(Bratislava) – The Archbishop of Olomouc and Metropolitan of Moravia Jan Graubner was elected new president of the Czech Bishops’ Conference during the latest plenary session. As he stated for Conservative Newspaper, the Church faces a difficult economic phase of its development just like the rest of society. People will be forced to “tighten their belts”, but this “pressure can give birth to new things, people will be closer to each other and we will grow in our relationship with God, because we will have to rely upon Him much more than we used to”. According to Archbishop Graubner, it will be necessary “not to narrow economic activities to a mere instrument of profit, but to think about national self-sufficiency and solidarity with the poorest within the EU and the whole world”. The newly-elected president also reflects on the place of Christianity in Europe: “The Christian culture is not a treasure to be kept in a depository or in a museum. It grows from the roots of the living Gospel… We cannot be saved by any ideology, but by our openness towards God and His love that inspires our deeds. The Church teaching is crucial, but the practical life of Christians is even more important”. According to Msgr. Graubner, the so-called “twilight” of Europe is our debt and the challenge we need to face, and it is our task to be the light in the darkness.