Vision of Europe

Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz appealed on October 20, 2017, during the solemn opening of the Congress “Europe of Christ” in Czestochowa, to proclaim John Paul II as the patron saint of Europe. Source (Polnisch):  Link We present the translation of the full text of the speech: John Paul II is considered a heavenly patron of various human projects and states. He is a pope of human rights, guardian of family happiness, spiritual advisor of the youth, leader and master of the academic environment, giver of ideas and supernatural animator of the New Evangelization, so much needed especially in secular Europe. On the paths of the present, the affairs of Europe, in which he was educated and in which he developed his pastoral activity until death, were very close to his heart. He experienced its dramas and spiritual dilemmas, but also cared that all people of good will build unity on the continent, from the Atlantic to the Urals. We believe that today “from the house of the Heavenly Father” he continues to help the European community with his inspired wisdom to make difficult decisions, to encourage daily fidelity to God and man, to intercede with God in all our needs, and to entrust us to His mercy. We know that during the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI declared St. Benedict of Nursia as the Patron Saint of Europe. John Paul II was also convinced of the fact that Europe needs support from above and therefore proclaimed their five patron saints of Europe: Saints Cyril and Methodius, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Sister Therese Benedict of the Cross (Edith Stein). Today, when the Old Continent is experiencing a great crisis of values and is facing new, hitherto unknown challenges, it becomes necessary to widen this circle. The Holy Father always stood up for the unchanging and universal values that are the bulwark of European civilization. He had recognized its undeniable contribution to the unification of the Old Continent, and in his teaching he aptly diagnosed threats facing its inhabitants today, showing at the same time that the only source of hope, salvation and effective healing is the mercy of God, as well as the return to the example of the Gospel, which had formed the basis of European culture. Therefore, it is a legitimate desire of many Christians to entrust Europe, its spiritual heritage and the destiny of its sons and daughters, to God, the Lord of history, to the intercession of John Paul II. John Paul II – His Vision of Europe John Paul II had his vision of Europe. For him, the first foundation of the unity of Europe lies in the pedagogy of forgiveness. Two world wars, which took place mainly on this continent, caused great suffering. There are still many unhealed wounds in Europe today and the present is creating new injustices. The pedagogy of forgiveness is so important because the person who forgives and asks for forgiveness understands that a greater truth than himself exists. And by accepting forgiveness, he can grow beyond himself. There is no Europe without forgiveness and reconciliation, thus without solving the problems of the past. The thesis of some European politicians that we should leave the problems of the past alone and concentrate on the present and the future is wrong. On the one hand, reconciliation is linked to the fulfillment of certain conditions: confession of guilt, regret that evil has been done, and the desire to right the wrong. On the other hand, John Paul II writes in his encyclical “Dives in Misericordia” that those who forgive, following the example of the merciful father, should show mercy to the prodigal son, so that the one who receives mercy does not feel humiliated, but recovered and appreciated (cf . DiM, 6). According to John Paul II, Europe cannot only refer to the past, but must also reflect on its present and future. After years of conflicts and wars, Europeans must find a way to a new unity, far from any form of unification, which values and integrates precisely the richness in its diversity. The prerequisite for shaping an optimistic present and future of the European continent is, in addition to the pedagogy of forgiveness, the discovery and affirmation of one’s own identity. Memory is the force that creates the identity of human existence, both on a personal and collective level. That is why in the life of societies and nations the correct, that is true, historical policy is so important. Identity is determined not only by memories of one’s past, but also by permanent and timeless points of reference. On the national level, these are proven religious and moral values, but also symbolic values such as the slogan “God, honor, homeland,” signs and symbols – the national flag, national coat of arms, or state and religious ceremonies and festivals. An example of how to transfer historical reference points into the future was given by John Paul II himself when he exclaimed on Westerplatte: “Each of you, young friends, will find in his life a Westerplatte – a task he must undertake and fulfill. Something good for which you must not give up the struggle. A task, an obligation from which one must not deviate, “desert”. Last but not least, an order of truths and values that one must “preserve” and “defend”, as this Westerplatte, in oneself and in one’s environment.” In personal, social and national life, John Paul II has in a particular way valorized certain primacies. These are: the primacy of the person over the object, the primacy of the spirit over matter, the primacy of “being more” over “possessing more,” the primacy of work over capital, the primacy of ethics over technology, the primacy of mercy over justice, and the primacy of dialogue over struggle. St. John Paul II, through the above-mentioned primacies, orders the world of values and tasks in everyday life, because without certain principles, human life would lead to dangerous