“United in its diversity, Europe offers its people the best chance of pursuing, with due regard for the rights of each individual and in awareness of their responsibilities towards future generations and the Earth, the great venture which makes of it a special area of human hope”. I would like to start my intervention with this passage taken from the Preamble of the future European Constitution. This, in fact, places European unity in a wider perspective of hope for the history of the world and of its people. It foresees an endless future, a great coming, where all the values, referred to before (para 2 to 4) will be feasible and will acquire their full meaning: human rights, progress, peace, justice, solidarity…The ideal present time whose characteristics have been given above is written in an absolute Coming, which one cannot describe precisely but which is definitely an essential part of the European project. This “hope” guarantees the development of this “great venture” in our present times. 
I would like to start our reflection precisely from this point. In fact, when we read the text, our Christian faith reminds us of Christ’s first message: “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand; repent and believe the gospel”. (Mk1, 15) The “ human hope” referred to in the Preamble is the Kingdom of God, its coming and its nearness to us even if this is not evident to all men and if it is still incomprehensible to us. Even if this is not so obvious to most of us and might sound a bit mysterious, it is still a fact. I believe that, to start with, we should try to find out what this conviction means to us and what we could do to keep it constantly in mind. Following this, we should consider the fact that the Europe wherein we live today, is part of a world defined as “modern” sometimes even “post-modern”. This is the Europe where we have to work for the Kingdom of God. If we want to imbue our Europe with the light of the Gospel, we cannot ignore or turn down all that which is modern and take a negative attitude. We should convince ourselves that this is a situation of which God and ourselves should take advantage. This helps us to assume a positive attitude. With discernment, we should commit ourselves to work for the construction of Europe and ensure that it is truly human. Our reflections will finally lead us to identify some important attitudes which should help us in our undertakings. These are reconciliation, dialogue and the Beatitudes. 

1. The Kingdom of God in the future and within us 

Waiting for the Kingdom 
The quotation from St. Mark, which I have just referred to, is addressed to us as Christians. Before undertaking the European project, our first duty is to understand what this passage actually means to us and we should try to make it an important point of reference in our lives. We can then be in a position to be witnesses to it. There is in fact a paradox in our way of life. Our times, the times of the planet and of each one of us, only make sense in relation to the future of the Kingdom. On the other hand, this future does not follow our present time automatically in the same way as the seasons follow one another. It is God Himself and only He who can bring about the Kingdom and only He knows when. “We do not have here a stable city” we find in the Letter to the Hebrews (13,14). However, filled with hope for the “heavenly homeland” (13,14), we can work down here to have a just world. It is important to understand this message clearly and to let it echo in our hearts so that each and every concrete activity in Europe proves to be really a step forward in the history of salvation started at Creation. 

Meditating and living the Kingdom 
Because of this, our efforts should be guided by three factors, which are purely spiritual: the Eucharistic celebration, familiarization with the Bible and listening to the Holy Spirit. Firstly there is the Eucharist which represents God’s salvation, which, as we know is our ultimate aim. In it, in fact, we remember the Death and Resurrection of Christ and express our hope in His Return. We offer ourselves, together with the Church and the world, in a spiritual sacrifice to God. In Holy Communion, together we become the Body of Christ and also find in Jesus the perfect fulfilment of the fundamental Law of the Kingdom which is giving our own lives for one another. We thus see that our hope for the Kingdom is not something which is unattainable, abstract and detached from our social and political actions. The Eucharist strengthens our hope, our intelligence and our will. 
This nearness of the Eucharist and to the Eucharist leads us to the second factor which is another great help in our quest for the Kingdom. I am referring here to the reading and meditation of the Bible which, these last few years has regained importance. I am here referring to the lectio divina. Our sacramental life is in fact intensified by our familiarization with the Bible, which can be fostered through regular private reading of the Bible or through participation in Bible study groups. From our own experience we know that we gradually become what we read. If we read the same newspaper everyday, we end up by making ours its way of looking at events, its “ ideology” and its “tendencies”. If in the presentation about my country, I often refer to the same author, I will be passing on to you his sensitivity, his outlook on life, his questions, his doubts and his expectations. In the same way, our habitual reading of the Bible, especially the Gospel, leads us, without our knowing, to think and feel in a Christian way. It refreshes our mentality and we start communicating to others what St Paul calls “God’s wisdom ” (1 Cor 2,7). 
Lastly, the Eucharist and the reading of the Bible will only bear fruit through the Spirit which the Risen Christ sent on His Church and diffused in the world. Our invocation to the Holy Spirit, in the silence of prayer, opens us to the intimate revelation of God. Imbued with the Spirit and with God’s wisdom, we acquire a certain human and divine sensitivity which influences our assessment of events and our decisions. When faced with difficulties and problems, the man who habitually invokes the Holy Spirit, finally always contributes positively towards the coming of the Kingdom. 
We will thus be giving our constructive and creative share in the construction of Europe if we consider this as a step in the coming of the Kingdom. This way of looking at events will arouse in us a greater desire to give our share! We know in fact that this project is part of God’s plan and on our part we should put all our human efforts into it. Jesus himself experienced misunderstandings, difficulties and failure when He set out to establish the Kingdom so we cannot expect to go through this experience without encountering human and spiritual struggles and trying moments. However at the end we can expect success. 

The consructioin of Europe: an opportunity to be grasped 
This convinction helps us to look at the construction of Europe as a new experience and as an important period in the history of the world. Up to not so long ago, many of the nations we today describe as “European”, tried their best to guarantee a more or less transitory balance of power and to develop their own defence against the intrusion of others and on the part of the stronger countries a disposition to affirm and enforce their own hegemony. The idea that they could be united among themselves and eventually be united to their neighbouring countries never occurred to them. Today, on the contrary, this is a universally accepted idea. This is therefore a new project which can materialize. 

2. Europe in modernity 

The European project is a project which is being written in our times. It can materialize through a balanced assessment of modernity. We should not be afraid of the present, nor try to go back in history. What we should do is to discern between what to accept, what to carry out and what to discard. Discernment has always been an important exercise throughout history. No particular event in the past can be regarded as ideal and no present one can be seen as catastrophic. 
So I would like to make some historical and theoretic references to help us with our discernment. 

Guilt and forgiveness 
First and foremost we observe that in all men there is something which makes them indifferent to what goes on around them. A historian of civilizations used to say: “Man is an animal with a dirty conscience, inclined to repent and to inflict self punishment”. Man is not spontaneously at ease with others, with himself, or with whatever he calls divine. In the history of nations and religions we notice that this attitude provokes a type of traditional behaviour which is both ritual and moral. It makes man feel bound to adhere to a certain behaviour so as not to arouse the anger of the gods, fall into their disgrace and compromise life hereafter. Man does not dare take initiatives in his social, technical and personal life because he is afraid this might displease his ancestors and the gods and thus imperil his salvation. It is difficult for man to distinguish between, politics and economy, and religion and priests. In a society where there are so many fears, political leaders, workers and businessmen are often in conflict among themselves. 
In general, people, especially those in the West, have interpreted Christian Revelation almost exclusively from the point of view of sin and pardon, very much in the same way and with the “religious” mentality which I have described. Although there has been some progress in this regard, we have not succeeded in freeing ourselves completely from this idea. It is therefore important to underline the fact that, thanks to Jesus Christ, God is ready to forgive man and to help him repent. By following God’s commandments, man can lead a good life and thus be saved. The Sacraments are the sign of this forgiveness of sins and the anticipated manifestation of the eternal Kingdom. The Church, and in actual fact priests, play a very important part in this regard as they are the ones to teach and to administer the sacraments. It is because of our Redemption that we can talk about our eternal salvation and our present hope. In this perspective, however, we do not attach enough importance to the realities and progress of this earthly life. In the majority of cases, man seems to be unable to leave a positive imprint on this life. Rather he reverts to violence. The Church tries to give a positive contribution and in situations of military and political conflicts, it tries to reconcile those involved. This gives it an indirect authority on all that which is human as it has to intervene quite often because these situations are common due to the fact that sin dominates the world. 

The Advent of Modernity 
Modernity has come at a time when man has started interesting himself in whatever is human making him forget the question of salvation. We can say that, in the history of the world, a new era has started. The image of heaven proposed by Copernicus has today changed. The same can be said about the image of the earth which has also changed as a result the Great Discoveries which came about at the end of 15th century, beginning of 16th. Forgetting about sin and forgiveness, man has discovered his own ability to understand space and time (science) and to be able to master them (technology, commerce and travel). Man is looking upon the earth as a space to which it is worth dedicating his time and ingenuity. What we today call acceleration of history is nothing but the consequence of the ever increasing speed and the greater control which man is gaining over the earth, thus gaining more autonomy and freedom. 
We can understand why when this movement was started in Europe at the time of the Renaissance and after, it provoked political and religious discussions. The impression was that in political spheres, princes did their best to keep men in a state of submission and in religious spheres, this was done by the clergy. At modernity’s initial stage it was in fact felt necessary to redefine political norms and religious exigencies so that man’s humanistic efforts did not make him lose vision of his final destiny. In other words a rethinking of the dual reality of sin and forgiveness was necessary so that these would not present an obstacle to the creation of a different humanity. 
Difficulties and successes of modernity 
In actual fact, this new political and religious set up is presently being developed. We must say this has its positive and negative aspects. The advent of modernity has renewed an endemic rivalry between Church and State, between princes and bishops particularly the Pope. Technology has brought about bloodier wars but has not been of much help in establishing peace. The development of human skills has resulted in greater social inequalities, and work and money have not been, and are still not being, managed properly. Injustices and violence have increased and these seem to have escalated as man gained more power. Meanwhile man’s relations with the supernatural and his preoccupation about his final destiny do not seem to interest man any more. One easily understands why the temptation to give in to desperation is so widespread. 
Still, among all these vicissitudes, new values, which are today generally accepted, have appeared. We notice that the Gospel’s truths and man’s nature entice us to live these values in spite of all difficulties. The vision of this earthly life, shared also by the Church, envisages the establishment of a just democracy which promotes the rights of every individual and the management of an economy which advances the common good which is measured by the access of this common good to the poorest. The final aim and assessment of any development in research and technology should be the common good. These developments in political, social and cultural spheres should bring about a reform in the church so that that it may be able to reconciliate evangelical values and humanity with man’s grace and the church’s authority. This was the aim behind Vatican II. We have to find a balance between the risk of going back to a religion based on fear and transformed only in appearances, and the idea of abandoning ourselves to an atheist dynamic of uncontrolled progress, even if this is never fully achieved. 
What I have been trying to say by these references to modernity is that we cannot work for the coming of the Kingdom of God in Europe if we do not take up this challenge. The supernatural aspect of our faith will be much more credible if it contributes towards the creation of real order in the present world and gives sense to today’s society. I believe that, this European Project can only materialize if all Christians face this challenge with this perspective in view. 

3. Some Essential attitudes for the building of Europe 

We have looked at our contribution towards the building of Europe from the catholic point of view and in the light of the project which God is entrusting to us and in the light of the Law of the Kingdom. We have also seen that the European project is an important episode in the history of modernity. I would now like to highlight three attitudes which can help us to give concrete christian witnessing in the carrying out of this project. These are reconciliation, dialogue and the Beatitudes. Before elaborating on these, I would like to highlight the term I have used: attitudes. It does not mean that these attitutudes are to be adopted one after the other in a chronological order. It means that one does not have to wait until full reconciliation is reached in order to move on to dialogue and after having reached a consensus proceed to act. These three attitudes should be adopted concurrently. Even if signs of reconciliation are evident, there is always room for pardoning, asking for pardon or receiving pardon and for fighting against resentment and frustration. Individuals, groups and nations are continually under tension to overcome the antagonism and isolation brought about by events and different points of view. Agreements at times highlight other areas which need to be discussed and about which decisions have to be taken possibly together. Whatever action is taken, it still remains very difficult to say that work in favour of universal, political, economic and social peace, with all its religious implications, has ever been fully accomplished. This is exactly why I have spoken about attitudes. We need to assess continually our reconciliatory efforts, our dialogue and our actions vis-a-vis the Beatitudes. We should also ensure that we do not drag behind unnecessarily because of the difficulties we encounter. 

RECONCILIATION 
When we look at a historical map to try to understand the genesis of Europe, the first word which comes to mind is “reconciliation”. Here in Sarajevo, I pronounce this word with hesitation, knowing that this city has been through so much suffering. Europe, with the borders which we provisionally accept today and which includes all the countries west of Russia and Turkey, is a shattered continent because of the numerous wars and the many deaths it has seen. Many Europeans have sad memories of events which unknowingly fill them with resentment and guilt. Whether these events are things of the past or quite recent, they are bound to weigh on our consciences as Europeans, especially if pardon has not been negotiated and if prospects of ways of living together have not been found. On the other hand these events also touch our christian consciences and make us turn to the Gospel. 

Historical references. 1. Antiquity 
Maybe, we should start by going very much back in time. Long ago, the civil world (I could not find a better word for this) did not cover only that which we today call Europe but also all the Mediterranean basin. If we limit ourselves only to the christian Church, this is what we find. The first Fathers of the Church, whom I can think of, are Giustino, Ignatius of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, Origine. These came from Syria and Egypt. The first Christian literature which reached us from the West is written in Greek by Clement of Rome, Ipollito of Rome and Irineo of Lyon while the first Fathers who wrote in Latin are African, Tertullian and Ciprian. During the great patristic period (IV and V century) we also come across writers who came from the Mediterranean, Atanasio and Cyril in Egypt, Augustine and Fulgenzio in Africa and in Italy, the Roman Mario Caio Vittorino, the Milanese Ambrogio, Paolino from Nola who came from the south-east of Gallia and Gerome from the Dalmatian coast. We also find the Fathers of Cappadocia, who lived between Costantinople and Cesarea at the far end of the Anatolia territory which is the present Turkey. 
This Mediterranean unity started breaking up when the barbaric invasions put the western countries under fire. The Roman Empire of the west fell at the end of the V century and from that time on, a division started growing between the barbaric West during the pagan and Arian period and the East which remained Orthodox. Then in the VIII century we see the rise of Islam, which progressively took over and dominated the Western Empire and spread as far as the regions which we today consider as European – such as Bosnia Hersegovina. One could say that Europe comprises those territories and nations which, on the one hand did not support the Greek West and fell into the hands first of the Arabs and then of the Turks, and on the other those which succeeded to resist the Muslim attacks, starting from the victory of Poitiers (732 Carlo Martello) up to that of Vienna (1683 Jean Sobieski). Europe was thus established in the west and hostility grew with the East. 
Therefore already at this very early stage in the historic construction of Europe, there was already room for reconciliation, first of all because of the way history had developed and also because of the fact that people were trying to get closer to those from whom they had been separated or even fought against, the Greeks and the Muslims. Reconciliation is the first step in the healing of our historic past. This political reconciliation, nevertheless, means also a religious reconciliation, because the confessional aspect had such a decisive role in pre-modern society that it was very difficult to distinguish between politics and religion. Dialogue between “Greek” and “Latin” Christians and reciprocal and respectful understanding between Christians and Muslims are essential requisites in the building of a true Europe, such that it may include the Near and Middle East, Russia included, and that citizens from these regions are accepted and welcomed in the other countries. 

2. Modern and contemporary Europe 
If we look at Europe from this point of view, we see, that in reality, it was already constituted as far back as the XIV century. In fact, its formation started with the coming and development of modernity, which, as I have just said, can be described as the progressive domination of man’s autonomy, autonomy in political spheres, the legitimacy of nationalities, an awaking perception of freedom, conscience and history, and developments in science and technology. These were the bases of the European civilization. There were however ongoing conflicts and reconciliation never lasted for long. The European states, already in existence in the XIV century, France, England, the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and Prussia were continually at war among themselves to affirm their political supremacy over one another, to control foreign trade and to set up empires and colonies. So between the XV and the XX century, the European map was continually changing as a result of short-lived treaties for peace. Meanwhile, while these internal conflicts were going on, other continents were developing. Europe’s contribution in this process was on the one hand positive as it helped to bring Christianity and modern humanism to the countries which were being colonized, but, at the same time, there was also a negative side to it, because this was being done in the political and economic interest of the rival European countries without respecting the autonomy of the conquered nations. Even in these cases, there is room for reconciliation for what happened in the past. This has to come after an assessment of the actual situations followed by agreements aimed at creating a better future. 

3. Religious confessions 
From the religious point of view, European countries were at first united around the catholic religion. I think here we should try to find out why this was so. This was mainly due to the active role of the Popes as defenders of the Italian nation against the pagan and Arian invaders after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the political victories by catholic princes like Clodoveo, Pipino the Short and Charles the Great and the development of catholic monasticism and the Gregorian reform which unified Christianity from the XI to the XIII century. This catholic unity started disintegrating gradually exactly at the time when modern Europe was being set up. The development of nationalism clashed with the pope’s leadership which failed to divert itself to a purely religious position. A balance between the Franciscan spirituality, the various types of evangelisms and an affirmation of a papacy in which the religious, political and financial supremacy were all excessively intermingled was never found. States and civil society on their part found great difficulty to find an effective social space for any type of faith. After all this, in the XVI century, we find the Protestant Reform on the one side and the breaking up of Catholicism at national levels. So when we speak about faith in Europe, we realize that there is a lot to be done as regards reconciliation. This situation has made us feel the need for ecumenical dialogue. 

Three God-sent signs of our times 
During the XX century there have been three important signs in which we can see God’s hand and which fill us with hope. God is truly with us in the construction of Europe and of the world. The first is the birth and development of an ecumenical movement. This has developed from the conviction that the Gospel cannot be spread in the world if the disciples of Christ are not reconciled among themselves. We know that the way, from the time when this idea started spreading among anglo-saxons just before the first world war to the full reconciliation among all Christian confessions, is very long. However, as we say in one of our liturgical prayers: “that God may accomplish that which He has started in us”. Ecumenism should be part of the normal daily life of each and every one of us and of our communities. It is indispensable for the construction of Europe. 
The second fact is the French-German reconciliation which was already evident at the end of the second world war. One may say that this reconciliation offered a “strong base” for treaties to be signed and for the undertaking of achievements which were unimaginable sixty years ago. It is true that Europe is not made up only of Germany and France but we can well imagine what the situation would have been had these two countries persisted in the hostility which they bore for one another for ages. 
Finally, there was the Second Vatican Council which came after a very rich and contrasting period in the history of the Church starting from the time of Pope Leo XIII (1878). The Church went through a sort of planned change. It realized that its evangelic life and its mission were asking for a review of its institutions and a re-evaluation of human existence in the personal, social, political and economic dimensions. It opened itself to ecumenical dialogue and assumed an attitude, which could be defined as “full of tenderness”, towards individual souls and towards all men. 
These three specific events and many others related to them make us hope for positive solutions even though the world is still afflicted by conflicts which slow down the European movement. We have to trust in God seeing all that He has done and try to build on what man has achieved in the recent past. Instead of nurturing our resentments and resigning ourselves to the diversities which owe their origin to history and culture, we should rather try to find ways of continuing to constuct Europe working on what has been achieved by our immediate generations. It is our duty to do our part to ensure that the aim behind the building of Europe is not to counterbalance the United States, which have become extremely powerful, or Russia, which could become a menace, or the Far East, where we are seeing a movement which could overpower us, or Africa, which we could end up making it collapse under its difficulties instead of helping it to develop its own resources. Past experience in history has taught us that all that which is done to counteract something else never leads to lasting peace. We should aim at having a strong and peaceful Europe so that it may be a strong element in international relations where no continent tries to dominate the others but all are open to exchange, offering what they have and accepting what they lack. Europe will thus be an important contributor towards the reconciliatory development of the world. 

DIALOGUE 
Listening 
Today much is being said about dialogue and once we are talking about it, we have in fact started to dialogue. Dialogue is a new and difficult concept which has to be applied at personal, political and even more so at religious level. The instinctive tendency is to assert oneself, present your unquestionable views and expect others to comply. Actually, the first prerequisite as regards dialogue is the word which opens the confession of faith in the Bible: “Listen, Israel”. If I assume that my truth is the truth there is no point in my listening to the others, and therefore dialogue is not possible! Dialogue in reality means, people getting together, exchanging views and listening to one another so as to discover the truth together. We dialogue about the past to appreciate its riches and to speak about its wounds in order to arrive at reciprocal pardon. Sharing the views about the present, we discover the truths about which we can agree and on which we can take common action. 
Dialogue thus means listening to others, accepting their message genuinely and truly and acknowledging its worth. What is said should be true and plausible and should be passed on with conviction and discretion at the same time. Although one has to be convinced of what he says, he should never try to impose his conviction on others. In other words, dialogue means proposing and observing on the one hand and trusting and agreeing on the other. 

Disagreement 
To understand this attitude better, it might be useful to consider instances when it is not possible to reach any substantial agreement even on matters considered important. Even in such cases, the exchange of ideas, which should always be carried out with respect and love, is invaluable. Divergences should lead us to reflect more deeply about our personal convictions in order that we may be able to understand our views better, see them in their context and assess them with humility. Sometimes, when faced with other points of view, we have to keep quiet and refrain from passing any comments. A Muslim wise man says: “Nothing is greater than dialogue among people, who, while remaining faithful to their faith and without making any concessions, paradoxically are open to exchange of views in order to arrive at the truth”. Even in this case, an agreement on the truth which cannot be put into words is reached. 
Agreement and compromise 
Nevertheless, except in these extreme cases, dialogue leads to a certain degree of agreement. We notice that the word agreement (accord), which is an intellectual sounding word, is derived from the latin word cor which means heart and thus has an affective connotation as well. Agreement means that we find common ground and a plan which is acceptable to all, even if this is not to the satisfaction of all. Thus with some compromise, joint efforts will be possible. In many languages, compromise has a negative connotation as it indicates that no one is in full agreement or fully satisfied. In reality, the etymological meaning of the word “compromise” is “that which we can promise together”. Surely it is preferable to be and to act with others, even at the cost of a lesser personal and collective satisfaction, than to remain alone. 

Dialogue in concrete practice 
In this assembly, it is maybe worthwhile to consider the dimensions which agreement and action should reach. It is possible that, in many cases, theoretical agreement and practical compromise are difficult if not impossible to achieve. The wounds of the past are so deep that reconciliation is still far. Divergencies, especially religious ones, are insurmountable and do not help in the reaching of an agreement between the different groups. Besides, at a certain point, words and initiatives have to wait for action to be taken by political and religious leaders on whom we do not have much influence. These difficulties leave no other way but to organize meetings for those whom we call the ordinary men. These can talk about their experiences, their environment, their familiar and professional interests and their religion. It is actually at this level that Catholic Action’s parochial and diocesan groups should work. I think that, in reality, true dialogue can take place in a very discreet and unobtrusive way between two or more families, within a village, a small business firm etc. Dialogue on a larger scale, that involving European nations, Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, cannot be realistic if not well planned beforehand, sustained and followed by the modest efforts of each and everyone in his own environment. The ability to listen and accept proposals and statements is an indispensable. It is the only concrete possibility which strengthens our hope. 

THE BEATITUDES – the guide for happiness 

It is therefore important that we contribute towards the construction of a truly modern Europe which does not fall back in science, technology and economy, a Europe where freedom, reconciliation and dialogue prevail. It should be a place where the efforts, the undertakings and the religious faiths of the different nations are acknowledged. In other words there should be space for the sharing of views and no one should be allowed to assert his views in an exclusive way. This is the secret behind communion and the building of a community. The process of uniting or re-uniting cannot come about with self-renunciation. Even at the political and social level, “he who losses his life saves it”. That which one losses at the individual level, be it at the personal, collective, national or religious level, is found at the collective level. The idea should be “we together” rather than building a wall around “oneself”. As we have already said, the first step in this dialogue is reconciliation. 
The Gospel can be very helpful to us in achieving this. It proposes the Beatitudes. Besides being looked upon as purely religious and as being the Law of the Kingdom to come and the charter along which the Church could and should live, they are also a complete list of rules outlining a way of life which is universally valid. Many observe the Beatitudes even without knowing it because they observe the law indicated by their hearts. The Beatitudes in fact tell us that happiness cannot be found where we most expect to find it. They base it on poverty, affliction, hunger for justice and persecution and link it with gentleness, purity of heart and commitment towards peace and mercy. At this meeting, I think, we should choose one particular Beatitude, that which is most essential in the construction of a reconciled and dynamic Europe. I would instantly choose the beatitude of meekness: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the land”. Meekness is in fact a determined and calm struggle against violence. Physical, military, economic and social violence can only can only be stopped by a determined effort. This effort should also be calm because we cannot expect to stop violence with violence. True strength is mild. We all know this either through personal experience or through the example of meek men and women whom we have come across in our lives. In the Gospel we find that this determined meekness guarantees the possession and inheritance of the land. It is not a possessive dominion but an ownership which puts everything at everybody’s disposal. We cannot have a true Europe unless meekness prevails therein. 
At the end of my intervention, I must point out that the construction of Europe is nothing but an “occasion” we should take advantage of. If we look at it from a historic perspective, we notice that it is “a gift from God” which we should take up and work on. It is an “instance” (kairos) not only in the history of men but also in the dynamics of salvation which leads towards the Kingdom of God. It is for this reason that I have insisted on two aspects which are both of great importance. Firstly I referred to the meditation on the Kingdom, with the Eucharist and the Bible which mysteriously indicate to us the reality towards which Europe is heading, its real “human hope” 
Then I dealt with the serious and critical acceptance of modernity of which Europe and the world are part. We should resist the temptation of thinking of going back to an ideal period in the history of Europe which never existed. It is the duty of all Europeans to work so as to ensure that modernity, freedom, history, science, technology…become means of developing a true humanism. And among Europeans, we Christians have our proposals to make which, knowingly or unknowingly, many are awaiting. 

Lastly we know that, like every great undertaking, the construction of Europe entails a lot. The teachings of the Gospel could be of great help to us because the word “renounce” does not frighten Christians. They are convinced that fear can be overcome with Christ’s help and with the grace of the Holy Spirit. We should renounce old and more recent resentments and work hard for reconciliation in our own little corner. We should renounce to any type of violence by trying to establish the truth and by being always open to listen and to dialogue. The meditation of the Beatitudes is not only the secret of our strength and perseverance but it is also the source of the happiness we experience when we dedicate ourselves to this political and social commitment which leads towards the Kingdom and up to a certain extent makes it present even now.

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III European-Mediterranean Continental Meeting
FOR A FRATERNAL EUROPE. The contribution of Catholic Action •Sarajevo, September 3rd-7th 2003