Let Europe become a true community of values

“We are positive that the Gospel can provide help for Europe. It is not the Gospel that brings about Europe because it is already there, either in its given or its present form. What we can offer, however, is help in the shaping of that Europe; and it should be underlined that this is the case of asking for and offering help: we do not wish to dictate anything,” said Bishop Gusztáv Bölcskei, the Synod’s President for Religious Matters, on the occasion that Hungary assumed the presidency of the European Union on 1 January.

He went on to relate how Christianity and Europe meet in the Bible. It is described in the Acts that the apostle Paul is on a mission in Asia when one night he has a vision: a man of Macedonia stands in front of him, saying: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul leaves for Europe at once, arriving in Philippi, where he finds some women who come together and pray – this is how the first European congregation is formed, in the house of a woman called Lydia, who is a seller of purple goods. Gusztáv Bölcskei emphasised that all the main elements of this story are still relevant today. On the one hand there is the grand and miraculous vision, but it is also significant that the apostle is not greeted in Philippi by a triumphal gate or any kind of ovation, “only” a handful of women welcome him in the Macedonian city.

“Therefore we do need an encouraging vision, but the mundane work still needs to be done, and a few people could be enough to start that,” said the Bishop. “In my view the dynamism of these two extremes has always been present in the history of the church, and it will definitely be visible in 2011 as well. Whether it is in our contribution to the EU presidency or other envisioned endeavours, which may turn out differently from what we previously imagined, some of our ideas will doubtless become a reality.”

Nevertheless, just like Paul in Philippi, we face difficulties in the modern community known as the European Union. Gusztáv Bölcskei pointed out that in the EU, which refers to itself as a community of values, there has been a growing tendency towards a community of economic interests in recent years.

“For a long time we have been sceptical about the EU’s claim of being a community of values when in fact its first and foremost rule is the free movement of capital – it even precedes the free movement of people. This has been accompanied by the ideology of a self-regulatory market and the superiority of rationality over moral and ethical considerations. And then it suddenly materialised that when moral values such as justice, truthfulness and trust are missing, banks and financial systems collapse and states get to the verge of insolvency. 2011 is a real turning point for the EU, a time when it is no longer sufficient to claim to be a community of values, but specific measures need to be taken to realise that claim. A French professor of ethics considers 2011 to be the year of “moral riposte” for the European community: we need to realise that when moral foundations disappear, even the systems seemingly independent from morality collapse. It is vital that Europe as a community of values should not be a mere claim, but the commonly held and declared values should have their consequences in the economic and financial policies as well.”

The Bishop of the Trans-Tisza Region regards the next six months as an immense opportunity, and he thinks it is far from insignificant what the Hungarian EU presidency will be like: what it will mean not only for Europe but also for Hungary in particular. Gusztáv Bölcskei believes that it is the task of Hungarian denominations to capitalise on this half-year period and help re-shape the (either by chance or by will) distorted image of Hungary that has recently dominated Europe’s perception of us. It is not the duty of the churches to agree with each and every measure of the Hungarian government, but the Reformed Church, with the help of its network and good relations with international church organisations as well as partner churches, may contribute to the clarification of certain false assumptions that are being strengthened both inside and outside Hungary, he added. It is not only in the interest of the Reformed Church, but also in that of every Hungarian citizen that there be an authentic image of our country.

The Bishop mentioned several instances of common ground between programmes related to the Reformed Church and the priorities of the European Union presidency, the first of these being the joint opening worship of the Ecumenical Week of Prayer on 16 January. This event is organised to represent Christian unity, but it also provides an opportunity to come together in prayer for Europe and for the six-month period in which Hungary presides over the community. Hungarian political leaders are invited to attend this worship, and the meeting between the government and the ecumenical church leaders has been set for the same date. Another event concerning the relations between state and church is the annual official meeting of the EU and European church leaders to be held at the end of June, that is, still under the Hungarian presidency. “Our goal is to have the Hungarian presidency contribute to the explicit realisation of the aim declared in the Lisbon Treaty about maintaining a regular dialogue between the EU and the churches. It is our hope that this will happen both on a European and on a Hungarian level,” continued Bishop Bölcskei.

Another clear and obvious instance of common ground stems from the fact that this year is the European Year of Volunteering, since the life of the church is inseparable from the idea of volunteering. This is an integral and vital part of the Reformed Church, and now it is also gaining a central position in secular circles: every normal and healthy community needs to rely on volunteering. Gusztáv Bölcskei added that the Reformed Church of Hungary is highly experienced in this regard, and its experiences are ready to be utilised. The Ecumenical Diaconal Year Network operations are of outstanding quality, sending and receiving young people to take part in voluntary work in diaconal homes, among the poor and the disabled. The “Bridge of Love” programme is now extended to the whole of the Carpathian basin and involves thousands of people, bringing together the principles of the church and social values. The Reformed Church has created a volunteering workshop, which organises events and conferences that spread the idea of voluntary work. “We need to show the added value that is brought about by our faith in Christ,” said Bishop Bölcskei.

He emphasised that the church’s perspective also needs to be taken into consideration when it comes to economic and employment policies, as the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC-CSC), residing in Brussels, has gained significant experiences. The Reformed Church of Hungary has been playing an active part in the work of the commission for years. Over the next six months, there are going to be several church-organised conferences, for instance about family as a priority and a community to be strengthened. Roma integration will be a priority issue in Europe, and it will gain more significance within the Reformed Church of Hungary as well. A June 2011 Roma mission conference is going to present good practices and models. Gusztáv Bölcskei stressed that in connection with the Roma people a dissemination of knowledge is also needed as there is a painful lack of information and misconceptions abound among the general public. The issue, both in Hungary and Europe, has to break out from the constraints of the ideological approach that considers everyone guilty of discrimination who dares to state that the Roma community contributes to social tensions. We must thrive to seek solutions together, but first the constant shifting of responsibility needs to end.

The idea of cultural diversity is present in several Reformed events, and the Bishop mentioned three of these. Within the conference series entitled “Healing of Memories,” a meeting will be held between 10-12 March that spreads the idea of finding peace, and different nations and cultures living together in harmony. Another related event is the special Day of Hungarian Reformed Unity on 22 March, as well as the Reformed Music Festival to be held in Budapest that encompasses and represents the whole of the Carpathian basin.

Botond Csepregi