Germany" "
The chairman of the ZdK, central Committee of German Catholics, Hans Joachim Meyer, expressed the committee’s view on both euthanasia and on the draft European Constitution in a statement on 19 September. On the former question, Meyer appealed to the deputies of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe to oppose “with determination” the plan to re-discuss euthanasia at the European level, so as to obtain its depenalization. Meyer explained the ZdK’s intention to heighten public awareness of “the differences between the human accompaniment of the terminally ill patient and active euthanasia, which violates human dignity”. He cited the results of analyses conducted in Holland, Belgium and Switzerland, all countries that have depenalized euthanasia; they indicate a “clear growth of the practice”. As regards the draft European Constitution, while expressing “a substantially positive view”, the ZdK through the mouthpiece of its chairman Meyer laments the absence in its preamble of a formula “expressly recalling that, in the last analysis, those who act in the framework of this Constitution are responsible before God, their fellowmen and their own conscience”. The ZdK also asks that “the Christian roots of Europe be explicitly mentioned, in conjunction with the recognition of Europe’s own ‘cultural, religious and humanistic heritage'”.
