European Act in Santiago de Compostela (9 November 1982)

On Tuesday, 9 November 1982, in Santiago de Compostela, the Holy Father performed a solemn 'European act' during which he pronounced these memorable words: "I, bishop of Rome and pastor of the Universal Church, from Santiago, address to you, old Europe, a cry full of love: Return to yourself! Be yourself! Discover your origins. Revive your roots. Experience again those authentic values that made your history glorious and your presence in other continents beneficial."

Your Majesties,
most excellent and most illustrious Lords,
Ladies, brothers.

1. Having reached the end of my pilgrimage on Spanish soil, I wanted to stop in this splendid Cathedral, so closely linked to the apostle James and the faith of Spain. Allow me first of all to warmly thank His Majesty the King for the significant words you have just addressed to me.

This place, so dear to the piety of the Galicians and all the Spaniards, has been a point of attraction and convergence for Europe and all of Christianity over the centuries. For this reason I wanted to meet here the illustrious representatives of European bodies, the Bishops and the organizations of the continent. I address my respectful and cordial greetings to everyone, and with you I wish to reflect on Europe this evening.

My inner gaze extends in this hour, over the entire European continent, over the immense network of communication routes that connect the cities and nations that compose it; and I see again the paths that, since the Middle Ages, have conveyed and continue to convey to Saint James of Compostela - as demonstrated by the Holy Year which is celebrated this year - countless crowds of pilgrims, attracted by devotion towards the Apostle.

Since the 11th and 12th centuries, under the impetus of the monks of Cluny, the faithful from every part of Europe gathered in ever larger crowds at the tomb of Saint James, continuing up to the place considered "Finis terrae" at the time, that famous "camino de Santiago", which the Spaniards already followed as pilgrims, finding assistance and accommodation along the way with exemplary figures of charity, such as San Domenico de la Calzada and San Giovanni Ortega, or in places such as the Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Road.

Here they gathered from France, Italy, Central Europe, the Nordic countries, the Slavic nations, Christians of all social conditions, from rulers to the humblest villagers; Christians of all spiritual levels, from saints, such as Francis of Assisi and Bridget of Sweden (not to mention the Spanish saints), to public sinners seeking penance.

The whole of Europe gathered around the "memory" of James in those same centuries in which it was building itself as a homogeneous and spiritually united continent. For this reason Goethe himself will affirm that the conscience of Europe was born through pilgrimage.

2. The pilgrimage to Santiago was one of the strong elements that favored the mutual understanding of very different European peoples, such as the Latins, the Germans, the Celts, the Anglo-Saxons and the Slavs. The pilgrimage brought together, in fact, brought into contact and united those people who, from century to century, reached by the preaching of Christ's witnesses, embraced the Gospel and at the same time, we can say, emerged as peoples and nations.

The history of the formation of European nations runs parallel to that of their evangelization, to the point that the European frontiers coincide with those of the penetration of the Gospel. After twenty centuries of history, despite the bloody conflicts that have pitted the peoples of Europe against each other, and despite the spiritual crises that have marked the life of the continent - to the point of posing serious questions to the conscience of our time about the fate of its future - it must still be stated that the European identity is incomprehensible without Christianity, and that precisely in it we find those common roots from which the civilization of the old continent matured, its culture, its dynamism, its industriousness, its ability of constructive expansion also on other continents; in a word, everything that constitutes his glory.

And even today, the soul of Europe remains united, because, in addition to its common origins, it lives identical Christian and human values, such as those of the dignity of the human person, of the profound feeling of justice and freedom, of industriousness, of spirit of initiative, love of family, respect for life, tolerance, desire for cooperation and peace, which are notes that characterize it.

3. I turn my gaze to Europe as the continent that has contributed most to the development of the world, both on the level of ideas and on that of work, science and the arts. And while I bless the Lord for having illuminated it with his evangelical light since the origins of the apostolic preaching, I cannot remain silent about the state of crisis in which it is struggling, on the threshold of the third millennium of the Christian era.

I am speaking to representatives of organizations created for European cooperation, and to brothers in the Episcopate of the various local Churches of Europe. The crisis affects both civil and religious life. On a civil level, Europe is divided. Unnatural fractures deprive its peoples of the right to meet each other in a climate of friendship, and to freely combine their efforts and their genius in the service of peaceful coexistence and a solidarity contribution to the solution of the problems that afflict other continents. Civil life is also marked by the consequences of secularist ideologies, the extension of which ranges from the denial of God or the limitation of religious freedom, to the preponderant importance attributed to economic success over the human values ​​of work and production; from materialism and hedonism, which undermine the values ​​of the fruitful and united family, of newly conceived life and the moral protection of youth, to a "nihilism" which disarms the will from facing crucial problems such as those of the new poor, emigrants, minorities ethnic and religious, of the healthy use of the mass media, while equipping the hands of terrorism.

Europe is also divided on a religious level. Not so much nor mainly due to the divisions that have occurred over the centuries, but rather due to the defection of baptized people and believers from the profound reasons of their faith and from the doctrinal and moral vigor of that Christian vision of life, which guarantees balance to people and communities.

4. For this reason, I, John Paul, son of the Polish nation, which has always considered itself European, due to its origins, traditions, culture and vital relationships, Slavic among the Latins and Latin among the Slavs; I, successor of Peter in the See of Rome, the See that Christ wanted to place in Europe and that Europe loves for his effort in spreading Christianity throughout the world; I, Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the universal Church, from Santiago, cry out with love to you, ancient Europe: “Find yourself again. Be yourself". Rediscover your origins. Revive your roots. Come back to live the authentic values ​​that have made your history glorious and your presence on other continents beneficial. Rebuild your spiritual unity, in a climate of full respect towards other religions and genuine freedoms. Render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Do not take pride in your conquests to the point of forgetting their possible negative consequences; do not be depressed by the quantitative loss of your greatness in the world or by the social and cultural crises that are affecting you. You can still be a beacon of civilization and a stimulus to progress for the world. The other continents look to you and expect from you the response that St. James gave to Christ: "I can".

5. If Europe will be one, and it can be with due respect for all its differences, including those of the different political systems; if Europe will return to thinking, in social life, with the vigor possessed by some statements of principle such as those contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the European Declaration of Human Rights, in the final "Act" of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe; if Europe will return to acting, in its more specifically religious life, with due recognition and respect for God, on whom all rights and all justice are founded; if Europe will open its doors to Christ again and will not be afraid to open the borders of the States, the economic systems as well as the political ones, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development to his saving power (cf. Teachings of John Paul II , I [1978), 35 ff), its future will not remain dominated by uncertainty and fear, but will open up to a new season of life, both internal and external, beneficial and decisive for the entire world, always threatened from the clouds of war and the possible hurricane of atomic holocaust.

6. Now the names of great personalities come to mind: men and women who have given splendor and glory to this continent through their genius, ability and virtue. The group is so numerous, including thinkers, scientists, artists, explorers, inventors, rulers of peoples, apostles and saints that it does not allow for examples. They constitute a stimulating heritage of example and trust. Europe still has reserves of incomparable human energy, capable of supporting it in this historic work of continental rebirth and service to humanity.

It is dear to me to remember now, with simplicity, the strength of mind of Teresa of Jesus, whose memory I particularly wanted to honor on this trip, and the generosity of Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of charity in the Auschwitz concentration camp, who I recently proclaimed saint.

However, the Saints Benedict of Nursia and Cyril and Methodius, Patron Saints of Europe, deserve special mention. Since the first days of my pontificate, I have never ceased to underline my concern for the life of Europe, and to indicate what teachings come from the spirit and action of the "patriarch of the West" and the "two Greek brothers”, apostles of the Slavic peoples.

Benedict knew how to unite Romanism with the Gospel, the sense of universality and law with the value of God and the human person. With his famous motto "ora et labora" - pray and work - he left us a rule that is still valid today for the balance of the person and society, threatened by the prevalence of "having" over "being".

Saints Cyril and Methodius were able to anticipate some conquests, which were fully assumed by the Church in the Second Vatican Council, regarding the inculturation of the evangelical message in their respective civilizations, assuming the language, customs and spirit of the lineage in all the fullness of their own value. And they achieved this in the 9th century, with the approval and support of the Apostolic See, thus beginning that presence of Christianity among the Slavic peoples, which still remains irrepressible today, beyond the current contingent events. I have dedicated pilgrimages, speeches, pontifical documents and public worship to the three Patrons of Europe, imploring their protection on the Continent, and at the same time pointing out their thoughts and their example to the new generations.

The Church is also aware of the part it plays in the spiritual and human renewal of Europe. Without reclaiming positions that it occupied in the past and which in the current era are totally outdated, the Church itself places itself at service, as the Holy See and as a Catholic Community, to contribute to the achievement of those goals that provide authentic material, cultural and spiritual well-being to the nations. For this reason, even at a diplomatic level, it is present through its Observatories in the various non-political community bodies; for the same reason you maintain diplomatic relations, as extensive as possible, with the States; for the same reason, it participated, as a member, in the Helsinki Conference and in the signing of its important final “Act”, as well as in the meetings in Belgrade and Madrid; the latter, gathered today, and for which I express my best votes, in a difficult moment for Europe.

But above all it is ecclesial life that is called into question, in order to continue its testimony of service and love, to contribute to overcoming the current crises of the continent, as I recently had the opportunity to repeat at the Symposium of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (cf. John Paul II, Allocutio ad Consilium Conferentiarum Episcopalium Europae habita , 5 Oct. 1982 : vide supra , pp. 689 ff.)

7. God's help is with us. The prayer of all believers accompanies us. The good will of many unknown people, architects of peace and progress, is present among us, as a guarantee that this Message addressed to the Peoples of Europe will fall on fertile ground.

Jesus Christ, Lord of history, keeps the future open to the generous and free decisions of all those who, welcoming the grace of good inspirations, commit themselves to decisive action for justice and charity, in the name of full respect for the truth and of freedom.

I entrust these thoughts to the Holy Virgin, so that she may bless them and make them fruitful; and remembering the veneration given to the Mother of God in the numerous Sanctuaries of Europe, from Fatima to Ostra Brama, from Loreto to Czestochowa, I beg you to welcome the prayers of many hearts: so that good continues to be a joyful reality in Europe and may Christ always keep our continent united with God.

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