Paris, France, Mar 3, 2017 / 00:54 am
Catholic and Orthodox leaders in a joint statement urged Europeans to remember their Christian roots, and to return to them during this time of "widespread concern for (the) future" of Europe.
"...our societies are turning to their spiritual resources, to draw out means of responding to the situation that Europe is experiencing, and to trace the path ahead for a future full of hope and greater confidence," the leaders said.
During the 5th European Catholic-Orthodox Forum, 12 delegates of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) met in Paris with 12 representatives of the Orthodox Churches in Europe last month to discuss the theme, "Europe in fear of the threat from fundamentalist terrorism, and the value of human person and religious freedom.''
While governments guarantee the "fundamental rights of the human person," many forces are currently at work that seek to marginalize or eliminate religion from the public square, the leaders said.