SPEECH
by HIS HOLINESS THE POPE JEAN-PAUL II
and
by Wilfried MARTENS, Chairman of the Group
of the EPP
at the audience granted to the EPP Group in the European Parliament on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome

ROME, 6 March 1997

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Speech by Wilfried MARTENS:

Your Holiness,

On behalf of the Christian-Democratic Group in the European Parliament, I would like to express our profound and sincere thanks for the audience that Your Holiness has been pleased to grant us.

On 30 June 1990, following the collapse of the Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe, the Corriere Della Sera wrote that Communism is dead and world-wide Christian Democracy, considered in its entirety, has victory in its grasp. We are faced with a paradoxical situation and must now ask ourselves what to do next.

What started off as a period of reflection on freedom, peace, fresh solidarity and shared prosperity in a united Europe soon transformed itself into the civil war nightmare in former Yugoslavia. At present it is hard to tell what the consequences of this civil war will be for Europe.

Notwithstanding the numerous problems of an institutional, economic and financial nature, we support the forthcoming accession of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe which constitute part of Europe's heritage, and have done for centuries.

We are striving for a unified Europe founded on principles and values, upon which political action is not only based, but which also legitimize the existence of the European People's Party.

One of the founders of the Christian Democracy, Alcide de Gasperi, talked about three different types of politicians: hunters, doers and believers. No one more than de Gasperi knew that of the four categories the notion of 'believers' was the most complex. He knew that 'believers ' were not found exclusively in the bosom of the Church. He knew that the intrinsic value of the gospel could and would inspire the political action and thought of a broad spectrum of the society.

Faithful to the founders of post-war Christian Democracy, the European People's Party has never moved away from its deep spiritual and moral roots.

In the preamble to our basic programme, which was approved by the IX Congress in Athens on 13 November 1992, we declared: 'imbued with Judeo-Christian values, we regard every man and every woman as a person i.e. as a human being who is irreplaceable, totally irreducible, free by nature and open to transcendence.

Within a society human beings are dependent on each other. Because we are free, responsible and interdependent beings, each individual must help with the construction of society. For many of us, the motivation for this commitment comes from the conviction of being called to contribute to the creative and liberating work of God.'

In difficult times, when half of Europe flirted with Marxist slogans, we upheld the opinion that there was no place for Communism in Europe. Konrad Adenauer's prophetic analysis on the fate of East Germany is a clear illustration of this. Today, with much the same rigour we are fighting against the emergence of populism and right-wing extremism, which shamelessly derive their inspiration from Fascist doctrines.

Equally we have played a major, if not decisive, role in the creation of the European Union. The European Coal and Steel Community, that fundamental and irreversible step towards lasting peace between France and Germany, would not have been established had it not been for the contribution and inspiration of Christian Democrat leaders at the time. The Treaty of Rome, the Single European Act and finally the Maastricht Treaty all bear the distinct seal of our conviction and enthusiasm.

Your Holiness,

Nevertheless, we are fully aware of the reality of today's political situation. Even during the negotiations on the Treaty of Maastricht, I personally noted that the transformation of our programme into specific projects was problematic.

In the European Parliament political groups are currently being established which wish to see the return of a Metternich Europe.

Economic globalization is pushing a growing number of people away from the world of work, whereas within our affluent societies there exists a fourth world in which people no longer have any prospect of leading a dignified existence.

The emergence of a science and information society, which does not give itself time for social and moral self-analysis, serves only as a means of extending the boundaries of human ability.

The European People's Party is more than an alliance of parties and more than the formation of as powerful a group as possible in the European Parliament.

The size of our Group will depend on our ability to transform the European Union into a Europe which is democratic and transparent, and which has a social and human dimension. The creation of a European legal area and the reconstruction of a market economy for the service of the people are, to us, of prime importance.

And as a movement based on faith, we should recall the words of Don Sturzo, who in 1935 wrote that defending those moral and legal principles, which have become enshrined in the political understanding and the practical organisation of civilized states, in particular with regard to respecting individuality, personal freedom, equality before the law and administration of justice, respect for the rights of the family and of the Christian Faith, the creation of social justice and of cooperation both between classes, and internationally between States and finally the assurance of the international right to peace between peoples.

As a movement based on Faith, Christian Democracy is dependent on the commitment of its Christian members and also on support provided by the Communion of Saints, particularly Saint Benedict, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius. As the fourth patron, the Presidency of the Group wishes to nominate Saint Boniface, a Briton who worked with a Papal mandate in Germany, France and The Netherlands.

On behalf of my Group, I ask Your Holiness to bless the souls of all those who constitute the Group of the European People's Party in the European Parliament.

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Speech by His Holiness the Pope Jean-Paul II:

Mr Chairman,
Honourable Members,

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome which you are here to celebrate, you wished to meet the Successor of Peter. I am glad to receive you on this happy occasion and I thank Mr Wilfried MARTENS, your chairman, for his kind words. I welcome your continuing efforts to ensure that these Treaties, which are the birth certificate of a new Europe, are also an appeal to overcome the confrontations, rivalries and hatreds of the past. The significance of the event which took place forty years ago is plain, particularly when it is remembered that, at that time, all the peoples of Europe were emerging scarred from the Second World War, which had exceeded all previous conflicts in terms of its scale and its countless consequences for the human conscience.

Today, it is perhaps not inappropriate to seek out the source of the courage of those who are called the fathers of Europe, some of whom shared the same political beliefs as you. It is clearly apparent that the Christian faith, which sustained them and was their overriding conviction, provided a particular impetus to their involvement in public life and to the plans which they drew up at that time: their political activity was never separated from their Christian faith. They were also aware of the demands which this faith made on their personal lives in order to clarify the causes of their action and to ensure that their political project was credible. Indeed, the Christian who seeks to serve civil society knows that it requires great efforts of him, if he is to be a witness of Christ in his personal behaviour as in his political activity.

The authors of the European project therefore needed a profound vision of man and society as well as courage out of the ordinary to propose to their peoples - whether they had emerged from the war victorious or vanquished - that a new relationship be established with mutual understanding as the keynote and that a European ideal be adopted, while emphasizing the importance of everyone belonging to a nation (see Centesimus annus, No 50); these political figures thus gave mankind on the continent the desire to build Europe together by bearing in mind the share of each individual and of each people in the construction of the large common house.

The European project is not based on the will for power but on the idea that dialogue and mutual esteem are essential for constructing peace on the continent and for developing the momentum of each nation. The founding fathers of the European Union proposed to their peoples new ways of living together in a community with a shared destiny, not by forgetting the past but by facing up to it. It had to be ensured that Europe should never again be the cause of war and the breeding-ground of ideologies which have destroyed so many human lives and corrupted the consciences of so many, as was the case with the totalitarian systems whose memory is still fresh in our minds. Likewise, it is important that the peoples of Europe should undertake to fulfil specific conditions in order to make progress in building the Union.

The Holy See has followed the European project closely since its inception, while aware of the difficulties of the undertaking which requires much effort and sacrifice on the part of the different nations making up the Union. Those who were the initiators of the construction of Europe and who forged a certain concept of Europe are an example to the builders of today and tomorrow. Indeed, the construction of the European Union presupposes above all respect for every individual and for the different human communities with proper scope for their spiritual, cultural and social dimensions. Today, there is a great temptation to say that believing in God is a simple contingent phenomenon of a sociological nature. Faith in Christ is not a purely cultural act peculiar to Europe; the fact that it has spread to all continents proves this. However, Christians have made a major contribution to shaping the conscience and culture of Europe. This is not without relevance for the future of the continent, because if Europe is built by eliminating the transcendent dimension of the individual, in particular, if it refuses to acknowledge the inspirational force of faith in Christ and the message of the gospel, a major part of its foundations will be lost. When Christian symbolism is flouted and when God is eliminated from human endeavour, the latter is undermined because it lacks anthropological and spiritual foundations. Furthermore, without reference to the transcendent dimension political action is often reduced to an ideology. Conversely, those who have a Christian vision of politics are mindful of the personal experience of the faith in God of their contemporaries; they see their action as an integral part of a project placing man at the centre of society and they are aware that their commitment is a service to their brothers for whom they are answerable to the Maker of History.

It is often said that Europe needs to be built on basic values. This calls for Christians involved in public life to be faithful at all times to the message of Christ and to ensure that they lead an upright moral life, thus bearing witness to the fact that they are guided by love of the Lord and of their neighbour. Christians active in politics cannot therefore stand back from paying particular attention to the poorest and most deprived sections of society and to all those who are defenceless. They also want to see fair conditions created so that families are helped in their indispensable role in society. They recognize the incomparable value of life and the right of every being to be born and to exist with dignity until its natural death.

The love of others gives rise to brotherly feelings and firm relationships between individuals and peoples, ensuring that the principles of the common good, solidarity and justice result in a fair share-out of work and wealth within the Union and with the countries in need of aid; a generous spiritual motivation is needed to ensure that Europe remains an open and welcoming continent and that the dignity of our brothers is not flouted since the very purpose of society is to enable everyone to lead 'a truly human life' (Jacques Maritain, 'L'homme et l'Etat'. p. 11).

In the years to come, your task will be a major one, particularly in ensuring that all those countries that want to can meet the conditions necessary for their participation in this larger Europe with the support of everyone. By virtue of your debates and your decisions, you are among those building the European society of tomorrow. By restoring hope to those who have lost it and by encouraging the social integration of those living on the continent and of those settling there, you will live up to your calling as Christian politicians.

At the close of our meeting, in entrusting you to the intercession of the patron saints of Europe, I call on the Lord to guide your steps and to bring your work to fruition and I grant wholeheartedly the Apostolic Blessing to you, the members of your families and all your staff.

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Research and Documentation Service
Group of the PPE
European Parliament