RETURN YOUR HOME!
Lidia Dudkiewicz, the Editor-in-Chief of ‘Niedziela’
We are looking at this issue of ‘Niedziela’ (‘Sunday’) when in Poland the First International Congress of the ‘Europa Christi’ movement is held under the motto ‘Open the door to Christ!’. The congress reminds us that united Europe is an idea of religious politicians, who, looking at the rubble remaining after the second world war in relation to the German Nazism and communist totalitarianism raising its head, decided to build the future on values rooted in Christianity. They decided to call on stray inhabitants of Europe so that they would unite around Christ anew. The founders of united Europe built according to Christ’s key are: Konrad Adenauer (from Germany), Alcide de Gasperi (from Italy) and Robert Schuman (from France) – the latter two are candidates for beatification, who perceived serving in politics as serving to God. It were them who were building Europe of spirit under the eye of Divine Providence. Now, when the Old Continent is unstable, as it rejected its Christian soul, Fr. Dr. Ireneusz Skubiś – a moderator of the ‘Europa Christi’ movement suggested that the Christians should get organized and set off to save lost Europe, living with delusion that the man may be successful without God. Europe can be built only by people rooted in Christian values which are at the base of the Old Continent. So, it is necessary to enliven fossilized, cold European institutions and offices with the Christian spirit.
One of the main speakers of the Congress of the ‘Europa Christi’ movement is the Vatican cardinal Robert Sarah, who is on the cover of this issue ‘Niedziela’ and who comes from Guinea. A journalist Nicolas Diat, knowing him very well, wrote that cardinal Sarah resembles a monk who ‘set off into a long journey to get to his God, to his love (…). He feels home at his God’s, to whose home he knows a lot of entrances’. The black-skinned Vatican cardinal expresses his concern about the future of our continent. He asks a difficult question: if Christ came to Europe today, would he find strong faith here? The answer can be found in the book entitled: ‘God or nothing’ by cardinal Sarah. We read here: ‘I am afraid that is the Old Continent gets cut off from its roots completely, it will result in a serious crisis of the whole humankind, whose first signs I already see from far away’. The voice of cardinal Sarah is consistent and definite, particularly when in his statements he evaluates the condition of the Christians, who – in his opinion – need a brotherly admonition: ‘Return your home’, that is, Europe rooted in the faith of fathers. Cardinal Sarah says that the task of Poland in Europe is defend Christian values. ‘You have suffered a lot, and now, fully experienced, you can help the West discover the value of Christian faith. Do not be afraid. First you are Poles, later Europeans. First you are Christians, later Europeans! Today some people keep saying that they do not need God in their life. It is a big mistake which has been made by western countries’ – says cardinal Sarah. These thoughts about the place of Poland in Europe, building a real home with the European soul, are accompanied by the words of the USA president Donald Trump, addressed to Poles in Warsaw on 6 July 2017: ‘In Poles we perceive the soul of Europe, your nation is great because your spirit is great’.
(AA)
„Niedziela” 43/2017