Put the citizens at the heart of Europe, give them dignity and rediscover yourselves, is the summing up of Pope Francis’ message to the European Parliament, but it was much more than that.
After the Pontiff had finished and thunderous applause from all corners of the plenary chamber had dies down a humble Martin Schulz gave thanks, “You have given us guidance at a time when we have lost our compass.”
This is exactly what the Pope did. He set out a vision of Europe that put the citizen at the heart of policy and guaranteed dignity and the right to a full life.
The European Parliament rose to the occasion that of a humble man who represents a billion believers and, as he said with considerable understatement, “a 2,000 year contribution to Europe.”
Pope Francis who has impressed Catholics and others equally spoke for 45 minutes and his message to Europe’s politicians contained criticism and encouragement, based around a new approach.
“Europe gives the impression of being aged and weary,” he said.
“In recent years, as the EU has expanded, there has been growing mistrust on the part of citizens towards institutions considered to be aloof, engaged in laying down rules perceived as insensitive to individual peoples,” he added.
He said, “The great ideas which once inspired Europe seem to have lost their attraction, only to be replaced by the bureaucratic technicalities of its institutions.”
He said the EU should revitalise itself by returning to “the firm conviction of the founders” of Europe, fostering peace and fellowship amongst people and dignity.
Addressing MEPs, he said their task was “to keep democracy alive,” which he said was a “challenge in the present historic moment” but a vital one.
He warned, “The true strength of our democracies, understood as expressions of the political will of the people, must not be allowed to collapse under the pressure of multinational interests which are not universal, which weaken them and turn them into uniform systems of economic power at the service of unseen empires.”
He added, “Men and women risk being reduced to mere cogs in a machine that treats them as items of consumption to be exploited, with the result that – as is so tragically apparent – whenever a human life no longer proves useful for that machine, it is discarded with few qualms.”
Dignity involved valuing each person and enabling them to reach their potential and this included jobs, but jobs that were not exploitative.
The Pope met and prayed with migrants in Lampedusa in July last year and spoke up for those trying to reach Europe. “We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast graveyard,” he said to loud applause.
“The boats landing on the shores of Europe are filled with men and women who need acceptance and assistance,” he added.
He added, “The promotion of human rights is central, to advance the dignity of the person, this is an important and praiseworthy.”
Connecting people together to build a society was a main theme, but the Pope said that there was “a tendency to claim ever broader individual rights” but he said, these needed to be placed under the common good, but meant, “promoting the dignity of the person means recognising they have inalienable rights.”
He surprised some with an astute observation, “In my view, one of the most common diseases in Europe today is the loneliness typical of those who have no connection with others. This is especially true of the elderly, who are often abandoned to their fate, and also in the young who lack clear points of reference and opportunities for the future.”
He added, “It is also seen in the many poor who dwell in our cities and in the disorientation of immigrants who came here seeking a better future. This loneliness has become more acute as a result of the economic crisis, whose effects continue to have tragic consequences for the life of society.”
As parliament debates the proposed €300 billion investment plan on Wednesday, the visit and the speech could not be more timely.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/pope-francis-asks-humane-europe-gives-citizens-dignity