wfn.org | 5th ECEN Assembly in Basel: Churches for a sustainable Europe

["Ruth Gill" <rag@cec-kek.org>]

Conference of European Churches - Office of  Communications
Press Release No. 05-21/e					 9 May
2005

5TH ECEN ASSEMBLY IN BASEL: CHURCHES FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE

More than 120 environmental experts from 30 European countries and from
all Christian traditions took part in the 5th Assembly of the European
Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) in Basel, Switzerland, from 5-8 May
2005. The Assembly, on the theme "The Churches' contribution to a
sustainable Europe", was hosted by the Protestant and Roman Catholic
churches of Basel-City and Basel-Countryside.

At the end of the Assembly participants approved a paper on the Assembly
theme, which is actually a "call", addressed to the member churches of the
Conference of European Churches (CEC) and to the Council of European
Bishops' Conferences (CCEE). "We are concerned that the ecological and
social situation is deteriorating", ECEN states in the call: "Despite all
scientific and political declarations and warnings, too little is being
done and often too late about many of the critical problems such as
climate change, loss of biodiversity, air, water and soil deterioration".
The document goes on trying to clearly define the rather loose concept of
"sustainability", and indicates a series of challenges to churches and
politicians in Europe.

The churches "should give a high priority to disseminating and underlining
the importance of sustainability" and ensure that "their personal and
communal lives include sustainability as part of their Christian values".
Christians "could encourage governments to actively explore and urgently
apply the most effective environmental fiscal policies as a practical and
economic way of conserving energy, limiting environmental degradation and
increasing renewable resources". As for the European Union (EU), ECEN
affirms that "the current EU strategy for sustainable development needs to
be strengthened and implemented, equally the commitments undertaken in
Johannesburg 2002" as well as the obligations the EU and all European
states have towards developing countries.

The city of Basel, venue of the ECEN Assembly, was also the site of the
first European Ecumenical Assembly, convened by CEC and CCEE in 1989. A
symbolic link between the two events was the candle lit during the opening
service in the Titus Church, the same candle which was lit at the
beginning of the 1989 Assembly. Also highly significant is the fact that
the roof of the Titus Church hosts a photovoltaic installation which
produces "clean" energy for the congregation and the city of Basel. The
proceeds from this solar installation go to environmental projects in
Africa.

The sermon at the opening service was delivered by a Catholic woman
theologian, Eva Südbeck-Baur, and an encouraging feature of this
Assembly was the large participation of Roman Catholic delegates. The
General Secretaries of CEC, Dr Keith Clements, and of CCEE, Mgr Aldo
Giordano, addressed the Assembly, presenting the plans for the Third
European Ecumenical Assembly to be held in Sibiu, Romania, in 2007. ECEN
agreed to support the Assembly process, and to be part of the foreseen
"forum" on environmental issues in Sibiu.

The Assembly worked in plenaries as well as in groups on issues such as
"Creation Time" (the need to promote a special time devoted to creation in
the liturgical calendar of the churches), Creation theology, environmental
education, climate change, motorised mobility and air traffic, eco-management of churches and church-related institutions, water.

Several public events were also held: a plenary on the Assembly theme with
Margrete Auken, Denmark, member of the European Parliament, who underlined
the need for the churches to promote a new identity of Europeans as "world
citizens"; a panel discussion on ecological tax reform in the Aula of the
Basel University; an evening on the theme "Does Europe live far beyond its
means", in a crowded "Open Church St. Elizabeth", which was also the venue
for an exhibition on the churches' contribution to a sustainable Europe;
and a closing service in the Cathedral (Münster) of Basel, where ECEN
moderator, Dr. Lukas Vischer,  encouraged Christians to fight for the
integrity of creation and for more justice on earth.

* * *

For information:
Office of Communications
Conference of European Churches
Phone +41 22 791 64 85 or 791 63 25
Fax +41 22 791 62 27
e-mail Luca.Negro@cec-kek.org