Spanish cardinal says solution for Europe’s problems lies in Christianity

Madrid, Spain, Jul 14, 2007 / 06:55 am MT (CNA).-

Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid said this week the problems that plague Europe , such as a low birth rate, could be solved by returning to the Christian roots of the European culture which made it “a luminous point of reference” for the rest of the world.

Speaking on the COPE radio network, the cardinal recalled a recent speech he gave at= the Cathedral of Ratisbona ( Germany ) in which he said the serious problems and questions facing Europe would not be solved if the continent’s Christian history is ignored.

Cardinal Rouco emphasized that recognizing the Christian roots of Europe does not jeopardize the independence of the institutions of the State, and he pointed to grave problems in Europe that require urgent attention, such as the aging population and the low birth rate, the wave of immigration, and the lack of moral, spiritual and religious values.

The cardinal noted that in Europe there is a tendency to forget that the central values of natural ethics have their basis in Christianity and that these values are necessary for finding solutions to Europe ’s most serious problems.

“ Europe has a present and a future,” the cardinal said. “To take any other path, or worse, one that is opposed to this, would be very difficult and the future would not be very rosy,” he warned.