From Monte Cassino to Brussels: The Holy War of John Paul II
For pope Wojtyla, the blood spilled in 1944 by Christian and Jewish Polish soldiers must mark the new constitution of Europe. The religious identity of the continent must also today be defended "at the cost of life itself"
by Sandro Magister
ROMA - On Tuesday, May 18, John Paul II received in audience the president of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski. And he delivered to him a brief but arresting message, of the kind he plans and writes personally.
In the message, the pope used as his launching point the sixtieth anniversary of the battle of Monte Cassino, fought in central Italy around the historic Benedictine abbey: it was a battle won in 1944, against the German army, by the allied troops, among which there were many Polish soldiers (see photo).
John Paul II drew two lessons from this event: on war, and on Europe.
ON WAR
The first lesson that the pope drew from the battle of Monte Cassino is a lesson of historical theology applied to a concrete act of war. It is known that John Paul II has never been a pacifist; he himself has said so many times. For him there¿s war, and then there¿s war. He is capable of opposing with extreme vigor a war that he judges mistaken: and he did so, in 2003, against the war in Iraq. But he does not hesitate to declare his support and arguments in favor of a war he believes to be just. And he did so in regard to the battle of Monte Cassino, in his message to President Kwasniewski.
Here are the pope¿s words as scripted:
"Every Pole remembers proudly that battle, which, thanks to the heroism of the army commanded by General Anders, opened to the allies the way to the liberation of Italy and the defeat of the Nazi invaders. At the military cemetery of Monte Cassino there are tombs on which were placed Latin or Greek crosses, and also tombstones with the star of David. It is there that the fallen heroes rest, united by the ideal of fighting for ¿our freedom and yours¿, which embraces within itself the love of one¿s own country, but also concern for the political and spiritual independence of other nations. All felt the duty of opposing, at all costs, not only the treading down of individuals and nations, but also the attempt to annihilate their culture and their spiritual identity."
The next day, Wednesday, May 19, in his weekly general audience, John Paul II repeated and developed the same thoughts in greeting the Polish pilgrims who were present.
ON EUROPE
But the second part of the pope¿s message to President Kwasniewski was even more fiery. From the blood spilled at Monte Cassino, John Paul II drew a lesson for the Europe of yesterday and today:
"I mention this to recall that, over a period of centuries, the cultural and spiritual heritage of Europe was formed and defended even at the cost of the lives of those who believed in Christ and those who, in their religious creed, hearkened back to Abraham. A reminder of this seems to be necessary in the context of the constitutional foundations of the European Union, into which Poland has recently been integrated. The blood of our countrymen that was shed at Monte Cassino is, today, a persuasive argument within the discussion about what spiritual form Europe should be given. Poland cannot forget this, and it cannot avoid recalling this to those who, in the name of the secularism of democratic societies, seem to forget Christianity¿s contribution to the building of their own identity."
From these words of John Paul II one gathers that:
- the spiritual identity of Europe must also be defended today "even at the cost of life itself;"
- this identity is both Jewish and Christian, as Christians and Jews have been the ones who historically have formed and defended Europe, even with weapons;
- and this identity must be reaffirmed forcefully in the face of those who would now erase it "in the name of the secularism of democratic societies."
The pope doesn¿t say it in so many words, but the allusion to the ongoing discussions on the new constitution of Europe is clear.
Since May 1, when Poland and other Eastern European countries entered the European Union, the Vatican has intensified its pressure on the various governments to insert into the preamble of the new constitution an explicit reference to the Judaeo-Christian identity of the continent.
Up until March, the countries the Vatican was enlisting were above all Spain and Italy. Now, with Spain lost, they are Italy and Poland.
Poland has proposed that, if not in the preamble of the new constitution, the reference to the religious identity of Europe be expressed at least in an attached declaration, on the model of the declaration diffused by "Znack" in 2003, the principal signer of which was former Polish prime minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki.
"Znack," which means "sign," is the name of the cultural magazine of Krakow for which Karol Wojtyla wrote, and with which he still has a friendly relationship.
This is how the original English version of the "Znack" model declaration begins:
"We, Europeans, aware of the richness of our heritage, drawing from the wealth of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Greek philosophy, Roman law, and humanism with both religious and non-religious roots...".
But even more than from Poland, the new entry, it is from Italy - an historic partner of the European Union - that the Vatican authorities expect an initiative capable of sending a message.
The pope and the secretary of state are convinced that if Italy were to make the mention of Judaeo-Christian roots a "non-negotiable" condition of the approval of the entire new charter of Europe, many other governments would adhere to the initiative, and in the end even super-secular France - more interested now than before in the rapid launching of the text - might give it the all clear.
The Italian government appears well disposed toward carrying out this action, in the judgment of the Vatican authorities. But "la Farnesina," the bureaucracy of the foreign ministry, seems more chilly.
This is the diplomacy. But, as is often his style, John Paul II went much farther in his message to the president of his Polish homeland.
As a "persuasive argument within the discussion about what spiritual form Europe should be given," he threw into the face of these governments nothing less than "the blood of our countrymen spilled at Monte Cassino."
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The complete text of the pope¿s message to President Kwasniewski, in Polish, and in the Italian version:
> Udienza al presidente della Repubblica di Polonia, 18 maggio 2004His greeting to the Polish pilgrims at the public audience on Wednesday the 19th:
> L¿udienza generale, 19 maggio 2004__________
The full text, in English, Polish, French, German, and Czech, of the declaration by "Znack," on the website of the Foundation for the Christian Culture of Krakow:
> European Declaration, August 13, 2003__________
On this website, on the Christian identity of Europe:
> The Theologian, the Philosopher, and the Bishop. Three Lessons for the Church and the West (20.5.2004)
> It¿s Secular Because It¿s Christian: Europe Seeks its Identity Card (3.10.2003)
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The website, in several languages, of the abbey that was a theater of war in 1944:
> The Abbey of Monte Cassino__________
English translation by Matthew Sherry:
> traduttore@hotmail.comGo to the home page of
> www.chiesa.espressonline.it/english, to access the latest articles and links to other resources.
Sandro Magister¿s e-mail address is
s.magister@espressoedit.it
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24.5.2004
