A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 17 - Tuesday, April 27th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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EU ENLARGEMENT – A CHALLENGE FOR THE CHURCHESMore than 50 participants met from 18 to 20 April 2004 for the consultation “Impact of the European Union (EU) Enlargement in the new Member States – the Role of the Churches” in Budapest. Church leaders and experts from the churches in the 10 new EU Member States and in the candidate countries as well as representatives of ecumenical partner organisations were invited to the meeting which was organised by the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Reformed Church in Hungary. Participants were addressed by Endre Juhász, minister of the Hungarian government dealing with European affairs. Minister Juhász underlined the essentially pragmatic character of the EU without dismissing the substantial role played by values. “The EU is at the same time a community of values and a community of interests”. A significant dimension of the EU is the existence of a Union framework for the protection of national identities. Although national identity in the EU Member States is granted by the Union’s basic documents, a combination of open borders, internationalisation of economies and the impact of globalisation reinforce the internationalisation of culture and have a negative impact on national identity in the Union Member States. One feature of EU enlargement is that “life in the Union presents us with a constant risk of uniformity, which we need to check everyday”, said minister Juhász. The consequences of EU enlargement and the response of the churches to them were the focus of attention for participants. It was stated that churches in the region have played their role in the process of European integration and are prepared to continue to do so following the new circumstances after the entry of their countries into the European Union. Bishop Gusztáv Bölcskei of the Reformed Church in Hungary underlined that “for churches it is essential to play an active role in society, churches must however avoid becoming instruments in hands of politicians”. In working with the theme of European integration it is important for churches that the EU is not limited to the developing of the European common market. “Economic prosperity and economic growth must not be the only aims of European integration”, said Peter Pavlovic, Study Secretary of the Church and Society Commission of CEC. “The process of European integration needs to be a process with a human face, taking into account the social consequences of the economic processes. Solidarity between people, countries and regions needs to play a shaping role in the future Union”. The role of values in the future Union, the prospect of cultural exchange in the process of developing the Union‘s identity, and the possibility of the specific contribution of the new EU Member States to the Union, seen as a community of values, has been in the centre of the debate at the meeting. Historical development caused a different perception of certain Christian values between Eastern and Western Europe as well as in other regions. In this regard it is important to be involved in the debate on values among different Christian traditions within Europe. It should not be taken for granted that there is consensus among the churches on all issues of Christian social ethics. Differences exist between eastern and western Christians in understanding specific values such as, family, homosexual partnerships, the tradition of the churches in engaging in social, political, and other matters. This need to be further clarified and elaborated. Equally this applies to the question of the relation of Christian values to the catalogue of generally recognised universal values. It needs to be recognised that the EU should not be understood by Christians as a Christian empire. However, churches have an obligation and responsibility to work on their contribution to the development of Europe, its present reality and its vision for the future. Participants underlined that churches should play a significant role in shaping the social dimension of the Union. Issues like high poverty levels, protecting each person’s dignity, the situation of Roma communities, and the impact of EU policies in rural regions are concerns of high priority for the churches. In the discussion about the tasks of the churches in this dimension of the European integration process, a vital role is played by church-related agencies; in particular the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), Eurodiaconia and the Association of church related development agencies (APRODEV).
An open challenge for the churches in
the region is the deepening of their mutual
communication, as well as the possibility of
having an organised dialogue with the national
governments and the institutions of the European
Union. Representatives of the churches
participating at the meeting confirmed their
commitment to continue their work for on church
and society issues in their respective countries
within the challenging framework of the enlarging
European Union. |
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