CWN - At the conclusion of a four-day meeting in Slovakia, Europe’s Eastern Catholic bishops pledged to follow the example of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the apostles of the Slavs, and evangelize.

“A civilization and a European culture where the salvific Gospel of Christ has been uprooted will be unable to build a robust human society, founded on ethical, moral values and on the family which guarantees justice and peace between peoples,” the bishops stated. “A godless culture leads the human person to desperation and death.”

“We advocate a culture of life and hope … a culture worthy of the name is that which includes worship of God, a God who loves humanity, every person for whom he has given his life and has overcome death by his glorious resurrection,” the bishops added.

“Our Eastern Catholic Church communities and every person of faith” are “called personally by Divine Providence to continue the evangelizing mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius,” they continued. “In this way our rich traditions will not remain a monument to admire and recall, but a source of life to heal European culture which more and more is becoming secularized and de-Christianized.