‘EUROPA CHRISTI’ CLUBS
Fr. Ireneusz Skubiś, The Honourable Editor-in-Chief of ‘Niedziela’
The international congress of the ‘Europa Christi’ movement, which is being held in Poland right now, will surely liberate some initiatives which may contribute to serious reforming reflection on the identity of Europe also in the context of its crisis, which we are witnessing. One of them is a concept of ‘Europa Christi’ clubs which can enliven parish communities and pour new healing strength into the life of many communities.
According to our intentions, ‘Europa Christi’ clubs would be groups of people who love their Homeland, in our case Poland, and have deep knowledge of Christian culture. This knowledge should be the subject of special care from a person who wants to work actively on developing historic knowledge and moral culture, considering the future and the real development of the man and nations. A member of the ‘Europa Christi’ club should be a searching person and the first requirements he should fulfill are respect three principles understood in the spirit of St. Thomas of Aquinas: ‘Ens et bonum convertuntur, ens et verum conventuntur, ens et pulchrum convertuntur’ – God is the greatest good of the human being, the greatest truth and the greatest beauty. So, a member of the ‘Europa Christi’ club should study the sense and meaning of these notions of great metaphysics, develop spiritually and intellectually. The ‘Europa Christi’ movement intends to build real European elites, which the Old Continent lacks today and which should look further than the contemporary busy man sees. It is also necessary to influence the way of thinking among people holding important posts in the European structures today, although it is not easy. So – taking on an attitude towards the truth, the good and beauty should become a distinctive sign for the ‘Europa Christi’ clubs. The man who respects these values, presents beautiful, noble humankind. If we can bring up beautiful, spiritually mature and wise people, Europe will be experiencing recuperative processes.
Also we, Poles, need conversion. For, we often refer to Christian values but behave in such a way as if God did not exist. Whereas Christian faith is based on life in the presence of God, Who does exist, on considering His tips in every deed.
The presented thoughts on the ‘Europa Christi’ clubs are only a kind of the beginning of implementing our intentions, but it is surely a base on which we want to build life in Europe.
(AA)
„Niedziela” 43/2017