DAR AL HARB - E.U./VATICAN: THE PONTIFF SENDS EMISSARY THAT EUROPE'S CHRISTIAN HERITAGE MUST BE DEFENDED

Pope Encourages Defense of Europe's Heritage
Joins Leaders in Addressing Ecumenical Meeting

Benedict XVI encouraged representatives of European Christian movements to work toward safeguarding the "particular richness" of the continent -- its faith.

The Pope said this in a message to the meeting Together for Europe 2007, sent on his behalf by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state.

The one-day meeting was held Saturday in Stuttgart. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, called the gathering of some 250 Christian movements one of the most important ecumenical initiatives of the year.

"The Together for Europe initiative," the papal message read, "has come to life through the good ecumenical intuition of Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican groups, associations, movements and communities, and seeks to underline the need to reaffirm together faithfulness to the Gospel in a Europe that risks losing its original values and giving up on its Christian roots."

The message quoted Pope John Paul II's apostolic exhortation "Ecclesia in Europa": "I would like to mention in a particular way the loss of Europe's Christian memory and heritage, accompanied by a kind of practical agnosticism and religious indifference whereby many Europeans give the impression of living without spiritual roots and somewhat like heirs who have squandered a patrimony entrusted to them by history."

The message affirmed, "Benedict XVI echoes this consideration. From the beginning of his pontificate he has never missed an opportunity to recall the importance of safeguarding the Christian inheritance, the particular richness of the European continent."

The message called for "defending a human and spiritual heritage that is vital for the authentic development of Europe."

Benedict XVI expressed his wish that the meeting of Together for Europe would "strengthen the desire for communion that animates lay movements and communities of the different churches."

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Pertinent Links:

1) Pope Encourages Defense of Europe's Heritage