GOD IS BEING BORN

MIROSŁAW PIOTROWSKI

Slowly normality, tradition, religion are returning. There are appearing characters of the Holy Family, Three Kings, shepherds at the crib on more and more Christmas cards.

During this year session of the European Parliament in Strasburg, my attention was drawn by a statement of one of Swedish MEPs from the biggest political group. He quoted a person of St. Lucia, whose feast is celebrated in Sweden on 13 December. Long time ago this day marked the beginning of Advent. This is a unique situation, as so far the saints of the Catholic Church have been quoted and it belonged to a proper style in our Chamber. Before that this type of attempts ended with humming or jamming a speaker. It can be said that, unofficially, but in a planned way, in EU institutions elements of Christian tradition were evicted. There was time that the Christmas tree was removed from the European Parliament. There was not any religious accents on most Christmas cards edited by the Parliament. Five years ago the European Commission edited a calendar for students in which it omitted all Christian holidays, including Christmas. What is peculiar, the holidays Sikhs and Halloween were not forgotten. It caused outrage but at that time the European Union was demonstrating its alleged power. It wanted to lead the world, define standards, launch new ideologies. However, it was touched by a wave of crisis – the economic one in Greece, Portugal and Italy, and also the migration one. Nations of Europe began turn away from the so-called European project gradually. EU decision-makers were in defensive, which results in, among the others, loosening ideological aggression. Slowly normality, tradition, religion are returning. There are appearing characters of the Holy Family, Three Kings, shepherds at the crib on more and more Christmas cards. I receive them personally. For example – one of British MEPs sent me a beautiful card with the image of Our Lady with Baby Jesus. Shortly speaking – ‘God is being born, power is trembling’ – also in the European Union.

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„Niedziela” 52/2016

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl