Archbishop highlights the role of faith in Europe’s future
-09/11/05
The Archbishop o
Archbishop highlights the role of faith in Europe’s future
-09/11/05
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has this week been highlighting the developing interest of churches and faith groups in the future of Europe with a visit to the European Institutions in Brussels.
Yesterday Dr Williams met with the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barrosa. In the course of a three-day visit he also delivered a major lecture on ëReligion, culture, diversity and tolerance ñ shaping the new Europeí.
The Archbishop said that he wanted ìto suggest a way of understanding Europeís Christian heritage that may open some doors for a common vision.î
He claimed that in ìfacing (to put it as neutrally as possible) a highly critical, if internally diverse, global ëoppositioní in the shape of the Islamic worldî, Enlightenment liberalism was in a state of confusion, such that its ìsupposed right to set the agenda for the rest of the world is no longer beyond question.î
What we need, Dr Williams declared, is ìsome [deeper] thought about European distinctiveness and whether it has any specific moral substance.î
There is a danger, he suggested, that ì[i]n the absence of any such thinking, we end up in a very typical postmodern trap ñ argument replaced by parallel assertions.î
ì[W]hat is left if we refuse to discuss moral and spiritual foundationsî, Dr Williams claimed, ìis simply violent competition for the power to set agendas, political, economic and cultural, with religious commitment seen as at best a ëlifestyle optioní chosen for its ability to enhance individual effectiveness or comfort.î
Admitting that ìthe Church has most often been an enemy to what we should instinctively see as democratizing or liberalizing moves in a nationís historyî, Dr Williams argued that a thoughtful re-reading of Christian history and doctrine pointed to its capacity to model an ëalternative communityí within and alongside other institutions.
He also warned that ì[w]holesale secularism as a programmatic policy in the state can turn into another tyranny ñ a system beyond challenge. The presence of the Church at least goes on obstinately asking the state about its accountability and the justification of its priorities. It will not do to forget that the greatest and most murderous tyrannies of the modern age in Europe have been systematically anti-religious ñ or ratherÖ pseudo-religions.î
The Archbishop, spiritual leader of the worldís 77 million Anglicans, also met with the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell Fontelles, and spent time with the Anglican community at the Pro Cathedral of Holy Trinity in Brussels.
The visit comes two months after the Archbishop, along with the Catholic Cardinal, Cormac Murphy OíConnor, addressed political and religious leaders at a high profile conference organized by the Santí Egidio community in Lyons.
Dr Williams addressed questions raised of the European political institutions by faith communities. He commended even-handed secularity as model for including those of all faiths and none in shaping the future of Europe.
The Archbishop said of his visit that he welcomed ìthe opportunity of engaging with the European Institutions and learning more about the challenges we face in a rapidly-changing continent.î
Dr Williams was accompanied on his trip by the Rt Rev Geoffrey Rowell, Bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe.
Archbishop highlights the role of faith in Europe’s future
-09/11/05
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has this week been highlighting the developing interest of churches and faith groups in the future of Europe with a visit to the European Institutions in Brussels.
Yesterday Dr Williams met with the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barrosa. In the course of a three-day visit he also delivered a major lecture on ëReligion, culture, diversity and tolerance – shaping the new Europe’.
The Archbishop said that he wanted ‘to suggest a way of understanding Europe’s Christian heritage that may open some doors for a common vision.’
He claimed that in ‘facing (to put it as neutrally as possible) a highly critical, if internally diverse, global ëopposition’ in the shape of the Islamic world’, Enlightenment liberalism was in a state of confusion, such that its ‘supposed right to set the agenda for the rest of the world is no longer beyond question.’
What we need, Dr Williams declared, is ‘some [deeper] thought about European distinctiveness and whether it has any specific moral substance.’
There is a danger, he suggested, that ‘[i]n the absence of any such thinking, we end up in a very typical postmodern trap – argument replaced by parallel assertions.’
‘[W]hat is left if we refuse to discuss moral and spiritual foundations’, Dr Williams claimed, ‘is simply violent competition for the power to set agendas, political, economic and cultural, with religious commitment seen as at best a ëlifestyle option’ chosen for its ability to enhance individual effectiveness or comfort.’
Admitting that ‘the Church has most often been an enemy to what we should instinctively see as democratizing or liberalizing moves in a nation’s history’, Dr Williams argued that a thoughtful re-reading of Christian history and doctrine pointed to its capacity to model an ëalternative community’ within and alongside other institutions.
He also warned that ‘[w]holesale secularism as a programmatic policy in the state can turn into another tyranny – a system beyond challenge. The presence of the Church at least goes on obstinately asking the state about its accountability and the justification of its priorities. It will not do to forget that the greatest and most murderous tyrannies of the modern age in Europe have been systematically anti-religious – or ratherÖ pseudo-religions.’
The Archbishop, spiritual leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, also met with the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell Fontelles, and spent time with the Anglican community at the Pro Cathedral of Holy Trinity in Brussels.
The visit comes two months after the Archbishop, along with the Catholic Cardinal, Cormac Murphy O’Connor, addressed political and religious leaders at a high profile conference organized by the Sant’ Egidio community in Lyons.
Dr Williams addressed questions raised of the European political institutions by faith communities. He commended even-handed secularity as model for including those of all faiths and none in shaping the future of Europe.
The Archbishop said of his visit that he welcomed ‘the opportunity of engaging with the European Institutions and learning more about the challenges we face in a rapidly-changing continent.’
Dr Williams was accompanied on his trip by the Rt Rev Geoffrey Rowell, Bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe.