"The time, then, seems mature for the idea to become reality. ... Why continue to hesitate? The end is clear; the needs of nations are obvious to all. If any one asks in advance for an absolute guarantee of success, the answer is that there is a risk, but a necessary one; a risk, but in keeping with present possibilities – a reasonable risk. ... To demand absolute certainty is to fail in good will toward Europe." With these words, spoken, in spite of any possible qualms, a good three years before the signing of the Treaties of Rome, Pope Pius XII issued his call for Europe to form a "continental union of its peoples, different indeed, but geographically and historically bound together". As the Church has done on many occasions before and since, he worked in this difficult time to encourage all those who were endeavouring to create a united Europe. This is also why the Church has designated St. Benedict, St. Cyril, St. Methodius, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Brigid of Sweden and St. Edith Stein as patron saints of Europe. One should also think of Pope John Paul II and his contribution to overcoming the division of our continent.
From the date of the signing of the Treaties of Rome, through the foundation of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, the process of European integration has experienced repeated crises and delays. Even today, the process of European unification is undergoing a phase that many people see as a crisis. Yet the past fifty years have been an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity for Europe. This is why it is worth thinking back to the origins of the process, to reflect on its fundamental motivations and to recognise the tasks of Europe.
Remembering
Destruction and guilt were the basis upon which the efforts to promote European unity were founded in the middle of the twentieth century. As a result of war and tyranny, millions of people had lost their lives, undergone unimaginable suffering and been torn from their roots.
The experience of centuries in which Europeans fought Europeans had been magnified to a horrific degree during the Second World War. It was this history that these men and women – many of them expressly motivated by their religious beliefs – wanted to confront when, soon after the end of the war, they bravely called for reconciliation between the peoples of Europe, starting with the reconciliation of Germany and France. Never again were Europeans to go to war against other Europeans. In order to prevent this happening, solidarity and friendship would be nurtured amongst the peoples of Europe, with a first concrete step being the integration of their national economies. This path, launched in a very special way fifty years ago with the establishment of the European Economic Community, was a tremendous success for Western Europe. It was even more important that the way was left open for the states of Central and Eastern Europe to join following the revolutions which began in 1989, so allowing Europe to be reunited. Today, in view of the many practical problems with which we are currently confronted, it is all too easy for us to forget the original reasons for pursuing European integration, yet it has been and remains a huge success: European integration, and its current incarnation as the European Union, is a force for establishing and maintaining peace without historical equal. This force was and is strong, even though it proved insufficient to prevent or heal the still open wound of wars in the former Yugoslavia, right in the heart of Europe.
The experience of guilt accompanied the beginning of this process, even it took time for this guilt to be fully recognised and admitted. We refer to the guilt for Auschwitz, for the monstrous genocide and crimes against humanity committed in the centre of Europe and instigated by Germany. One commitment has been true from the end of the Second World War right down to the present: never again must there be another Auschwitz. Yet the growth among the peoples of Europe of a shared memory and consciousness has been a decades-long process, which is itself changing Europe. The memory of Europe's murdered Jews is a prerequisite for the rediscovered humanity of our continent.
When we observe today the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome, we need to recall these original motives. They remain the first and most important source of legitimacy for European integration, a claim which has real consequences. The process of European integration will not have ended until all European states which seek to be a part of this process are able to join the most important instrument of European unity, the European Union. Whether or not all states, and in particular the states of the western Balkans, can become members of the European Union, is not simply a question of political interests. It is in fact an obligation of current members to do everything possible to ensure that this accession takes place. The same consideration applies to aspiring applicants, for they too must prepare. In addition to political and economic reforms, they must also squarely face their own pasts, no matter how painful or burdened by guilt they might be, as in the Balkans.
The peoples of Europe want to deal with each other and with others differently than before: no longer should they be arrayed against one another, but rather, overcoming former boundaries, along with one another. No longer is Europe synonymous with hereditary enmities and wars; today, it is a byword for avoiding and resolving conflicts without resort to arms. This is the new Europe. To this degree, the European Union can serve as a response to the tragic history of this continent. It aspires to be exactly this. This is Europe's hope!
Commitment
"Human dignity is inviolable." It is with these clear and incontrovertible words that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union begins. The Charter is thus based on a shared conception of European constitutional theory, as well as on our own constitution. This principle expresses the absolute primacy of mankind. The human person is given precedence over all societal and governmental action. Human dignity is denied whenever a person’s freedom is constrained for no good reason, or life is ended by other human beings – no matter at what stage. . Human dignity is also considered to have been violated if people are denied a certain minimum of physical goods, in order to take part in the life of society, for people are not only individuals, but are also social beings. Each individual is reliant upon others, and lives among others, rather than in a solitary or isolated state.
This dual description of man has found expression in the process of European integration ever since its beginning after the Second World War: in the great importance given to human rights, the right to freedom and to fundamental societal rights, and in concrete practical terms with the right to freedom of movement while ensuring the protection of living and working conditions. It is expressed also, for example, in expanding the role of competition while protecting this competition from its counterfeit, i.e. protecting against the accrual of too much power by individuals. These elements can all be found in the Treaties of Rome. The process of European integration has always had a social dimension, and this remains an obligation to this day.
The two-tier description of mankind also reflects the Christian ideal in which human beings see themselves as created in God's image. This ideal has helped to shape our continent for centuries, and is expressed in its culture. The fact that European policy has been fundamentally shaped by this image of mankind is the true Christian heritage of Europe: this image is alive in today's Europe and is of enduring importance is shaping Europe’s future. This does not preclude questioning or criticising specific political measures, but mandates political concern, such as with regard to the EU's promotion of research which unduly neglects the protection of life. The Churches and all Christians have a political and social obligation here, which is why it is both good and necessary that there be regular dialogue between Churches and the European Union.
When we celebrate today the welcome success of European integration over the past fifty years, something for which we have good reason, we also recognise the image of man that has done so much to define Europe. We must be conscious of this fact, which is why any fundamental European text outlining the constitution of the European Union must include a legally-binding charter of European fundamental rights, along with a reference to the Judaeo-Christian heritage of Europe and its continuing historical relevance.
Responsibility
"Europe is a contribution to a better world" – thus did Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of European integration after the Second World War, characterise our unified continent. This is more than an opportunity; it is also an obligation.
Firstly, this is an obligation to Europe: in the Treaties of Rome themselves it was affirmed that an "essential objective of their efforts [was] the constant improvement of the living and working conditions of their peoples" – in other words, that the living environment for its people was to be improved. The European Common Market and its four fundamental freedoms – the the freedom of movement for goods, services, labour and capital – has done much to promote the prosperity and wellbeing of the people of Europe. Yet it would be a crass distortion if the word ‘freedom’ were taken to mean only economic freedom and the elimination of societal rules and obligations. Freedom must be something that can be lived by all, and national constructs, including the European Union, must do their part in ensuring that people are able to determine the shape of their own lives. The original hope of Europe, that it would be possible through institutionalised cooperation to promote a due balance between liberal economy and social solidarity, must therefore be reawakened, for it is only in this way that the people of Europe will once again see that the integration of Europe matters to them as individuals. Programmes to promote the economies of Europe, no matter how ambitious, and comparisons of Europe with other economic spheres, cannot be allowed to be turned against the people. In concrete terms, this means that the Lisbon Strategy must maintain a clear social dimension. It is necessary, for example, that the EU pay greater heed to the needs of families in all aspects of their policies. This is not to be done, as is unfortunately so often the case within the individual countries of Europe, as part of a debate about the compatibility of families and the professional world, in order to adapt families to meet the needs of the economy; but rather to make the economy and the working world friendlier to the needs of families. Europe must become more family-friendly, and must do more to focus on the needs of its people. Already fifty years ago, European institutions provided people with security in a time of increasing cross-border economic relationships – one need only think of the problems of the so-called migrant workers. In today's globalising world with its many worrying complexities, the European Union has even more scope to respond to people's fears.
Europe’s sense of responsibility must also extend to the world outside its borders. Over the past fifty years, Europe has developed a form of cooperation which does not rely on the right of the strong, but instead focuses on ensuring that Europe's smaller states are also able to find an audience for their concerns. Even though the bonds of trust between the states of Europe are still not free of difficulties and still need strengthening the degree of cooperation that has been achieved still allows Europe to serve as an example in conflict resolution for many parts of the globe. It can also introduce this form of political action, i.e. not simply pressing one's own interests, but also taking into account the interests of others, into the realm of international politics. Responsibility therefore implies the courage to formulate joint policies towards the outside world. In addition, Europe needs to establish true development partnerships with the poorer regions of the world, especially with its neighbour continent, Africa, and manifestly combat global mass poverty. This courage includes a willingness to openthe markets of the European Union, in particular to poorer countries and their products. Europe's responsibility towards the rest of the world in this time of widespread conflict also includes a readiness to offer a humane reception to refugees and to those fleeing persecution.
Another challenge which extends far beyond Europe and which is of a truly global character is climate change and thus the protection of creation as a whole. This is an area in which good solutions have yet to be found. Because Europe has become aware of the need to protect ourselves against climate change climate ahead of some other parts of the world, it is Europe’s responsibility to implement all possible means of climate protection, such as through farsighted energy policies, and to work together in international fora such as G8 for the protection of our climate.
The past fifty years of European integration have been a success, and if Europe is aware of its origins and its fundamental principles, it will also be able to win the trust of Europeans. Yet if Europe is to be able to do justice to its future responsibilities, it requires a properly functioning internal structure through which the European Union is able to act both internally and externally, even after it has one day truly united all of the peoples of Europe. For this reason, it would be valuable for Europe to once again undertake the process of a European constitution as it celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome.
Yet here we must be aware that all human activity is limited, that no policy is absolute. This is why the European constitution needs to include an explicit reference to God. After all these years, we can still issue a call to the heads of state and government who will be gathering in Berlin for this festive occasion and who will be issuing a joint declaration on the fundamental principles of the European Union to heed the words of Pius XII: "Why continue to hesitate? The end is clear; the needs of nations are obvious to all."
Bonn, 15.3.2007
