In an interview given to the French daily newspaper la Croix the President of COMECE, Reinhard Cardinal Marx, shared his view of the role Christians should play in the process of European construction. “It is essential in today’s pluralist Europe, that we be in touch with our roots and that the voice of religion should continue to be heard. We have the duty to announce the Gospel and to communicate our understanding of man and his destiny.”
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In the Cardinal’s view, “one of the great challenges of our age will be to organise globalization. Who on earth can influence the new order with its values of humanity, liberty and human dignity characterised by solidarity with the poor other than Europe? That is the challenge before us as Europeans.” He considers commitment to the European project as “an act of witness to the construction of a new order, which will be welcomed by the whole human family.”
Questioned about the economic and social model which should characterise Europe, he said that it is essential “to defend it against economic roulette. We can no longer accept a system, which puts money at the centre of society. Human beings need to be at the centre. Such a system can only be safeguarded by institutions. It is impossible to be happy with a utilitarian concept, which claims that economic growth is good for everybody and that the poor and the dead are just collateral victims… “
The COMECE president also ventured an opinion on the situation in Ukraine: “Ukraine shows clearly that peace cannot be taken for granted. People have died with the European flag in their hands because they desired the values of Europe: peace, freedom and human dignity. Ukraine is a mirror for us all.”
The Cardinal closed with an invitation to us to change our view on immigration so as to construct a more stable society: “I think that it would help very much if we saw everyone as created in God’s image and likeness. Every man, every woman regardless of race or religion is fashioned in the image of God. That is the foundation stone of our ethics.”
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Read the full interview at: http://bit.ly/1mGwadM