The Otto von Habsburg Foundation and the Institute of Strategic Studies of the University of Public Service cordially invite you to a joint conference entitled
Positioning Christianity in Today’s Europe
Venue: University of Public Service, Széchenyi Ceremonial Hall
Date: October 28, 2022 (Friday), 9:00 am
There are many debates today about the cultural changes on our continent. Secularisation and immigration have transformed the relationship to traditional Judeo-Christian values, and political figures have responded differently to this process. For Otto von Habsburg, born 110 years ago this year, the idea of a Christian Europe was more than a political slogan: it was a reality lived in faith as part of modernity, which should play a decisive role in shaping the continent’s political, social, and intellectual image.
Our conference aims to understand the current situation of European Christianity, to take into account the different religious and national contexts, and to analyse the prospects of European churches. In endeavouring to provide a more complete picture, the conference will not only provide recent empirical results but will also allow representatives of the different Christian denominations to present, based on their research and experience, their specific aspects that are essential to understand the current situation and the various approaches that can be used to counteract the trends mentioned above. Social science analysis and church strategies will be complemented by policy reflections. The opportunity for a progressive review of the situation of the churches and the role of Christianity in Europe is particularly timely in a year when many European countries are conducting censuses to assess their populations’ religious and denominational characteristics, which have been postponed in recent years due to the pandemic.
Programme
9:00 – 9:10 Opening remarks
Gergely Prőhle, Director, Otto von Habsburg Foundation
9:10 – 10:00 Keynote speech
Gert Pickel, Professor, University of Leipzig
Church and Religion in Europe. Theoretical and Empirical Considerations
Discussant: Gergely Rosta, Associate Professor, Pázmány Péter Catholic University
10:00 – 10:15 Discussion
10:15 – 10:35 Coffee break
10:35 – 11:45 Panel I: What Do Numbers and Social Trends Warn Us About?
György Fábri, Associate Professor, Eötvös Loránd University; Lay leader of the Northern Diocese of the Lutheran Church in Hungary
Numbers and Beliefs – Christianisation and/or Secularisation?
Csaba Török, Parishioner of the Basilica of Esztergom, University Professor
The Drama of the Insignificant/Meaningless Prophet. The Theological Vacuum of Reflection on Reality and its Consequences
Niklaus Peter, Former Dean of the Chapter of Ministers (Pfarrkapitel Zürich), Pastor Emeritus at Fraumünster
Christianity in Pluralistic Societies (Switzerland as a Not-So-Unique Case)
11:45 – 12:00 Discussion
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:00 Panel II: Christian responses to the challenges of the modern societies
Sarolta Laura Baritz OP, Senior Lecturer, Sapientia College of Theology of Religious Orders
What Role Might Christian Ethics Play in Addressing Economic, Social, and Environmental Problems?
György Hölvényi, Member of the European Parliament
The Place and Position of Christian Democracy in Europe
Wim Vandewiele, Professor, Catholic University of Leuven
“There is absolutely no reason to be pessimistic.” How Should We Respond to the Opportunities of Post-Secular Societies?
14:00 – 14:15 Discussion
14:15 – 15:00 Panel III: The prospects for Christian politics in the 21st century
Rocco Buttiglione, Former Italian Minister, Professor at the Edith Stein Institute of Philosophy
Religion and Social Cohesion in European Societies
Ján Figel’, Former Slovak Minister, former EU Commissioner and Special Envoy
The Social Responsibility of the Churches in Post-Communist Societies
15:00 – 15:15 Discussion
15:15 – 15:30 Closing remarks
The conference will be held in Hungarian, English, and German; simultaneous translation will be provided.
We are looking forward to welcoming you!
