Bishops to push EU’s religious heritage

Catholic bishops will meet on Monday to discuss “ethical values for European unification”, refuelling the debate over the ‘Christianisation’ of the EU constitution.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attempt to resurrect the moribund constitutional treaty when Berlin takes over the EU presidency in January 2007, and has made no secret of her wish to include a reference to Christian values in the text.

After a private meeting with the Pope in August, Merkel indicated that any EU constitution “should refer to our Christian values”.

“I believe this treaty should be linked to Christianity and God because Christianity was decisive in the formation of Europe.”

The bishops, from across the EU, will draw up a report on Europe’s religious heritage which will be presented at their European congress in Rome next March – the same day as Merkel hosts a 50th birthday party for the EU in Berlin.

The anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which led to the creation of what is now the EU, will be used by EU leaders to adopt a political declaration setting out Europe’s values and ambitions – a stop-gap measure designed to reaffirm support for the EU despite the failure of the constitution.

The church leaders hope their report “will give a new impulse to developing a civic sense of Europe as a community of values”, according to a statement.

Germany is not the only country keen to see some reference to a Christian God in the EU’s constitution.

But Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ireland all pushed hard for its conclusion during the first round of negotiations in 2004.

But opposition from the UK, France and Sweden kept religious statements out of the constitutional treaty text .

Instead, the constitution said that the EU drew “inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe” – a vague reference that was not considered strong enough for many Catholic countries.

But with plans still underway to allow Islamic Turkey to join the EU, many political leaders are wary of making too explicit a reference to Christianity.

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