Cathal BarryExtremism rises in ‘vacuum of ideals’
Pope Francis has urged “self-absorbed” European politicians to recover a sense of hope rooted in Christianity and warned that disillusioned voters could turn to extremism.
In an address during a whistle-stop visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, the Pontiff also urged MEPs to work to ensure that workers had dignity and that the unemployed can find work to provide for their families.
Pope Francis also condemned the “throwaway culture” which saw abortion and euthanasia as human rights, rather than an assault on human dignity. Such misunderstandings, he said, must be challenged by a holistic view of the human person.
The Pope said Christianity “does not represent a threat to the secularity of states or to the independence of the institutions of the European Union, but rather an enrichment”.
He said religions could help Europe counter “many forms of extremism” spreading today that were often “a result of the great vacuum of ideals which we are currently witnessing in the West”.
Condemned
On that topic, Pope Francis condemned the “shameful and complicit silence” of many, while religious minorities were being “evicted from their homes and native lands, sold as slaves, killed, beheaded, crucified or burned alive”.
On the issue of migration, Pope Francis, himself the son of migrants, called for a united EU-wide approach, particularly to those seeking to reach Europe by boat. “We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery,” he said.
“The time has come for us to abandon the idea of a Europe which is fearful and self-absorbed, in order to revive and encourage a Europe of leadership, a repository of science,
art, music, human values and faith as well.”
Fine Gael MEP for Ireland South Sean Kelly said the Pope’s address was received “in a way that no other has been” during his time in the parliament.
“The Pope came as a pastor of hope and encouragement, and the reaction to him proved that he achieved that aim,” he told The Irish Catholic.
Ireland’s EU Commissioner Phil Hogan described the address as “inspirational”.
Mairead McGuinness MEP, for Midlands-North-West, said Pope Francis “came across as a deep-thinking human being with a grip on all that is going on in society today.
“His address, which was both political and spiritual, carried a harsh message for Europe and its leaders. Almost everything he said had a message in terms of our responsibilities as MEPs. It’s up to us now to harness the value of his words and build on what he had spoken about,” she said.