As Europe continues its drift towards secularism with a strong multicultural emphasis, believers were reminded in the past week that the continent has Christian roots.
Two high-profile Christian events last week recalled the impact of Christianity on Europe and the need for its citizens to acknowledge the importance of the faith.
“Europe cannot and must not deny her Christian roots,” declared Pope Benedict XVI on Friday, stating that Christianity has “profoundly shaped this continent,” according to The Associated Press.
Pope Benedict spoke in Vienna, Austria, as part of his three-day pilgrimage to the country which was once the centre of a Roman Catholic-influenced empire but is now a small nation with significant opposition to the church, as is the case with most of Europe.
In the UK, around 33 per cent believe religion is “very important” in their lives, compared to 27 per cent in Italy, 21 per cent in Germany, 11 per cent in France, and 11 per cent in Czech Republic.
Thousands of Austrian Catholics have renounced their church affiliation in recent years, citing revulsion with clergy sex scandals and opposition to a highly unpopular government-imposed church tax, according to AP.
A Gallup opinion poll published in Oesterreich newspaper on Sunday stated that only 47 per cent of Austrians are satisfied with the Pope's way of running the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict's trip was partially aimed at reaching out to disillusioned Catholics not only in Austria but across Europe.
Meanwhile, in the Romanian city of Sibiu, over 2,000 Christian leaders from across Europe gathered to share common visions and hopes for renewal and unity on a continent that both secular and religious press have described as “post-Christian”.
