“Promoting love for life, from conception to natural death, protecting the family, care for the young, solidarity, and inclusion of people from different nationalities and cultures”: these are just some of the commitments that Italian Christian movements, new communities, associations and groups undertook at the end of their meeting, which ended yesterday September 20th, in Loppiano (Fi), the international centre of the Focolari Movement. This one, that began on Saturday, September 19th, was the first Italian meeting of “Insieme per l’Europa”, Together for Europe, which continued that two meetings that took place in Stuttgart in 2004 and 2007 and similar events that will be taking place in several European cities this year. 1400 participants representing dozens of movements including Focolari, Associazione Giovanni XXIII, Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo and Comunità di Sant’Egidio, i.e. the four movements that promoted the meeting, repeated that they intend to renew and give a soul to Europe, starting from Italy. “Let’s walk together – states the final appeal that was signed yesterday morning by all the participating movement leaders – for an economy at the service of the common good, for the development of the more disadvantaged countries, starting from the African countries, and for fraternity in every area, between different peoples and ethnic groups, serving peace and the unity of the human family”. The basis for such commitments, the appeal points out, is “the culture of sharing” that is born of listening to and practising God’s Word. A concept that was repeated by card. Walter Kasper, president of the Papal Council for the Unity of Christians, who, in a message he sent to the meeting, writes that “the soul of Europe also consists in being a uniting force for our countries and for our neighbours, because Europe should not only look at itself but should also be open to today’s challenges and play, on a global scale, a key role for peace and solidarity. Your contribution – Kesper states, speaking to the ecclesial movements – is for a Europe that is capable of humanity, a Europe of the Spirit that gives a soul to all the human situations, living and witnessing its faith in everyday life”.

© SIR - sept 21 2009