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Erdő, who was created Cardinal-Priest of Santa Balbina by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of October 2003, said cardinals speak mainly Italian with each other at the consistory, but English and French can be also be heard in the halls, and one can speak Latin with Pope Benedict XVI as well.
Erdő said the cardinals, who arrive from five continents, bring with them the problems of their own regions. ?The most pressing problem for society is the drawn out economic crisis,? he added.
He said the church is dealing with the secularization of the business and political elite in Europe and the rest of the world, as the matter stands in close relation to the social and global place of faith.
?For us, the central question is a dialogue with culture,? he added.
?Values have to be presented in an increasingly complicated world. We are inclined to say that finance and economy are so complicated that we shouldn?t use ethics to deal with them. But we make no progress with answers that are cut short. All science, politics and economy can be dealt with ethically,? he said.
?The advance of science does not put values in crisis,? he added, though conceding he was hard-pressed to think of an economic policy-maker who had been beatified.
Erdő said empty churches are a problem, but so is the declining knowledge of Christian culture.
?The lack of awareness about Christian culture extends to old culture in general. Western civilization is characterized by a cultural collapse, a disintegration,? he said.
?Without in-depth knowledge, genuine reflection about our history and about life becomes an impossible task,? he warned.
Erdő said people today tend to ?escape into slogans?.
?This gives emotional strength to all kinds of advertising and propaganda, but the zeal that operates on this emotional effect is far less exact than logical consideration,? he explained, warning that this posed a risk for manipulation and extreme foolishness.
Speaking about the possibility of the church using the internet and Twitter for disseminating knowledge, Erdő said a historical overview of the mystery of the Holy Trinity could not be squeezed into a 140-character Twitter text.
?This doesn?t mean we don?t disseminate this knowledge, but every instrument has a place in the orchestra,? he added.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI) / Photo: MTI
