Europe must rediscover its Christian soul, bishops urge in new appeal

A group of senior European bishops on Friday issued an appeal urging Europe to “rediscover its soul” in response to what they described as a world “torn and polarized” by war and violence.

The text, published Feb. 13, said many citizens are “anguished and disoriented” and warned that the international order is under threat. In that context, the bishops said Europe must recover its spiritual identity in order to offer the wider world its “indispensable contribution” to the common good.

The appeal also recalls Christianity’s historic role in shaping the continent, arguing that even if Christians are fewer in number today, they are still called to return “with courage and perseverance” to the foundation of their hope.

Looking back to the postwar period and the construction of the European Union, the bishops invoked the legacy of founding figures Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, and Alcide De Gasperi, describing them as architects of a “magnificent, though fragile” project inspired by their Christian faith. The text cites St. John Paul II’s repeated emphasis on the role of Christians in building Europe, recalling his observation that the founders’ love for Christ was inseparable from their commitment to humanity.

The bishops warned that Europe “cannot be reduced to an economic and financial market” without betraying the founders’ original vision. They urged the continent to reject exclusivist forms of isolationism and violence, uphold the rule of law, and favor supranational solutions to conflicts through appropriate mechanisms and alliances.

Europe, they added, must remain ready to resume dialogue even amid conflict, working for reconciliation and peace. “An international framework is dying and a new one has yet to be born,” the bishops wrote, arguing that the world still needs Europe — and that Christians, wherever they live, should make that urgency their own.

The text closes with a quotation attributed to Schuman: “Politics, when lived as a selfless service to the city and to the human person, can become an act of love toward one’s neighbor.” On the basis of their faith, the bishops said, Christians are called to share with all Europeans their hope for universal fraternity.

The appeal was signed by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, France, president of the French Bishops’ Conference; Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi of Bologna, Italy, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference; Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, Germany, president of the German Bishops’ Conference; and Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdansk, Poland, president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.