Pope Francis' dream for a Europe with 'fresh air of
honesty'
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis
received the International Charlemagne Prize at an awards ceremony in the
Vatican on Friday.
The prestigious award is
conferred each year on an individual or institution for their service in favor
of European unification, and is awarded annually by the German city of Aachen
to someone who has contributed to the ideals upon which the Prize was founded.
In remarks on the occasion, Pope Francis stressed that he
would receive the award with an intention to offer it to Europe, adding,
"Ours is not so much a celebration as a moment to express our shared hope
for a new and courageous step forward for this beloved continent.”
After hearing speeches from
the Lord Mayor of Aachen, Martin Philipp, President Shulz of the European
Parliament said, “Europe is going through turbulent times, and faces what may
be a decisive test of its unity.” Other speakers at the event included the
President of the Council of Europe and the President of the European Commission.
In his Address, Pope Francis
pleaded for a revitalized Europe, saying, “I am convinced that resignation and
weariness do not belong to the soul of Europe, and that even our problems can
become powerful forces for unity.”
Referring to his 2014 address
to the European Parliament, he reflected on his comparison between Europe and
an aging, weary grandmother. He challenged the people of Europe, asking, “What
has happened to you, the Europe of humanism, the champion of human rights,
democracy and freedom? What has happened to you, Europe, the home of
poets, philosophers, artists, musicians, and men and women of letters?
What has happened to you, Europe, the mother of peoples and nations, the mother
of great men and women who upheld, and even sacrificed their lives for, the
dignity of their brothers and sisters?”
He spoke of a Europe that can
give birth to a new humanism based on three capacities: the capacity to
integrate, the capacity for dialogue, and the capacity to generate. He noted
that the roots of Europeans were consolidated down the centuries by a constant
need to integrate a number of varied cultures. He added that a culture of
dialogue “should be an integral part of the education imparted in our schools”,
helping to give young people the necessary tools to settle conflicts in a new
way.
The Pope stressed that all
countries – the smallest and the greatest – have an active role to play in the
creation of an integrated and reconciled society. Of special importance is the
role of young people, who “are not the future of our peoples, they are the
present.” He asked those in attendance, “How can we tell them that they are
protagonists, when the levels of employment and underemployment of millions of
young Europeans are continually rising? How can we avoid losing our young
people, who end up going elsewhere in search of their dreams and a sense of
belonging, because here, in their own countries, we don’t know how to offer
them opportunities and values?”
To create dignified and
well-paying jobs, especially for young people, Pope Francis emphasised the need
to move away from a “liquid economy”, one directed at revenue and profiting
from speculation, to a “social economy”, one that invests in people by creating
jobs.
Pope Francis concluded by
describing his own dream for Europe: a place still capable of being a mother
who has life because she respects and offers hope for life; a place attentive
to the infirm and elderly; a place where people “breathe the pure air of
honesty.”
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