Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Robert Schuman. A great deal of history has been made in Europe in the half century since his death. The peace between nation states which had so frequently been enemies, the prosperity enjoyed by an unprecedented number of ordinary citizens, and the constructive and co-operative way in which politics are done within the European family of nations must largely be credited to Schuman’s vision. The European Union, fruit of a unique experiment in trans-national co-operation initiated with the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950, has brought long-term peace to a continent so frequently scarred by war and has created among nations a spirit of solidarity, which has transformed the social and economic life of Europe.
(Credit: Web)
Robert Schuman’s legacy is, however, vulnerable. The banking crisis of 2008 and the economic fall-out, if not managed on the basis of the principles Schuman set out over sixty years ago, run the risk of undermining much of what the European Union has achieved. Peace and Solidarity, the principal goals set by the man seen as Europe’s primary founding father on 9 May 1950, still need to be pursued with even greater persistence in 2013, given the way in which the current crisis is impacting on European society at every level and causing much pain, not least among the most vulnerable in our continent. Pope Francis has repeatedly focused the thoughts of Europe’s politicians and citizens on the plight of the “new poor. “
As President of COMECE (Commission of Episcopal Conferences of the European Union), I wish on this fiftieth anniversary of the death of Robert Schuman, to salute his achievements. I would also like to suggest that we need more men and women of vision, inspired as the case may be by the Christian gospel or by a profound commitment to humanitarian values, to keep the European dream alive. Rather than abandon the European project or dilute its ambitious socio-economic vision through the pursuit of national self-interest, it is time to capture again that spirit of generosity and daring which marked the political career of Robert Schuman.
Is this not the moment for a new departure for Europe? Should we not engage together in the search for “a soul for Europe “ with a fresh energy? Might those of us who engage in life on the public square, with the social teaching of the Catholic Church as our guide and touchstone, not contribute, as citizens and believers, to creating a Europe we would be proud to pass on to the next generation?
Reinhard Cardinal Marx
President of COMECE
4 September 2013