INTERVIEW-Lisbon treaty to boost EU, church contact-Cardinal Dziwisz
There was something missing from our post yesterday entitled Pope John Paul remains touchstone for Poland’s Catholic Church — a link to the story Reuters published based on the interview that Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz gave to Gabriela Baczynska and me. Since it hasn’t been posted separately on the web, here’s the story:
KRAKOW, Poland, Dec 16 (Reuters) – The Roman Catholic Church should use the EU’s new Lisbon Treaty to make its voice heard on moral issues in a Europe that has lost its Christian moorings, a leading Polish churchman said.
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, who spent decades in the Vatican as private secretary to the late Pope John Paul II, also said Poland, still one of Europe’s most devout countries, was helping to shore up the faith by sending priests to several continents.
The European Union’s Lisbon Treaty, which entered into force this month, provides for the first time a legal basis for consultations between EU institutions and religious groups.
“I believe there is a need for such consultations with churches so as not to make mistakes on moral or ethical issues, for the benefit of societies,” Dziwisz told Reuters in an interview authorised for publication on Wednesday.
“Let’s not forget that religion is also a great force that creates cultures and societies. It cannot be bypassed.” Article 17 of the Lisbon Treaty commits the EU to holding “an open, transparent and regular dialogue with… churches and (non-confessional and philosophical) organisations”.
The Vatican had campaigned hard but in vain for a reference to Europe’s Christian roots in a planned EU constitution which was scuppered by French and Dutch voters in 2005. The Lisbon Treaty is a reworked version of that now defunct constitution.
Pope John Paul remains touchstone for Poland’s Catholic Church
Four and a half years after his death, Pope John Paul II remains a dominant presence in Poland’s Roman Catholic Church. Pictures of him are still ubiquitous in his homeland, and not only in churches. His former private secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, regularly invoked the name of the Polish-born pontiff during an interview in Krakow with Reuters, either lauding his role in the victory of democracy over communism in eastern Europe two decades ago or speaking of the need for the church today to follow his example in reaching out to other faiths in a spirit of ecumenical dialogue.
Perhaps the issue playing most on the cardinal’s mind was the expected beatification of John Paul by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI. Beatification is the last step before sainthood. Benedict put his predecessor on ae fast track shortly after taking over at the Vatican in 2005. Dziwisz said the process was now well advanced but the timing of a final decision depended on Benedict.
“(The beatification) is important not only for the Catholic Church,” he said. “This Pope is still alive, the memory of him is still vivid and he is still the reference point for many people. This love is still present.”
Below are excerpts from our interview with Cardinal Dziwisz at his office in Krakow, where John Paul served as archbishop before moving to Rome in 1978. The interview has been translated from the Polish.
“The beatification process is now completed, regarding formal procedures. In Krakow, this procedure was completed relatively quickly; however it doesn’t mean it wasn’t conducted in a detailed and careful way. We undertook it according to all the criteria of canon law, so that no one had any queries regarding its correctness…
“When it was completed all the documents were forwarded to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. Then the positio summing up all the work done so far and all available documents were prepared. Theologians and experts looked at it and the results of their work were forwarded to the Cardinals of the Congregation. The result of this plenary was then submitted to the Holy Father. We hope that on the basis of this evidence the Decree of Heroism of Virtues will be issued.
“Another procedure which needs to be completed is the process of determining a miracle or miracles. It is still in progress … We in Poland, in Krakow, pray for this day to come because the people are expecting it. People already regard John Paul II as a saint, which is crucial in the beatification process. During the funeral there were numerous chants of ‘santo subito!’ (make him a saint now!) from the crowd. His saintliness was fully apparent during his death and funeral.
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