Future challenges

An editorial on the Christian heritage of Europe written by Frank Turner (cf. SIR EUROPE, n. 17) opens the March issue of “Europe Infos”, the news bulletin by COMECE, with reports on various issues by COMECE experts. As customary, follow excerpts of three contributions.Persecution of Christians. “COMECE welcomed the EU Council’s Conclusions on “intolerance, discrimination and violence on the basis of religion or belief “, writes Johanna Touzel. “The fusion of ‘common sense’ and ‘political will’ has prevailed to secure the strong statement urgently needed to stop the widespread acts of terrorism and sectarianism against Christians worldwide. In paragraph 2 the Council condemns the acts of violence ‘against Christians and their places of worship, Muslim pilgrims and other religious communities. Yet the security and survival of Christian communities, especially in the Middle East, requires concrete action”. Touzel recalls that in her article that at its meeting on 31st January, the Council of Ministers failed to reach a conclusion due to internal wrangling among the Ministers over a specific reference to recognizing Christians as the main targets of religious persecution in various countries and territories, such as, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria, Cyprus, Philippines, Iran, India and Vietnam. The positive agreement reached by the Council on 21st February – Touzel points out – “follows the chorus of disapproval by several EU Member States together with individual MEPs over the negative outcome of the previous meeting. The Council of Ministers – is written in the article – is now expected to translate these words into concrete action in order to guarantee that Christians and other religious minorities all over the world can enjoy the much needed fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of religion, that they are currently deprived of”. Touzel concludes: “The effective commitment to fundamental rights, including religious freedom, is in itself the path to peace. Once fully realized, it would pave the way for peaceful and open societies, where people would live together as good neighbours and where different religions would collaborate in working for greater human freedom”.The challenges of the Hungarian presidency. “Taking on EU Presidency – writes Gergely Ternovszky, executive manager of OCIPE (Jesuit European Office, Budapest) – is a great moment and a cause for deep satisfaction for Hungary. It is also a sign of the integrity of Europe. In the years since World War II Hungary suffered the largest blood-toll in the continent for freedom, liberty and democracy, especially in 1956 and its aftermath. This country first tore open the iron curtain, making an end of the division of the European continent. Now Hungary works within the EU as president”. “The target of the Hungarian presidency – Ternovszky continues – is to strengthen the EU economically and politically. Managing the crises is clearly the Presidency’s overall priority. It’s good news, that the present FIDESZ government in Hungary has good skills in economic crisis management. They proved it a decade ago, and it is again one of their main task in Hungary”. As relates to policies for citizens the OCIPE expert writes, “Hungary wishes to be citizen friendly. Within this framework, she wants Europe to focus on cultural diversity as a European value, which needs to be protected. Hopefully the Hungarian government will draw attention as well to the protection of the indigenous minorities”. Thus the author concludes: “Hungary takes the banner in a difficult time again. Time is short and the presidential task is less about making decisions than about enabling procedures for those decisions to be taken collectively. We will see how things will develop, the skilled experts and the visions are very promising”.The European group on ethics. President Durão Barroso nominated the fifteen members for a 5-year period (2011-2016) of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE). “EGE – writes José Ramos-Ascensão -is the main independent, consultative body set up by the European Commission to meet its advisory needs on bioethics and research, in connection with the preparation and implementation of EU legislation and policies. Thus, it plays a key role in shaping the Commission’s positions regarding bioethical issues”.