Cardinal Parolin to EU bishops: ‘May Christians be the soul of Europe'

By Vatican Radio staff writer

Cardinal Pietro Parolin addressed COMECE’s 2020 Autumn Assembly inviting the European Bishops to put the Church in the frontline for a fairer and more solidary Europe during the long and difficult process of recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to the gathering on Wednesday, the first day of the Assembly, the Vatican Secretary of State also focused on the promotion of the common good through person-centred policies in the fields of sustainable human development, migration and environment.

Pope’s ‘Letter on Europe’

The Cardinal’s discourse came in the wake of Pope Francis’ “Letter on Europe” in which he encourages the Church in the EU not to restrict her mission to the private sphere while respecting the autonomy of political life.

Quoting the Pope’s encyclical letter Fratelli tutti, he said “[the Church] cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the building of a better world.”

Inviting all EU institutions, to “rediscover the path of fraternity that inspired and guided the founders of modern Europe”, Cardinal Parolin said the Church would be in the frontline of the long and arduous recovery process from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He described the effort as “an occasion to build a fairer and more solidary Europe that shares scientific research and investments for the production of vaccines and the care for the most vulnerable.”

Care for creation and migration policies

Cardinal Parolin also participated in a dialogue with the EU bishops during which they touched on a series of topics including the need to rethink the European identity and its values, the ongoing EU environmental initiatives such as the “Green Deal” and the “Next Generation EU”, both of which aim to promote solidarity among member states and foster an ecological conversion.

Another crucial topic that was discussed regards the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum that Parolin said: “marks a step forward, but also raises many doubts”. He also supported the idea of reviewing the “Dublin Regulation” for asylum seekers that, he said, needs to be honed towards policies that “welcome, protect, promote and integrate” migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

In compliance with the health protocol established by the authorities of the Brussels Region, the COMECE Assembly was held exclusively in a digital format.