When Pope Francis returned from Armenia in June 2016, he expressed his concern about European disintegration. His secretary of state has repeated it once again in this congress, without specifically naming certain cases like that of Catalonia in Spain.
CARD. PIETRO PAROLIN
Vatican Secretary of State
'The outcome of the British referendum last year and the divisive impulses that have swept across the continent, have led the Holy Father to consider the urgency of further and more comprehensive reflection on Europe.'
This pope, who comes from the Americas, is worried about the crisis on the Old Continent. After its founding 60 years ago, the European Union faces new and complicated challenges such as preserving its unity after processes such as Brexit, the integration of refugees or the alarming youth unemployment rates.
That is why the Vatican has decided to intervene with this congress. It involves politicians and religious leaders, including non-Catholics. The objective is to promote a trend reviving Europe in these three capacities:
POPE FRANCIS
May 6, 2016
'The ability to integrate, ability to dialogue and the ability to generate.”
Pope Francis emphasized this when he was awarded the most prestigious distinction in Europe, the Charlemagne Prize. These are the three elements that were present at the birth of the European Union. It is a union that was created to avoid a new boom of exclusionary nationalisms that were the causes of the two great world wars.
