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We must rise together with a common voice, not in defence standing with our back to the wall, not in reaction to the afflictions which Europe has suffered, but in order to propose answers drawn from the Gospel – expressed not only through words but also through actions.

We are following in the footsteps of the founding fathers of Europe and of all those who throughout history opposed the inevitability of conflict and broke down barriers. The true challenge which we face today is the future itself. Will we be able to turn this impulse of brotherhood into a reality that is capable of influencing the future of Europe?

For me these moments represent the visible tip of the iceberg. The body of Christ present throughout the world that gives it a soul; that is the salt of the Earth.

In Together for Europe we do not speak of ecumenism, it’s a reality that we live together. From the starting point of unity we can go ahead… coming from different experiences and expressions, but united for a common mission, a common goal which is to tell Europe: ‘It’s possible to live in unity, it’s possible to manifest reconciliation and it’s possible to show that there is life and hope for our continent’.

I believe that if we uncover the values of God, the human person and society itself will be able to breath once more. Together we can give visibility to that inner dimension, where God dwells, and help people find Him.

Unity is possible, it is real: we have experienced it together. Jesus overcame barriers, we found ourselves together, we understood each other deeply, from within, and this is the biggest thing for me. Of course we do not stop at our communion; it brings us out, through Together for Europe, to our society.

Together for Europe should in European countries become a movement of feelings and ideas… a powerful flow of passion for unity that can overcome rigidity and break down borders. This is not just a nice event, but rather an expression of destiny – a call for us Christians, a chance for our co-citizens and a gift for the entire world. This flow runs deep through history and has the capacity to envelop and carry with it many.

What we have and can communicate are not just ideas, but facts we have experienced and lived among ourselves. We want Europe to appreciate that in its heart there are peoples of God that for a long time have been putting into practice unity, cooperation and communion. We are connected in a network and together we want to transform Europe into a space where it is a joy to live.

I believe there will be only one reality to bear witness to: God’s love made visible again through our lives. By showing our joy, our communion, the multitude of Communities and Movements can witness again that God loves us.

Why do we do this? Because we love Europe. But we see it as it should be. We believe that even if the unification process took place fully, Europe still would not encompass everything we would hope for. It would still lack something – perhaps the most important thing – the spiritual dimension. Every Movement, every Community emerges as a response to a collective ‘dark night of the soul’ that presides over this world. In response to the darkness they project a light born of the Holy Spirit and build networks of brotherhood. Today more than ever we need to spread these networks wide and through mutual love create one universal network of brotherhood.

We feel that the process towards creating a Europe for everyone is a clear sign of our times. And it is God who speaks through such signs. Christianity should not constitute only a religious superstructure, but should involve the human person as a whole.

Europe is undergoing a process of enlargement and unification and we want to be attentive to such impulses from God, and incarnate them in our Movements. The historical moment for doing so is now, as evidenced also from the fact that the Movements are working together. My wish is that Europe can find again its Christian soul and be revitalised by the action of the Holy Spirit, and I want to share in this exciting project.