Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
October 19, 2009

Europe’s Catholic bishops commemorated the end of the continent’s division between East and West with warnings of a new crisis of values. The Council of European Bishops’ Conferences called the dismantling of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 “a great stepping stone in the European adventure” but expressed concern that later developments in the European Union went “against the authentic good.” Citing poor turnout in the latest European parliamentary elections, the council said, “The hopes placed on building Europe have not, so far, been fulfilled.” In a message at the close of the council’s assembly, held from Oct. 1 to 4 in Paris, the bishops said Catholics should remember “the many battles fought for solidarity and respect for human dignity” in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the “fundamental role” of Pope John Paul II in supporting a Europe based on faith, the common good and peace.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

“Inside the Vatican” host Colleen Dulle shares how her visit to Argentina gave her a deeper understanding into Francis’ emphasis on “being amongst the people” and his belief that “you can’t do theology behind a desk.”
Inside the VaticanApril 25, 2024
Vehicles of Russian peacekeepers leaving Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region for Armenia pass an Armenian checkpoint on a road near the village of Kornidzor on Sept. 22, 2023. (OSV news photo/Irakli Gedenidze, Reuters)
Christians who have lived in Nagorno-Karabakh for 2,000 years are being driven out by Azerbaijan. Will world leaders act?
Kevin ClarkeApril 25, 2024
The problem is not that TikTok users feel disappointed about the potential loss of an entertaining social platform; it is that many young people see a ban on TikTok as the end of, or at least a major disruption to, their social life. 
Brigid McCabeApril 25, 2024
The actor Jeremy Strong sitting at a desk reading a book by candlelight in a theatrical production of the play Enemy of the People
Two new Broadway productions cast these two towering figures in sharp relief.
Rob Weinert-KendtApril 25, 2024