Brussels, 21 March 2025
On the occasion of the feast of Saint Benedict, Members of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group gathered in Subiaco, Italy, for the second edition of the ECR event “Rooted Principles, Stronger Future – The Heritage of Saint Benedict in the Values of European Conservatism”. The gathering reaffirmed the enduring values that lie at the heart of the European conservative tradition.
Set in the spiritual heartland of European monasticism, the event brought together Members of the European Parliament and senior Italian government representatives to reflect on the legacy of Saint Benedict of Nursia, patron saint of Europe, and his relevance for today’s political and cultural challenges.
The day began with a high-level conference at the historic Teatro Narzio, featuring remarks from ECR Co-Chair Nicola Procaccini, Vice-President of the European Parliament Antonella Sberna, Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, and Italian Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida. The programme also included a lectio magistralis by renowned philosopher and former ECR Co-Chair, Professor Ryszard Legutko.
Later in the day, ECR delegates joined the town’s solemn celebrations in honour of Saint Benedict, including a traditional procession and mass. A video greeting by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, will be featured at the closing of the event.
Speaking at the event, ECR Co-Chair Nicola Procaccini reflected on the cultural and political legacy of Saint Benedict:
“Once again, on the feast of Saint Benedict, we return to Subiaco to remind ourselves and others that Europe was born here – not in the salons of ideology, but in the abbeys and scriptoria of the Benedictines.
The Europe we believe in was not forged through technocratic manifestos, but through the lived example of communities rooted in faith, learning and order. It was thanks to the Benedictine monks that we have an idea of Europe that later became a political project – not through the illiberal and undemocratic theories written in places like Ventotene.”
He added:
“The Benedictine legacy is not just a part of our past – it is a foundation for our future. It reminds us that real political unity is only possible when it rests on a shared cultural identity and moral heritage. Europe must rediscover the roots that made it strong.”
Vice-President of the European Parliament Antonella Sberna also underlined the importance of cultural identity in shaping Europe’s future:
“Our Europe can only be strong, free and prosperous if it is conscious and proud of its identity,” she said.
“The Benedictine monasteries created models of community that allowed European civilisation not only to survive the darkest centuries, but to flourish and thrive.”
She also recalled that the Charter of Conservative Values, signed exactly one year ago in Subiaco, “remains a living and relevant commitment – a guiding light for those who believe in a society that combines progress and tradition, innovation and morality, liberty and mutual respect.”
Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli emphasised the importance of open discussion among conservatives about their roots, identity, and future prospects:
“We are gathered here in a special place, on a special date, with our friends from ECR to highlight the need to discuss our roots, identity, and future prospects. This is a forum where the conservative and reformist world, free of inferiority complexes, comes together to speak openly about itself and its vision for the future.”
Italian Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida underscored the importance of Europe’s cultural foundations:
“Christianity is the only truly unifying element in Europe, and there is no need to be Christian to recognise it. Today, Europe must rediscover its mission, and the Conservatives have a strategic role in this, guaranteeing peace and prosperity”, he stated.
In his lecture, Professor Ryszard Legutko examined the legacy of medieval civilisation and warned against the loss of Europe’s core intellectual and moral principles. He highlighted the concept of reciprocity as a specifically European achievement – the notion of mutual obligation and responsibility that once shaped both institutions and individual behaviour.
Today, he warned, these traditions are under threat from growing technocratic dominance the manipulation of language and despotic tendencies in the EU. Concepts such as democracy, pluralism, and open society are increasingly being redefined by a political elite in Brussels that claims to act in the name of these values, while in practice narrowing the space for freedom and dissent.
Unless this trend is reversed, Legutko cautioned, Europe faces a future in which freedom is replaced by control, and cultural memory by engineered consensus.
The ECR Group used the occasion to underline the importance of returning to Europe’s founding values – values forged in the monasteries, libraries, and chapels of a civilisation that prized continuity, responsibility and human dignity.
At a time when Europe’s cultural and intellectual inheritance is under growing pressure from ideological currents that seek to erase tradition, the ECR Group affirms that a stable and free Europe can only be built on solid foundations. These are the same foundations laid centuries ago by Saint Benedict and his followers: personal responsibility, subsidiarity, and the spiritual dignity of man.
The gathering in Subiaco is not only a moment of reflection, but also a renewed commitment to these principles. The Charter of Conservative Values, signed one year ago in Subiaco, continues to guide the work of conservative parliamentarians who believe that Europe’s future depends on remembering – and defending – what made it strong in the first place.
Source – ECR Group (by email)