pointed upward, to the world of
ideas, to the sky, to heaven as we might say. Aristotle holds his hand out
before him, towards the viewer, towards the world, concrete reality.
This strikes me as a
very apt image of Europe and her history, made up of the constant interplay
between heaven and earth, where the sky suggests that openness to the
transcendent – to God – which has always distinguished the peoples of Europe,
while the earth represents Europe’s practical and concrete ability to confront
situations and problems.
The future of Europe
depends on the recovery of the vital connection between these two elements. A
Europe which is no longer open to the transcendent dimension of life is a
Europe which risks slowly losing its own soul and that “humanistic spirit”
which it still loves and defends.
Taking as a starting
point this opening to the transcendent, I would like to reaffirm the centrality
of the human person, which otherwise is at the mercy of the whims and the
powers of the moment. I consider to be fundamental not only the legacy that Christianity
has offered in the past to the social and cultural formation of the continent,
but above all the contribution which it desires to offer today, and in the
future, to Europe’s growth.
This contribution does
not represent a threat to the secularity of states or to the independence of
the institutions of the European Union, but rather an enrichment. This is clear
from the ideals which shaped Europe from the beginning, such as peace,
subsidiarity and reciprocal solidarity, and a humanism centred on respect for
the dignity of the human person.
I wish, then, to
reiterate the readiness of the Holy See and the Catholic Church, through the
Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (COMECE), to engage in
meaningful, open and transparent dialogue with the institutions of the European
Union. I am likewise convinced that a Europe which is capable of appreciating
its religious roots and of grasping their fruitfulness and potential, will be
all the more immune to the many forms of extremism spreading in the world
today, not least as a result of the great vacuum of ideals which we are
currently witnessing in the West, since “it is precisely man’s forgetfulness of
God, and his failure to give him glory, which gives rise to violence”.9
Here I cannot fail to recall
the many instances of injustice and persecution which daily afflict religious
minorities, and Christians in particular, in various parts of our world.
Communities and individuals today find themselves subjected to barbaric acts of
violence: they are evicted from their homes and native lands, sold as slaves,
killed, beheaded, crucified or burned alive, under the shameful and complicit
silence of so many.
The motto of the
European Union is United in Diversity. Unity, however, does not
mean uniformity of political, economic and cultural life, or ways of thinking.
Indeed, all authentic unity draws from the rich diversities which make it up:
in this sense it is like a family, which is all the more united when each of
its members is free to be fully himself or herself.
I consider Europe as a
family of peoples who will sense the closeness of the institutions of the Union
when these latter are able wisely to combine the desired ideal of unity with
the diversity proper to each people, cherishing particular traditions,
acknowledging its past history and its roots, liberated from so many
manipulations and phobias. Affirming the centrality of the human person means,
above all, allowing all to express freely their individuality and their
creativity, both as individuals and as peoples.
At the same time, the
specific features of each one represent an authentic richness to the degree
that they are placed at the service of all. The proper configuration of the
European Union must always be respected, based as it is on the principles of
solidarity and subsidiarity, so that mutual assistance can prevail and progress
can be made on the basis of mutual trust.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Members of the European Parliament, within this dynamic of unity and
particularity, yours is the responsibility of keeping democracy alive for the
peoples of Europe. It is no secret that a conception of unity seen as
uniformity strikes at the vitality of the democratic system, weakening the
rich, fruitful and constructive interplay of organizations and political
parties.
This leads to the risk
of living in a world of ideas, of mere words, of images, of sophistry... and to
end up confusing the reality of democracy with a new political nominalism.
Keeping democracy alive
in Europe requires avoiding the many globalizing tendencies to dilute reality:
namely, angelic forms of purity, dictatorships of relativism, brands of
ahistorical fundamentalism, ethical systems lacking kindness, and intellectual discourse
bereft of wisdom10.
Keeping democracies
alive is a challenge in the present historic moment. The true strength of our
democracies – understood as expressions of the political will of the people –
must not be allowed to collapse under the pressure of multinational interests
which are not universal, which weaken them and turn them into uniform systems
of economic power at the service of unseen empires. This is one of the
challenges which history sets before you today.
To give Europe hope
means more than simply acknowledging the centrality of the human person; it
also implies nurturing the gifts of each man and woman. It means investing in
individuals and in those settings in which their talents are shaped and
flourish.
The first area surely is
that of education, beginning with the family, the fundamental cell and most
precious element of any society. The family, united, fruitful and indissoluble,
possesses the elements fundamental for fostering hope in the future. Without
this solid basis, the future ends up being built on sand, with dire social
consequences. Then too, stressing the importance of the family not only helps
to give direction and hope to new generations, but also to many of our elderly,
who are often forced to live alone and are effectively abandoned because there
is no longer the warmth of a family hearth able to accompany and support them.
Alongside the family,
there are the various educational institutes: schools and universities.
Education cannot be limited to providing technical expertise alone. Rather, it
should encourage the more complex process of assisting the human person to grow
in his or her totality. Young people today are asking for a suitable and
complete education which can enable them to look to the future with hope instead
of disenchantment. There is so much creative potential in Europe in the various
fields of scientific research, some of which have yet to be fully explored. We
need only think, for example, of alternative sources of energy, the development
of which will assist in the protection of the environment.
Europe has always been
in the vanguard of efforts to promote ecology. Our earth needs constant concern
and attention. Each of us has a personal responsibility to care for creation,
this precious gift which God has entrusted to us. This means, on the one hand,
that nature is at our disposal, to enjoy and use properly. Yet it also means
that we are not its masters. Stewards, but not masters. We need to love and
respect nature, but “instead we are often guided by the pride of dominating,
possessing, manipulating, exploiting; we do not ‘preserve’ the earth, we do not
respect it, we do not consider it as a freely-given gift to look after”.11
Respect for the
environment, however, means more than not destroying it; it also means using it
for good purposes. I am thinking above all of the agricultural sector, which
provides sustenance and nourishment to our human
family. It is
intolerable that millions of people around the world are dying of hunger while
tons of food are discarded each day from our tables.
Respect for nature also
calls for recognizing that man himself is a fundamental part of it. Along with
an environmental ecology, there is also need of that human ecology which
consists in respect for the person, which I have wanted to emphasize in
addressing you today.
The second area in which
people’s talents flourish is labour. The time has come to promote policies
which create employment, but above all there is a need to restore dignity to
labour by ensuring proper working conditions. This implies, on the one hand,
finding new ways of joining market flexibility with the need for stability and
security on the part of workers; these are indispensable for their human
development. It also implies favouring a suitable social context geared not to
the exploitation of persons, but to ensuring, precisely through labour, their
ability to create a family and educate their children.
Likewise, there needs to
be a united response to the question of migration. We cannot allow the
Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery! The boats landing daily on the shores
of Europe are filled with men and women who need acceptance and assistance.
The absence of mutual
support within the European Union runs the risk of encouraging particularistic
solutions to the problem, solutions which fail to take into account the human
dignity of immigrants, and thus contribute to slave labour and continuing
social tensions.
Europe will be able to
confront the problems associated with immigration only if it is capable of
clearly asserting its own cultural identity and enacting adequate legislation
to protect the rights of European citizens and to ensure the acceptance of
immigrants. Only if it is capable of adopting fair, courageous and realistic
policies which can assist the countries of origin in their own social and
political development and in their efforts to resolve internal conflicts – the
principal cause of this phenomenon – rather than adopting policies motivated by
self-interest, which increase and feed such conflicts. We need to take action
against the causes and not only the effects.
Mr President, Your
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Awareness of one’s own
identity is also necessary for entering into a positive dialogue with the
States which have asked to become part of the Union in the future. I am
thinking especially of those in the Balkans, for which membership in the
European Union could be a response to the desire for peace in a region which
has suffered greatly from past conflicts. Awareness of one’s own identity is
also indispensable for relations with other neighbouring countries,
particularly with those bordering the Mediterranean, many of which suffer from
internal conflicts, the pressure of religious fundamentalism and the reality of
global terrorism.
Upon you, as legislators,
it is incumbent to protect and nurture Europe’s identity, so that its citizens
can experience renewed confidence in the institutions of the Union and in its
underlying project of peace and friendship. Knowing that “the more the power of
men and women increases, the greater is individual and collective
responsibility”,12 I
encourage you to work to make Europe rediscover the best of itself.
An anonymous
second-century author wrote that “Christians are to the world what the soul is
to the body”.13 The
function of the soul is to support the body, to be its conscience and its
historical memory. A two-thousand-year-old history links Europe and
Christianity. It is a history not free of conflicts and errors, but one
constantly driven by the desire to work for the good of all. We see this in the
beauty of our cities, and even more in the beauty of the many works of charity
and constructive cooperation throughout this continent.
This history, in large
part, must still be written. It is our present and our future. It is our
identity. Europe urgently needs to recover its true features in order to grow,
as its founders intended, in peace and harmony, since it is not yet free of
conflicts.
Dear Members of the
European Parliament, the time has come to work together in building a Europe
which revolves not around the economy, but around the sacredness of the human
person, around inalienable values. In building a Europe which courageously
embraces its past and confidently looks to its future in order fully to experience
the hope of its present. The time has come for us to abandon the idea of a
Europe which is fearful and self-absorbed, in order to revive and encourage a
Europe of leadership, a repository of science, art, music, human values and
faith as well. A Europe which contemplates the heavens and pursues lofty
ideals. A Europe which cares for, defends and protects man, every man and
woman. A Europe which bestrides the earth surely and securely, a precious point
of reference for all humanity!
Thank you!
________________
Footnotes
1.
1 JOHN PAUL II, Address to the European Parliament (11
October 1988), 5.
2.
3.
2 JOHN PAUL II, Address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (8 October 1988), 3.
4.
5.
3 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 7; SECOND
VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern
World Gaudium et Spes, 26.
4.
4 Cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church,
37.
5.
6.
5 Cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 55.
7.
8.
6 BENEDICT XVI, Caritas in V eritate, 71.
9.
10.
7 Ibid.
11.
12.
8 Cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 209.
13.
14.
9 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
7 January 2013.
15.
16.
10 Evangelii Gaudium, 231.
17.
18.
11 FRANCIS, General Audience, 5 June 2013.
12.
12 Cf. SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL, Gaudium et Spes, 34.
13.
14.
13 Cf. Letter to Diognetus, 6.
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