Rethinking Relationships with ChurchAt times, the church has been its own worst enemy – backing Franco’s brutal regime in Spain (something it still hasn’t apologized for) and stonewalling the pedophilia scandals in recent years. But even before these revelations, the church “was an oppressive force,” says Willie Walsh, the Bishop of Killaloe, who went on a millennial pilgrimage of reconciliation in 1999. “It was judgmental and placed too much emphasis on a God who was very much to be feared.” Governments are severing official ties to the faith that has been linked with European history since the conversion of Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. When the European Union was debating its draft constitution, it made no mention of God or Christianity – despite the best lobbying efforts of Pope John Paul II. Most European countries no longer have state religions. The crucifix has long been taken down from public schoolhouse walls; today’s argument is about whether teachers – or students – should be allowed to wear the Muslim veil. In a pluralist society that takes pains not to exclude any religion or culture – and now includes more than 37 million Muslims – the days of Christianity as the “official” state religion will soon be over. However, there are countries that refuse to break up with religious traditions. Leaving God out of the EU constitution, says Tadeusz Mozaviecki, Poland’s first post communist Prime Minister, is like “someone cutting the Cathedral of Notre Dame out of a Paris album.” Mozaviecki co-authored the preamble to his country’s 1997 constitution, which included mention of God. “The influence of Christianity on shaping the face of Europe was so enormous that one used to speak of Western civilization as Christian civilization.” Key words: used to. Where popes and cardinals once usurped the authority of kings, and kings established churches to suit their own needs, today the trend is to weaken whatever mild church-state connections still exist. In 2000, Sweden disestablished its state church eliminating most of the denomination’s legal and fiscal advantages. Norway has convened a commission to draft an action plan for loosening ties. And Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the worldwide Anglican community, has voiced support for the eventual disestablishment of the Church of England. The exclusion of God from the affairs of the state makes sense to many Christians. “This is not a theocracy, for God’s sake,” says British Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff. “I am concerned about the spiritual state of Europe, but we can’t solve that in a constitution. Prayer is a much better answer.” Duff’s call for public inaction and private action reflects Europe’s reality. Both at the national and individual levels, religion is going private. Churches across Europe are boarding up – or being turned into pubs, homes, even supermarkets. Citizens, like states, are rethinking their relationships with the clergy and fashioning their own relationships with God. Says Jàn Suchàn, a catholic priest in Slovakia who hosts a popular radio show: “The more independent people become, the less they need someone to lead them by the hand.” French Orthodox theologian Olivier Clement terms this as a “quest for liberty of the spirit.” He predicts that “at the end of this path will open a new age of Christianity.” Truth is, it may have already begun. Even in Eastern Europe, where religion has enjoyed post-communist resurgence and the church has eagerly claimed the stature it lacked in the days past, its elevation has come with a diminution of respect for Christian hierarchy. Church leaders call on us “to believe and be led in faith by them, but I doubt they have the faith themselves,” says Galina Zubritskaya, 48, a Moscow translator. “When I do come to a church, I avoid making contact with the clergy,” whom most Russians see as tarnished by their involvement in shadowy business practices. “The important thing for me is to have God in my heart.” (From ‘Time’, abridged) Choose the best answer to the following questions.
1. The main idea of the article is that A. European countries are becoming increasingly democratic in religion. B. the church can no longer be considered an influential force in Europe. C. the church has become independent of state. 2. The article calls the church “its own worst enemy” because A. it supported fascism. B. it protected the clergy. C. it pursued policies which were contrary to the basics of Christianity. 3. The main reason for the statement that Christianity will soon cease to be the “official” religion in Europe is that A. there are many Muslims in Europe. B. the governments are severing their ties with the faith. C. Europeans find it necessary for every religion or culture to have equal rights and opportunities. 4. What does Tadeusz Mosaviecki mean by saying that leaving God out of the constitution is like “someone cutting the Cathedral of Notre Dame out of a Paris album”? A. It deprives the constitution of something basic. B. It is vandalism. C. He means to be funny. 5. What did church-state relations use to be like? A. The church used to be more powerful than the state. B. The church and the state used the power of each other to achieve their own aims. C. The church and the state used to be one single whole. 6. MEP Andrew Duff means to say that A. religion mustn’t be enforced on people by law. B. the constitution doesn’t have enough power to strengthen Christianity. C. he is sorry the spiritual character of Europe has changed. 7. The influence of the clergy in Western Europe is diminishing because A. churches are closing down. B. people don’t believe priests. C. believers tend to fashion their relationships with God without clerical guidance. 8. In Eastern Europe A. the influence of the church is diminishing because people distrust the clergy. B. the church is reviving irrespective of a certain distrust of the clergy. C. people believe in God but don’t go to church.
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