Comece, "small signals" from the Convention” “

“Nothing concrete”, just some small positive “signals” have emerged from the current debate on the reference to Christianity in the process of drafting the European Constitution. Felix Leinemann, expert of Comece (Commission of the Episcopates of the European Union) who is monitoring the legal questions, explains that “during the last two meetings of the Convention – on 28 February and 5 March – some positive signals have been given both by Valery Giscard d’Estaing, president of the European Convention, and by Giuliano Amato”: “Giscard said that respect for the status of the Churches in the member states should be inserted in the Treaty; that the reference to the Christian heritage of Europe could be made in the draft Preamble to be discussed in May; and that the Presidium would like to place a reference to the contribution of the Churches in Title VI on the ‘Democratic Life of the Union’ which will be presented in mid-April. What’s still lacking however is the reference to God, to the transcendent, as envisaged in the Polish formula, and the reference to institutional religious freedom”. In Leinemann’s view, these “are only signals, there’s nothing concrete, but we have good hopes”. “Trying to be realistic – he says – they seem to me a fairly good result. The Churches could profit from this new margin of manoeuvre not only to make new proposals, but also to emphasize with greater insistence the spiritual dimension of European construction”. The next dates on Comece’s calendar include its plenary assembly in Brussels on 27 and 28 March. It will also be attended by the representatives of the Council of the Episcopal Conference of Europe ( Ccee) which is due to hold a meeting of the spokespersons and press officers of the Episcopal Conferences in Florence from 10 to 13 April.