CHRISTIANITY is facing death in the very continent it once called home—Europe, Pope Benedict XVI said.
The Pope called on the European Union to “clearly recognize the definite existence of a stable and permanent human nature,” following his statement that Europe might soon exit history as the continent’s demographic profile shows falling population growth rate and loss of cultural foundation shaped by Christianity.
The Pontiff made the statement to the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community last March 24, on the anniversary of the signing of the treaty of Rome on March 25, 1957 that formed the foundation of the European Union.
“The decline of Christianity in Europe emerges from national leaders’ neglect of the true desires of the majority of the population and the people’s inherent Christian identity,” the Pope said.
LifeSite News reported that Europe’s demographic status reveals the assault on Christian culture and the weakening of faith on life as seen in the legislation of euthanasia, assisted suicide, contraception, divorce, and abortion.
“In Europe today, many criticisms are thrown into the Catholic Church from people professing other religions and even pagans. With this, the Christian heritage in Europe is evidently negated,” Faculty of Theology Professor Fr. Efren Rivera, O.P. told the Varsitarian.
Benedict XVI’s predecessor, John Paul II, noted the same phenomena before he died. Rivera said that the late Pontiff knew that Europe’s current profile is a question of Christianity’s influence on the thinking and morals of the people, which he discussed in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope (Random House Large Print, 1994).
Meanwhile, the Fourth World Congress of Families (WCF) will be held on May 11-13 in Poland. Thousands of pro-life and pro-family groups around the world will meet on how to establish strategic network alliances to stop the final institutionalization of “pro-death” practices in Europe.
The Members of the European Parliament (MEP) of Ireland, Poland, and Sweden have already expressed their interests on the upcoming proposals of the Congress.
“I think that this WCF is of urgent need in Europe to represent the common people, not always the most academic, not always those with the best access to the media, or even those with the most politically-correct views of today, but close to the heart of people, and close to common people,” said Sweden MEP Lennart Sacredeus. Francis James B. Gatdula
