RECONCILIATION AS AN ACT OF COURAGE AND INNER FREEDOM. RECONCILIATION AS THE CHALLENGE OF MODERN EUROPE
RECONCILIATION AS AN ACT OF COURAGE AND INNER FREEDOM. RECONCILIATION AS THE CHALLENGE OF MODERN EUROPE

Summary/Abstract: Reconciliation is a process with philosophical and theological foundations. They complement each other, as it is of crucial importance to trust in the work of the Holy Spirit, along with human endeavours. It is the Holy Spirit who can truly liberate the human heart from all negative thoughts and hatred. Reconciliation does not imply forgetting about past events, it has to do with internal liberation which manifests itself in forgiveness, mutual respect and the sincere wish to create new relations. In the words of St. John Paul II, reconciliation is a sign of internal strength, freedom and courage, but most of all it is the work of God. And so the human perspective of reconciliation, which is of equal importance, complements the theological perspective, which leads to a new level of life quality. Every human being in this world, in all their fragility, is in desperate need of forgiveness. This need presents itself in a person’s humility and in their capacity to accept sincerely the forgiveness of their fellow humans and God. At the same time, every human being is expected to exercise forgiveness, as this is the only way to stop the vicious circle of vengeance and hatred. Reconciliation happens on both the personal and the structural level. If the latter is unfair, it is impossible to achieve a new quality of relations within a society.

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