CRISIS OF EUROPE IS THE CRISIS OF THE TRUTH
Fr. Ireneusz Skubiś, The Honourable Editor-in-Chief of ‘Niedziela’
A lot has already been said about how important the truth is in life. Today one can clearly see the departure from the truth, and some people say about the so-called post-truth. So, if we want to undertake some important matters, also the ones concerning Europe losing its identity, we must face up the problem of the truth.
Crisis of Europe is the crisis of the truth. Jesus said: ‘….the truth will liberate you’ (j 8.32) and this is a kind of a key which has mainly the moral significance. Rejecting the truth was the beginning of tragedies which humankind of the 20th century experienced during two world wars. Systems which caused those tragedies were based on falsehood, manipulation and a lie. Today we are also observing growing falsehood and hypocrisy – we are dealing with whole institutions of falsehood. The ‘Europa Christi’ movement is based on the basic care about the truth in the personal, family, social and political life. It is based on assumptions coming from the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, about whose return to Europe – the Truth, which liberates – we are fighting.
The lie and manipulating the truth create the structures of evil. It is reflected in the whole social life. Experts of the life are like a man in the parable of Christ referring to the sown tares: ‘An unfriendly man did it’ (Mt 1.28). It seems that in many groups we are dealing with such people. Therefore the ‘Europa Christi’ movement tells the society: Return to Decalogue! Return to the Truth! Here we must recall the words of Christ said to the Pilate: ‘I was born in order to testify the truth’ (J 18.37). Let’s think that Jesus said it at the time of the worst tragedy when, thinking in the human way, His life was at danger – he was going to hear the verdict about his death. Whereas another time Jesus says: ‘I am the road, the truth and life’ (J 14.6). Facing up the crisis of values in Europe, one cannot ignore the issue of the truth and its negation, that is, a lie.
The liberating power of the truth should be a moment of encouragement to fight for its personalization in the whole life of Europe. Governments of the European countries should take care of the truth in functioning of state institutions, media – otherwise the caricature of life appears, we will build a giant on clay legs, which will collapse quickly, causing destruction. The problem is very serious – therefore we must look for people who will effectively fight for the world of values on our continent.
(AA)
„Niedziela” 44/2017