THIRD GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 2, 1999 (VIS) - The third general congregation of the synod for Europe began this afternoon in the Synod Hall, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, at 5:05 p.m. President delegate on duty was Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Germany. The meeting, at which 153 synod fathers were present, concluded with the angelus prayer at 6:55 p.m.

Following are excerpts from several of the speeches given during this congregation:

ARCHBISHOP TADEUSZ KONDRUSIEWICZ, APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF EUROPEAN RUSSIA FOR THE LATIN RITE. "In Europe evident progress has been made in integration in the West and the formation of new independent States in the East. We also have seen material and spiritual solidarity between the West and East, where the Church is being reborn and is growing according to pastoral needs. On the other hand, disappointment is also evident. The West is undergoing a spiritual crisis, and the East, instead of the expected spiritual rebirth, is sullied by imitation of the worst aspects of the West: consumerism, and ethnic, inter-confessional and inter-religious conflicts. There is a widening gap between the development of civilization and values of the spirit. Europe must make a choice that will determine its future. ... Today, the institution of the family is unprepared to perform its mission as the basic cell of society, to raise a future generation which is morally and physically healthy, to collaborate in the building of a civilization of love. We must comply unhesitatingly with the teachings of the Church and support the pastoral mission for the family; it is a question of being or not being."

ARCHBISHOP JOZEF MICHALIK, ARCHBISHOP OF PRZEMYSL OF THE LATINS. "We thank the Lord who gave the strength to the Holy Father, who goes down in history as the defender of the life of the unborn child. In his first book published in Poland, 'Love and Responsibility,' we can see the fervor that has filled so many lay persons and priests to bear light on this matter in the world. Today, once again, we can see how important and up to date the defense of life is, faced with the false progress of euthanasia and genetic manipulations, of social progress without moral principles. Today's Europe presents many victories in the field of science, with great well-being for some nations, a well-being built by the people themselves, capable and diligent. But Europe is dying with its demographic decline because many families no longer demonstrate the wish for life. Is this the fruit of a fleeting mode or a strategic plan of some ideology that knew how to exert pressure on human egotism, sowing false ideals that paralyze even evangelization?"

CARDINAL EDUARDO MARTINEZ SOMALO, PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE AND SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE. "To speak about Europe in the context of evangelization recalls the particular role played by consecrated life in the first and second millennium. Europe and consecrated life have lived in a fertile symbiosis for the greater part of their history. Today's situation has changed greatly. In this new context, voices emerge that see little value in the contribution of consecrated life in the next millennium. Pessimistic voices, beginning with the diminished numbers, nonetheless, today we still have the gift of approximately 450,000 religious women and 100,000 religious men in the different parts of the continent! ... Today's man is in urgent need of close contact not only with saintly persons but also with saintly communities. This is the 'quality' of consecrated life capable of re-evangelizing the new Europe and arousing vocations with an authentic pastoral work enlivened by prayer. ... In today's society, so involved with the production and consumption of material goods, a strong witness of spiritual goods is truly necessary. Today's Europe is being built on the primacy of the market. Even ethics, which has become more secular, excludes any reference to God."

BISHOP WILLIAM KENNEY C.P., AUXILIARY OF STOCKHOLM. "The Scandinavian Bishops ... ask that the Synod call for concrete action to help the poor of Europe whatever the reason is for their poverty. This means even greater solidarity with the poorer countries of our own continent. At the same time we must not forget the poor in other parts of our world. In other words we must be more generous than we are today. Secondly, we ask for the Church again to highlight the problems of the irregular immigrants in many of our countries - now numbering millions within our continent - and not allow these sisters and brothers to be forgotten. ... Thirdly, we ask that the supra-national structures of the Church such as CCEE and COMECE should be more proactive and not only reactive in these questions. We call on the Churches to provide the resources, which are necessary for these organisations to carry out such a programme."

BISHOP ROGER FRANCIS CRISPIAN HOLLIS OF PORTSMOUTH. "My experience working as a priest for the British Broadcasting Corporation and subsequently as a parish priest and as a Bishop, has convinced me that, as a Church, we are afraid of the media. We are generally reluctant to work with journalists and broadcasters and we run away from media opportunities to witness and evangelize. We pay lip service to the importance of communications in the Church and we have, again and again, committed ourselves to train our clergy, our seminarians and our people to become media-literate. But, in reality, nothing much has changed and we still regard the media as 'the enemy.' ... We belong to a people which has become progressively secularized by a culture that is largely media-controlled and yet we often neglect those very media which could help us to evangelize our culture more widely and more effectively. The media challenge us but they do not have to be a threat."

CARDINAL FRANCIS ARINZE, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE. "Tasks for the Church in Europe. Europe has been traditionally Christian. Now it is getting religiously more pluralistic. The following tasks seem therefore necessary: a) Better doctrinal preparation of all Catholics. Many lay faithful know too little about the Catholic faith. The risk when such Catholics meet other believers is therefore great. b) Train more specialist Catholic personnel in the knowledge of other religions, especially Islam, and on how to meet their followers. c) Involve other religious, cultural and governmental institutions in the defense of the human right to religious freedom in other countries where another religion is that of the majority and where reciprocity is lacking. d) The Church in each country or diocese should analyze the spread of the sects in its area, the reasons why some of them attract Catholics, and what pastoral action seems indicated for the Church."

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