Cardinal Rouco encourages faith in God at the 25th CEU CongressAt the inauguration of the XXV Catholics and Public Life Congressfocused on the evangelization and promoted by the Catholic Association of Propagandists (ACdP) and the San Pablo CEU University Foundation, the nuncio of His Holiness in Spain, Bernardito Auza, read a message from the Pope to the participants, in which he encouraged them to "promote in Spanish society, with a Christian conscience and in coherence with it, the values that nestle the temporal order in respect for the dignity and rights of persons, the search for the common good, the promotion of freedom, cordial coexistence, solidarity and peace.
The Pope's nuncio, Monsignor Bernardito Auza, said that the Christian presence in public life "cannot remain in the intimate sphere of conscience, in the sacristy, in the sphere of family life" but "extends to public life", and defined the congress as "a meeting with deep roots, which brings together the different sensibilities of Catholics and helps us to emerge from paralysis and inertia, to act in the public sphere".
Mons Auza also recalled that the term politics comes from the Greek word polis (people) so that participation in politics is "at the service of the common good of all citizens". "The Christian message is a proposition, not an imposition", "evangelizing is the first and foremost task of the Church", and according to the Pope, the main notes of this evangelization are mercy, the Eucharist and synodality", added the nuncio.
In this line of mercy, Nuncio Auza recalled that when the Pope was once asked how he defined himself, Francis answered: "I am a sinner", and added that the papal motto is "Miserando atque eligendo". The Nuncio also pointed out that "love for the Eucharist has always been the summit of Christian life", and that "in the Eucharist, Jesus gives us life".
"Fan the flame and get involved."
Shortly before, the National Consiliary of the Catholic Association of Propagandists (ACdP) and Archbishop Emeritus of Burgos, Fidel Herráez, reflected on "the identity, mission and commitment as action" of Catholics, encouraging us to "get involved" in line with the Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium of Pope Francis. Now it is necessary to "fan the flame" and "go out with new impetus to the public square, despite the difficulties of today and precisely because of them".
The director of the congress, Rafael Sánchez Saus, explained in the presentation that it is a moment of encounter "opportune to look back and take it forward, raise our gaze and make new resolutions". A meeting point that, he stressed, "has the desire to propose to society the value and Christian power, to cement unity and seek ways of projection towards society as a whole. To bring the light of the Gospel to all the folds of society".
Finally, to conclude the inauguration, the president of the ACdP and CEU, Alfonso Bullón de Mendozahas made a brief overview of the 25 editions of the CongressThis has been possible "thanks to the commitment and dedication of those who have directed it, to all those who have taken part in its sessions and to all those who, with their attendance, have given it meaning".
The first intervention was a lecture by Jaime Mayor Oreja, president of the CEU Royal University Institute of European Studies, who gave the first lecture at the 1st Catholics and Public Life Congress on November 5, 1999, when he was Minister of the Interior.
European and American support for the Holy Land
Next, educational experts analyzed the Congresses on Catholics and Public Life, held in Puerto Rico and Chile, moderated by Professor Maria Solano, and in the afternoon, the Ambassador of the League of Arab States in Spain, Jordanian Malek Twal, presented by Professor Antonio Alonso.
Malek Twal noted that "Christians have always been an integral component of our local communities," and will continue to be so in the Holy Land, "despite the current difficulties," although he pointed out that their permanence will depend on the support that Europe and America give to Christians and their Muslim brothers."
The ambassador of the League of Arab States called for "a strong political involvement of the West to solve the political problems, especially in the Palestinian question, and also economic solidarity to face the problems of poverty, poverty in the Palestinian Territories, the lack of access to education, the lack of access to health care, the lack of access to education, the lack of access to education, and the lack of access to health care for the Palestinian people.
unemployment and malnutrition.
The congress continues with various conferences and workshops, and closes on Sunday with the intervention of Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Princess of Asturias Award for Concord 2023 and the reading of the Manifesto.
