The second edition of the “Protestants’ dinner” took place on Monday, November 28 at Station F in Paris, in the presence of the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire. An evening organized by the Cercle Charles-Gide which honored “a Protestant youth driven by a spirituality of action” since 200 young Christians involved in various fields were invited by the organizers.
Monday evening, the “largest start-up campus in the world”, Station F located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, hosted the “Protestants’ dinner”. Second edition of an event organized by the Cercle Charles-Gide in partnership with the French Protestant Federation (FPF), the Réforme newspaper and the Protestant Mutual Aid Federation (FEP).
Among the 450 people present, 200 young Protestants committed to the common good had been invited, the evening aimed at promoting “a Protestant youth driven by a spirituality of action”, as underlined by the president of the FPF, Christian Krieger. , in his opening speech.
Committed young people
Five of them took part in a round table to testify to the link between their faith and their journey, alongside the Secretary of State for Youth and Universal National Service, Sarah El Haïry. Hugo, Solange, Olivier, Isabelle and Rémy shared their experiences in various backgrounds. Isabelle notably mentioned the place of Jesus in her life, a model, which she draws inspiration from on a daily basis in her work as a nurse at the SAMU social.
The “warning role” of Protestantism
In addition to a focus on youth, Christian Krieger addressed the authorities in his speech, recalling the words of Emmanuel Macron in 2017 who had described Protestants as “watchdog of the republic”. He underlined that this “alert role” is a “state of mind that is embodied in the pleas” carried by the Protestant Federation of France.
He mentioned four points of attention for Protestants, starting with climate justice. A subject on which the FPF has recently positioned itself by publishing a book entitled “Engage for climate justice”. A book that offers, from a scientific inventory, biblical and theological reflections to reflect on Christian action.
Christian Krieger also addressed the issue of gender equality, a subject on which he believes that the Protestant churches are advancing little by little, “some with a more alert step”, while “others are still struggling”. The president of the FPF then dwelt on the question of the end of life, a debate in which Protestants wish to participate. He notably underlined that the FPF supported the development of palliative care as well as a better application of the Claeys-Leonetti law. He added, however, that she recommends to her pastors, “if they can consider it, to accompany those who have made the request whatever their choice”.
Finally, the reformed pastor returned to the law confirming respect for the principles of the Republic, which since its beginnings has mobilized Protestants. “French Protestantism through its history (…) through this long journey of persecution and clandestinity towards recognition (…) is a cult very sensitive to freedoms”, he declared on this subject.
Political economy and inequality
The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, one of the guests of honor at this “Protestant dinner”, then spoke. He began his speech with a touch of humour, thanking the FPF for having invited a Catholic, raised among the Jesuits.
He particularly encouraged Protestants to continue to fight for a “political economy”, which “assumes to say loud and clear that the objective of the economy is not to increase inequalities but to reduce them, that the he objective of the economy is not to have a very small number of increasingly rich people but an increasingly important number of people who live decently”.
“That is to say an economy that makes sense, an economy that is not guided solely by interest, by profit, by the market, but an economy that results from political choices in the noblest sense of the term and I think Protestants have something to say about that and have to keep fighting for it. »
Like Christian Krieger, the minister then referred to the upcoming debate on the end of life, believing that Protestants had “something to say” on this subject.
Bruno Le Maire concluded his speech by encouraging the young people present to get involved in this “very special” period of history.
“Faced with this gloomy panorama, I see rising resignation, discouragement, a form of weariness. I would like to invite you to feel deep inside you just the opposite, and for once I will draw inspiration from the Protestant spirit, a spirit of revolt, a spirit of resistance. (…) Respect for human rights is in the minority, all the more reason to fight for them. »
Camille Westphal Perrier
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200 young Christians committed to the 2022 Protestant dinner