The Church in France has again appealed to the government for recognition of
the contribution and social dimension of religions here and elsewhere in
Europe.
The appeal was made by Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, president of
the French episcopal conference, at the opening of the assembly of the nation's
bishops being held here this week.
In view of the 1905 French law on church-state separation, Archbishop Ricard
emphasized that religions do not wish "to be relegated to the domain of
private opinions." Instead, they have a "social dimension that must
be taken into consideration, a role to play next to other schools of thought,
to make their contribution to the questions and problems of our society,"
he said.
"In fact, through its institutions and the work of its members, our Church
does not remain passive," the archbishop added. "It is particularly
committed to the education of young people, in social, health and charitable
fields, and in the area of culture, art and protection of creation."
Precisely in virtue of this commitment, the Church "wishes to participate in
the debates of society, and when it intervenes in the case of illegal
immigrants or on road safety, it does so to take an active part in the
construction of a real common life in France," Archbishop Ricard
explained.
In this context, he announced that the Church will begin to work this year on a
document entitled "The Place of the Catholic Church in French Society: Our
Experience as Bishops."
Archbishop Ricard expressed the hope that "what is being planned today in
France may also have positive repercussions in the European construction and,
especially, in the future Constitution. It is not only desirable that Europe
not be ignorant of its spiritual, religious and humanist heritage but that it
welcome positively the actual contribution of churches and religious
communities."
At the opening of the bishops' assembly, Archbishop Ricard also paid attention
to the suffering Church in the world, referring to the "dramatic
situation" being experienced by the Christian communities in southern
Sudan, in addition to remembering the Israelis and Palestinians of the Holy
Land.
"We make an appeal so that all agents of peace will commit themselves with
courage to begin a constructive dialogue that will finally silence arms in
order to re-establish security, dignity and justice," he said.
He also referred to the Iraqi people, who "already suffer the weight of
the embargo" and prayed that they "will not have to endure the
devastation and consequences of a new war."