Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
23
westernEuropeansocietieshaveundergonearapid,drastic,andseeminglyirreversi-
bleprocessofsecularization5,todayitishardlypossibletodeceiveourselvesanymore
–religionisatallnotonthewayofextinctionfromour„civilized”,„modern”,and
„integrated”societiesbut,onthecontrary,itacquiresmoreandmoreinfluenceand
paradoxicallyprovesouttobeofdramaticimportanceinmodernworld.Wheredoes
theparadoxcomefrom?
TheplaceofreligioninanyoftheEUcountriesisregulatedbytherespectivecon-
stitution;therearealsospecificauxiliarylawsregulatingtherightsofthecitizensto
confesstheirreligiousbeliefsandperformtherelatedrituals.InthefirstdecadesofEU
development,whenthemajorgoalhasbeentoestablishacommonmarketeconomyto
theprofitofallparticipants,oneofthenecessary„victims”hasbeenthepastfullof
conflictsanddisputes,includingreligiousones.ThedesignofEUasaspace,artifi-
ciallyandpurposefully„deprived”ofcommonhistoricalmemory–aspacewherethe
common(interests,goals)ishighlighted,andthevariance(history,identities,values)is
keptsilent–provedtobeanextremelysuccessfuleconomicexperiment.Itprovedout
thathistoryandtherelated(contradictory)identitiescouldonlyshakethecommon
ambitionofEuropeanstoproduceandsellmoreandbetter.However,the„fathersof
Europe”–havingstartedfromthemarket,indeed–havealwaysaimedsomething
morethanjustamarket.Bydefinition,unitedEuropeshouldbeaspaceofcommon
values–andwhenspeakingaboutvalues,thepresenceofreligiousethicscanbehardly
neglected.
So,thequestioniswhetherthereareindeedcommonvaluesthatshouldmakeawhole
ofEuropeans,andtowhatanextentthesevalueshavebeenpromptedbyreligion?
Thefirstthingwecannoteisthat,atleastfornow,thecommunityofmarkethas
notproveditselfasasufficientconditionfortheemergenceofacommonidentity.The
socialtissueintertwinedintradeandbusinesshasnotatallturnedintoaEuropean
people;thegrowingbulkofpopulistandnationalistmovementsanywherespeaks
ratherinfavourofthereversetendency.
Ontheotherside,theaccessionofthetennewEUmembersin2004forexample
confrontedEuropewiththeinterestingproblemofhowtomanagethereligiousradical-
ismofPolishcitizenswhoshowedthemselvesasgreaterextremistsintheirCatholic
confessionthanthemoderate„oldEuropeans”whohadlongagosecularizedtheir
thinkingandbehaviour.Andifsuchaproblem(althoughchargedwithrelativelyminor
conflicts)couldexistwithinCatholicism,thenhowdothingslooklikefromtheper-
spectiveofOrthodoxBulgaria?
BulgariaisthesecondOrthodoxcountrythathasaccessedtotheEU,following
Greecethathaditsaccessionin1981.Ofcourse,thetermsoftheGreekaccessionat
thattimestronglydifferfromtheseofthepresentday;theaccessiontreatyofGreece
hasbeenalignedwiththeGreekconstitution.Article3,section2,oftheGreekconsti-
tutionreadsasfollows:
„Everyknown(?)religionisfreeandtheformsofworshipthereinshallbeprac-
ticedwithoutanyhindrancebythestateandunderprotectionofthelaw.Theexercise
ofworshipshallnotcontravenepublicorderoroffendmorals.Proselytizingisprohib-
5Ibidem.
