Restoring Europe to Christianity

Two years ago I did not know who Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was. While travelling in Italy, I had bought a book, Senza Radici, of which he was a co-author. Cardinal Ratzinger's basic argument was that relativism was paralysing the Catholic Church and that a soul-less Europe is doomed. For him Christ is the only true path to salvation. Europe had to rediscover God through reason not tradition and biblical reference.

Today Cardinal Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI. There is no reason to believe that his views have changed. After the death of Pope John Paul II, many were expecting that the Church's next Pope would come from the Third World. This was to denote the de-westernisation of the Church, and a celebration of its dynamism in the emerging continents. The choice of Cardinal Ratzinger, a conservative theologian and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, took many by surprise.

The message sent by the Vatican should have been clear. The Church intended to fight tooth and nail the continued secularisation of Europe. Even the selection of Benedict's name was meant to reflect the strategic thrust of the new Pope. St Benedict of Norcia had spread Roman Christianity throughout Europe.

A couple of months back, following her audience with the Pope, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that "...we need a European identity in the form of a constitutional treaty and I think it should be connected to Christianity and God, as Christianity has forged Europe in a decisive way". Up to now the EU Commission has consistently resisted all attempts to refer to Europe's Christian heritage in the proposed Constitution.

Pope Benedict will do all he can to restore Europe to Christianity; to turn around the shrinking of congregations and the dwindling number of priests. In the first 18 months of his papacy, Benedict XVI kept a relatively low profile. Unlike his predecessor he travelled little outside Italy. Pope John Paul II had been a progeny of the "clash of ideologies" era; and had actively contributed to its demise. Pope Benedict XVI has taken over at a time when the "clash of religions" seems to be back. However, in his eyes the biggest threat to Christianity is not coming from the vociferous and violent expressions of Islam but the deadly silence and coldness of secularism.

The initial thrust of his papacy will be to try and help Europe rediscover its Christian soul. Europe is troubled because its increased materialism and prosperity has not resulted in an enhanced sense of well-being. Self doubt about its role in the world has become a hallmark of indecision, its obsession with political correctness a symptom of its vulnerability.

Many European analysts are frustrated that secularism with its "arrogance of reason" and relativism is ill-prepared to resist what they see as the onslaught of Islam. They are jealous about the spiritual hold that Islam has on its followers; it is evidently still able to offer a valid foundation for the life of its people. Whatever malaise exists in Muslim communities is not seen as being primarily home-grown but rather as being a consequence of the neo-imperialist powers of this world.

Against such a backdrop, it seems absurd to interpret Pope Benedict's speech at Regensburg University as some error of judgment by a timid intellectual. The Pope's discourse sought to expose the historical and philosophical differences between Islam and Christianity, and the relationship between violence and faith. The Pope emphasised that violence is essentially incompatible with God and the soul. In the light of existing sensitivities, any reference linking Islam to violence was bound to be seen as part of the West's crusade against the religion. It could never have escaped from the pervasive tentacles of the mass media, and this is surely well known to the Vatican authorities.

The world will probably never know the intentions behind the Pope's speech in Regensburg. Yet for sure, the Church is no longer prepared to barter the belief in its universality and righteousness for religious inclusion and tolerance. Later, he did make a carefully worded apology expressing his sorrow that his speech had caused offence. He also added that the quote from a mediaeval text stating that Prophet Mohammed had given nothing new to the world which was not "evil and inhuman" did not express his personal opinion. Thank God it does not.

The message to European and Islamic leaders is clear. To the latter, the Pope is making it clear that, if there is to be inter-faith dialogue, it has to be carried out in mutual respect. A new word is creeping in: reciprocity. If Muslims desire to enjoy religious freedom in the West, then so do Christians living in Islamic states. To the leaders of secular Europe the message is that the world's respect can only be secured by maintaining a position of strength. Recently, European Commission chief Josè Manuel Barroso expressed his disappointment that not all European leaders had defended the Pope's right to express his views. "The problem is not his remarks, but the reactions of the extremists," he added. Next month Pope Benedict XVI plans to visit Turkey, the first Islamic state he will be touring. In the past, Cardinal Ratzinger spoke strongly against Turkey joining the EU. This is a very brave decision on the Pope's part. During the visit he will need all the diplomacy he can muster. Yet, for sure, do not expect him to compromise on his principles.

fms18@maltanet.net