Brussels, 25/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - During his visit to the European Parliament on Tuesday 25 November, a quarter of a century after the visit of Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis called upon the members of the European Parliament to make “human dignity” central to European concerns once again (our translation throughout).
Ideals of the founding fathers. Contemplating a Europe which has “aged a little and is a bit compressed”, in a world “which is less and less euro-centric”, the pontiff called for a return to the beliefs of the founding fathers of the EU. These placed people - with their “transcendent dignity” - at the very heart of an ambitious political project, yet not as citizen or economic subject, he stressed. The Pope expressed regret at the fact that the ideals which inspired Europe have “lost their attractiveness, in favour of the bureaucratic technique of its institutions”. Going on to note the “citizens' distrust of institutions they see as distant (…), if not actually harmful”, he went on to lament “a prevalence of technical and economic issues at the centre of political debate, at the expense of an authentic anthropological orientation”. The resident of the Holy See told the MEPs and members of the College of Commissioners attending that the time had come to build a Europe which revolves “not around the economy, but around the sacredness of mankind, the inalienable values”.
Immigration and ecology alongside family. Within this order of ideas, Pope Francis reiterated the precious nature of life - lamenting the fact that this can be eliminated “without much scruple, as in the case of terminal illnesses or children killed before birth” - and family values, education and the dignity of employment. The Pope described it as unacceptable that “the Mediterranean Sea has become an enormous graveyard”, calling for greater account be taken of the human dignity of immigrants, for a welcome to be guaranteed for migrants, and for action to be taken on the causes, rather than the effects, of migration. Alongside “human ecology, out of respect for the individual”, the Pontiff also stressed the need for environmental ecology. “Respecting the environment means not disfiguring it, but also using it for good”, he said, in a reference to farming.
Waking up Europe. In his speech, therefore, the Pope took pains to bring his audience together and send out a “message of encouragement and of hope” to the European Parliament. The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, said that each of the Pope's words stood for all of them, “because these themes are universal and your words give direction in a disorientated world”. The group leaders of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats of the European Parliament, Manfred Weber and Gianni Pittella, interpreted the Pope's speech as a wake-up call to Europe.
The Belgian Socialist, Marc Tarabella, shared this enthusiasm, but not about the Pope's allusions to euthanasia and abortion, “particularly on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women” (see other article). (MD)