Press Release

Published 26.03.2007 Author: CPCE/FSPC

Proclamation means taking responsibility for Europe

The President of the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches and the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe Thomas Wipf has been speaking about Global Governance in Tutzing with representatives of the church, business and civil society

The churches in Europe have an “enormous potential for the shaping of globalization which is far from being exhausted”. So said the CPCE President Pastor Thomas Wipf today during a platform discussion arranged by the Evangelical Academy in Tutzing, Germany.

Wipf continued by remarking that churches acted on value systems rooted in society which offered long-term orientation on the basis of toleration and respect. Here the Gospel’s “openness to the world” was central; it acted as God’s promise “down to the smallest ramification of our everyday life”. The promise of this Gospel meant taking responsibility for Europe – also and especially in the political sphere.

As part of civil society the churches should be aware of their specific responsibility here. As an alliance of 105 European Protestant churches the CPCE was committed to a Europe which practises integration beyond the frontiers of the EU and takes care of minorities and social outcasts. Accordingly on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome the CPCE published 5 “good wishes” for the future of Europe.

According to Wipf, the churches have the strongest network in civil society. “As churches in Europe we are committed to the shaping of a globalization which is socially and economically sustainable – because the world does not just belong to part of humankind which has control over it.”

The CPCE is demonstrating such commitment with a consultation in Bad Godesberg from 18 to 20 April. Thirty young ecumenists from all over Europe will work there on the challenges of social justice for the Protestant churches.

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