Pope’s Address at Being Awarded Charlemagne Prize

[Athanasiy]

With mind and heart, with hope and without vain nostalgia, like a son who rediscovers in Mother Europe his roots of life and faith, I dream of a new European humanism, one that involves “a constant work of humanization” and calls for “memory, courage, [and] a sound and humane utopian vision”.10 I dream of a Europe that is young, still capable of being a mother: a mother who has life because she respects life and offers hope for life. I dream of a Europe that cares for children, that offers fraternal help to the poor and those newcomers seeking acceptance because they have lost everything and need shelter. I dream of a Europe that is attentive to and concerned for the infirm and the elderly, lest they be simply set aside as useless. I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime but a summons to greater commitment on behalf of the dignity of every human being. I dream of a Europe where young people breathe the pure air of honesty, where they love the beauty of a culture and a simple life undefiled by the insatiable needs of consumerism, where getting married and having children is a responsibility and a great joy, not a problem due to the lack of stable employment. I dream of a Europe of families, with truly effective policies concentrated on faces rather than numbers, on birth rates more than rates of consumption. I dream of a Europe that promotes and protects the rights of everyone, without neglecting its duties towards all. I dream of a Europe of which it will not be said that its commitment to human rights was its last utopia.
zenit.org/articles/popes-address-for-being-awarded-charlemagne-prize/

 

[JPUSC]

Humanism: an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems. (The Oxford Dictionary)

Humanism is a way of looking at the world that places man in the center of the frame. Throughout history, humanism has been at odds with organized religion, specifically with the Roman Catholic Church, which was predominant in the Roman Empire and then in European culture from the Middle Ages on. Humanism is based on liberal principles and a heritage of philosophical thought concerned with ethics. There are secular and Christian versions of humanism.

people.opposingviews.com/humanism-roman-catholic-church-4123.html

catholicculture.org/commentary/insights.cfm?task=show&id=3413