Acta Benedicti Pp. XVI 865

its churches, castle, squares and bridges cannot but draw our minds to God.

Their beauty expresses faith; they are epiphanies of God that rightly leave us

pondering the glorious marvels to which we creatures can aspire when we give

expression to the aesthetic and the noetic aspects of our innermost being.

How tragic it would be if someone were to behold such examples of beauty,

yet ignore the transcendent mystery to which they point. The creative en-

counter of the classical tradition and the Gospel gave birth to a vision of man

and society attentive to God's presence among us. In shaping the cultural

patrimony of this continent it insisted that reason does not end with what the

eye sees but rather is drawn to what lies beyond, that for which we deeply

yearn: the Spirit, we might say, of Creation.

At the present crossroads of civilization, so often marked by a disturbing

sundering of the unity of goodness, truth and beauty and the consequent

difficulty in finding an acceptance of common values, every effort for human

progress must draw inspiration from that living heritage. Europe, in fidelity

to her Christian roots, has a particular vocation to uphold this transcendent

vision in her initiatives to serve the common good of individuals, commu-

nities, and nations. Of particular importance is the urgent task to encourage

young Europeans with a formation that respects and nurtures their God-

given capacity to transcend the very limits which are sometimes presumed

to entrap them. In sports, the creative arts and academic pursuit, young

people welcome the opportunity to excel. Is it not equally true that when

presented with high ideals they will also aspire to moral virtue and a life of

compassion and goodness? I warmly encourage parents and community

leaders who expect authorities to promote the values which integrate the

intellectual, human and spiritual dimensions of a sound education worthy

of the aspirations of our young.

"Veritas vincit". This is the motto that the flag of the President of the

Czech Republic bears: In the end, truth does conquer, not by force, but by

persuasion, by the heroic witness of men and women of firm principle, by

sincere dialogue which looks beyond self-interest to the demands of the com-

mon good. The thirst for truth, beauty and goodness, implanted in all men

and women by the Creator, is meant to draw people together in the quest for

justice, freedom and peace. History has amply shown that truth can be

betrayed and manipulated in the service of false ideologies, oppression and

injustice. But do not the challenges facing the human family call us to look

beyond those dangers? For in the end, what is more inhuman, and destruc-