European bishops appeal for unity, warn against ‘idolatry’ of nationalism

The presidents of the Italian, French, German and Polish bishops’ conferences issued a joint appeal calling for European unity in the face of continued global instability and to draw from the lessons of the past to prevent future catastrophes.

In their statement, which was published Feb. 13 by all four bishops’ conferences, the bishops lamented the state of the world “torn and polarized by war and violence” and acknowledged that “many of our fellow citizens are anxious and disoriented.”

“The international order is under threat,” the statement read. “In this situation, Europe must rediscover its soul to offer the entire world its indispensable contribution to the ‘common good.’ We can do this by reflecting on what helped found Europe.”

The appeal to European Christians, titled “The Strength of Hope,” was signed by Cardinals Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, France, and Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Italy, Polish Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdansk and German Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg.

The message comes as government officials from around the world gather at the annual Munich Security Conference Feb. 13-15 amid rising tensions between the United States and its European allies.

On Feb. 12, the conference released its annual security report, issuing a scathing rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies toward European allies, which it said favored “destruction over reform.”

Titled “Under Destruction,” the report classified the current U.S. administration’s policy toward Europe as “wrecking-ball politics” that seeks to tear down existing institutional structures they view as bureaucratic obstacles to national prosperity.

“The US approach to European security is now perceived as volatile, oscillating between reassurance, conditionality, and coercion. Facing shifting signals from Washington, European nations are striving to keep the US engaged while preparing for greater autonomy,” a summary of the report stated.

In their message, the European bishops reflected on the founding fathers of Europe — Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer and Alcide De Gasperi — who, “inspired by their Christian faith, were not naive dreamers, but the architects of a magnificent, if fragile, edifice” in the post-World War II era.

“Following a devastating war and the extermination of millions for racial, religious, and identity reasons, the urgency of building a new world became evident,” the bishops said. “Many Catholic laypeople determinedly conceived of Europe as a common home and committed themselves to developing a new international framework, particularly through the creation of the United Nations.”

The bishops also recalled the warnings by Europe’s “founding generation” against the temptation of “totalitarian regimes that feed on nationalism to pursue hegemonic goals, the outcome of which can only be war.”

“Exacerbated nationalism is a form of idolatry: it places the nation in the place of God and against humanity,” the bishops said, quoting De Gaspari, who served as Italy’s prime minister from 1945-1953. “The united Europe was not born against homelands, but against the nationalisms that destroyed them.”

While not specifically citing recent tensions between Europe and the United States, the bishops said that while the continent’s leaders reject “the exclusivist logics of isolationism and violence,” it “must always be ready to resume dialogue, even in cases of conflict, and work for reconciliation and peace.”

“Europe is called to seek alliances that lay the foundations for authentic solidarity among peoples,” the statement said. “Despite numerous Eurosceptic movements across the continent, Europeans have drawn closer to one another, especially after the start of the war in Ukraine.”

Noting that the “world needs Europe,” the bishops encouraged Christians to commit decisively to its future “with the same vivid awareness as the founding fathers.”

“In the name of their faith, Christians are called to share their hope of universal fraternity with all inhabitants of the European continent,” the bishops said.

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