VATICAN CITY - The Pope is sending a message to participants in the Alpine Forum, which runs until 30 August, sharing his concern about the growing spread of such movements that threaten to overshadow the weakest. "Societies in Europe are called to seek ways and means to reduce polarization within themselves and to remain open to the outside world."
Antonella Palermo - Vatican City
Curbing populist impulses in Europe and any polarisation that distracts from the Union's core values. This is at the heart of Message Pope Francis' address to the participants of the European Forum in Alpbach (17-30 August), a platform where young people from the old continent and around the world come together to share their thoughts and actions with leading thinkers and analysts from politics, business, civil society and culture.
Populist movements marginalise the weak
With regard to the purpose of the forum - to channel the ideas of a strong and democratic Europe - Francis outlines some reasons to be concerned about the fate of the continent, which, according to him, is experiencing "a time in which various populist movements are enjoying great popularity". Economic and political factors are at the root of this increasingly popular trend, according to the Pope.
[...] In Europe, as a result of this populist 'wave', some ideals have been lost and some principles concerning the behaviour towards the weaker members of society have been sidelined.
Let Europe not lose the universal values of fraternity
The Pope therefore asks the question concerning the principles of human dignity and fraternity, "linked to the outline of the Gospel" - where are they heading? Bergoglio's words are, on the one hand, words of reassurance, because even in a secularized context that "should not surprise or frighten", the Church can continue to act ("God is present there too"); on the other hand, they are words of challenge:
With renewed motivation, as Christians we seek to bring the richness of Catholic social teaching with its claim to universality. The European Union, too, has had universalist features since its foundation and it is to be hoped that it will not lose them. [...] Societies in Europe are called upon to seek ways and means to reduce polarisation within themselves and to remain open to the outside world.
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