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“The recall of Europe’s religious heritage, and more particularly its Christian roots, should be understood not as a mere formal tribute to an element of tradition, but as the recognition of a present reality”. Msgr. Giuseppe Betori, general secretary of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) was speaking at an audition of the Foreign Commission of Italy’s two chambers of parliament in Rome. In his presentation, he once again urged that an explicit reference to the “Christian roots’ be inserted in the future European Constitution. “The religious heritage – explained Betori remains a source of inspiration for a large majority of our continent, who share the Christian religion and who identify with the Churches and religious communities that work in European society at the service of the common good”. The requests made by the Christian confessions for “three statutory provisions” to be inserted in the European constitutional treaty, should – Bettori said be placed in this perspective. These provisions concern, first, the recognition of the institutional independence of the Churches and religious communities, which includes the right to organize themselves freely in conformity with their own statutes; second, the recognition of the specific identity and role played in society by the Churches and religious communities, to which is linked the provision of a “structured” dialogue between them and the European Union; and, third, the safeguard under EU legislation of the peculiar status that each Church and religious community enjoys within the various national legislations”. These requests, he continued, “express the hopes of all the believers in Christ who live in Europe”. However Bettori stressed in advancing these claims “no privileged juridical status was being sought for the Churches and for the religious communities. The aim is, rather, to obviate the risk of their possible discrimination and provide a framework that may ensure the effective and full exercise of religious freedom, also in its institutional dimension, in full respect for the secular nature of the civil and Community institutions, as also of non-confessional organizations”. That’s why Bettori said in conclusion “not only is a legitimate claim for freedom being made, but the desire expressed to promote the contribution of the specific energies of the religious communities to the arduous process of the continent’s unification”. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1185 N.ro relativo : 15 Data pubblicazione : 28/02/2003
