“Our attitude” is “that of not involving ourselves, as the Church and, hence, as clergy and church organizations, in any choice of political coalition or party, and at the same time reminding electors and future MPs of those indispensable contents, founded on the primacy and centrality of the human person and on the pursuit of the common good, which must take precedence over particular interests, however legitimate, and which constitute an essential part of the social doctrine of the Church”. That is the position of the Italian Church in the run-up to the general elections due to be held on 9 and 10 April. The Church’s position of non-alignment was reaffirmed by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), on opening the permanent Council of the CEI in Rome on Monday 20 March. The cardinal asked for “special attention” to be devoted to “some fundamental anthropological and ethical issues, such as respect for human life from conception to its natural end and concrete support for the legitimate family founded on marriage”. In this regard Ruini expressed concern about the signals arriving from “various regional councils, where proposals regarding de facto unions that equate in large measure their rights with those of legitimate families have been presented, and in some cases approved: some of these proposals also aim to be transferred to the national Parliament, in order to become law for the whole country”. In his keynote address the cardinal also spoke of the “lively debate” developed in Italy in recent weeks on “the possible teaching of Islamic religion in state schools”. “The right of religious freedom holds good for everyone”, he said, and therefore “the teaching of Islamic religion does not in principle seem impossible”, on condition, however, that the teaching of this religion, as any other subject, be not in “conflict with our Constitution, for example with regard to civil rights, beginning with religious freedom, the equality between man and woman and marriage”. In his address the cardinal reviewed some of the more difficult international situations at the present time (Iraq, Holy Land, Iran, Nigeria, Philippines) and said: “The news reaching us from the areas most at risk show how necessary and urgent is the commitment to peace”.
