"Fraternity in politics in the history and in the future of Europe"

Abstract: In Rome, on May 9, 2002, in Campidoglio, the “Festival for Europe” takes place to celebrate the entry into force of the treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, the economic early sign of the future European Union. In her speech, Chiara Lubich presents political fraternity as an essential part of the existential heritage of Europe and of it’s experience. The fraternal soul of Europe, according to Lubich, has both an ancient history (Benedict from Nursia, Cyril and Methodius…) and a more recent one (the dialogue among Schumann, De Gasperi and Adenauer is an example). Moreover, Europe started to build a network of relationships based on the common will of building a fraternal society. The religious charisms and movements testify this by offering an example of cooperation among themselves and with society. It is also testified by the efforts of the Focolari Movement and of it’s political expression, the Political Movement for Unity, in proposing a fraternal view of political behavior. Lubich introduces fraternity as the relational category that really allows to value each one and to eventually rebuild the political design of a Country. Universal fraternity is a challenge Europe shares with the rest of the world, for the very reason that it has experimented it: trying to overcome a past of war, iniquity and totalitarian regimes.