May. 02 (CWNews.com) - Only by building on its rich spiritual patrimony can Europe flourish in the future. That was the message Pope Benedict XVI sent to a conference jointly organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, being held in Vienna this week.

The Pope's message, conveyed by Cardinal Paul Poupard, welcomed the effort to cooperate in "courageous and renewed evangelical action in the Europe of the 3rd millennium." The Pope said that respect for different spiritual traditions has enriched Europe, encouraging the tradition of respect for human rights that has removed "grave obstacles to the integral development of nations."

The papal message thanked the Moscow patriarchate for the "encouraging cooperation" that had led to this week's meeting. The Pontiff also thanked Vienna's Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn for hosting the event.