The saints and the euro

There is a basic misunderstanding between the European Commission and the National Bank of Slovakia about the commemoration coin of the 1150th anniversary of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. The two Byzantine Saints, who evangelized the Slavic peoples, and played a meaningful role in the old Continent history and in Christianity, proclaimed co-patrons saints of Europe by John Paul II in 1980. According to the initial proposal from Bratislava, the coin had to represent the image of the two saints with crosses and halos. Brussels instead objected: since the coins will be released into circulation in all euro area countries,the project should respect the principle of "religious neutrality". The original draft (the coin will be released in 2013) has been sent back and therefore slightly modified: in the new Two-Euro coin design the two saints without halos and between them a double cross, or "patriarchal cross" representing the National emblem of Slovakia, highlighting Christian faith.Dissent by the Slovak Church was expressed on November 22. The resignation of the key attributes associated with Saints Cyril and Methodius from the commemoration coin – said Jozef Kovácik, Episcopal Conference press room director, is a sign of cultural change and demonstrates lack of respect for history". According to the latest news the National Bank of Slovakia is planning to put forward once again the initial project. And now the final decision is up to the European authority. These were the facts. The misunderstanding is that one can consider an important part of the religious, social and cultural history of an entire European region (Cyril and Methodius are considered an integrating part of the Slavic identity and as such worshiped not only in Slovakia, but also in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and other countries) as a secondary element to common history. At the end of this strange matter, if the commemoration coin were to represent the two saints with a double cross, the consolidated Slovak identity heritage would be safe, with its patriarchal cross as a reference symbol, that appears even on the National flag. One must admit, however, that an absolutely biased assessment can prevail on the identity of a Member State. And here one can highlight failure to respect the European "united in diversity" motto. In its treaties the European Union stated its fundamental principle of value and promotion of many coexisting "diversities" in the Continent ( historical, social, cultural, economic, languages, religion…) not its mortification or, even worse, its elimination in an unlikely uniformity. It is also true that all banknotes and coins circulating in the euro zone, have to be respectful imagines towards different EU sensitivity from west to east, south to north. This criterium was defined to prevent paradoxical choices: for example a euro with Hitler’s face, or a hammer and sickle banknote, or a battle with thousands of victims, or a painting by an ambiguous or disrespectful painter….But apart from these absurdities, one must always consider that a national symbol, from the history of peoples or a region, is always intermingled with other stories, other past events. In a nutshell, winning a military battle can represent independence for a State, but for the country that lost it can mark an unhealed wound. One must therefore choose symbols that do not entail negative feelings for other peoples or countries. And now the question. Does the story of Saints Cyril and Methodius bear something offensive for non Slovaks? Definitely not. Otherwise it would be easy to object to all the other coin circulating in the euro area: from King Albert of Belgium to the German sovereignty eagle, from the French republican motto to the Portuguese coat of arms.Obviously one must be very careful in selecting religious symbols. Still arguing in paradoxes, one can wonder if in the future Turkey were to joins the Union and adopt the single currency and whether we would accept a coin with a mosque or the Koran. Also in this case one must respect the diversity aspect that features Europe of the past as well as that of the future. There is still the case of the euro "neutrality" requirement which cannot be confused with "indifference": historical, cultural and symbolic indifference. Coins circulate and represent the "face" of the European building: let it be the first means of "union in diversity" of the European Union foundation.