No stepping back for Europe

Past January 31 EU27 Foreign Ministers failed to adopt a joint declaration condemning persecutions on religious grounds, due to disagreements over the omission of specific reference to Christian minorities in the Middle East in the draft text, which spark off discussions. Italy, France, Hungary and Poland had called for a debate following the attack against the Church in Baghdad past October that left 46 dead, and the Coptic Church of Alexandria (Egypt) bombing in December that killed 21 worshippers. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who asked that the item be put on the agenda, branded the draft text, which was withdrawn after attempts at amending the controversial paragraphs, as “generic” and lacking “concrete proposals” aimed at protecting persecuted communities, while strong condemnations were conveyed by the European Parliament (January 20) and by the Council of Europe (on January 27). Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain opposed the amendments proposed by Italy. The High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Catherine Ashton pledged to submit a new draft document during the next meeting of EU foreign ministries. The EU should be in the front line. “The missed agreement on a joint declaration by the Foreign Ministers of EU Member States regarding the protection of Christians and the freedom of worship in the world is reason for concern and calls us into question”, Father Duarte da Cunha, CCEE Secretary General (Council of European Bishops’ Conferences) told SIR Europe on February 2. Fr. Da Cunha said he hopes it “will not be postponed sine die but rather, that this postponement will “provide the opportunity to improve the Declaration”. “Whether they are a majority or a minority, Christians are entitled to explicit protection just like everyone else is. The European Union must spearhead this defense with unequivocal statements and consistent policies. The agreement is due to undergo debate and hopefully be adopted in a forthcoming session. If not, it would be like gagging the truth”. According to Fr. Da Cunha, “no measure motivated by national, economic, religious or cultural reasons could legitimately violate the principles sanctioned by European accords such as the European Union Treaty, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the declarations of the European Council. Europe would be stepping back, it would backtrack from the recent achievements of the 47 Ministers of the Council of Europe and especially from the parliamentary Assembly which had not only denounced the persecution of Christians but also provided clear instructions leading to an explicit commitment by the Member States of the EU and of the CoE.” The acts of violence “which we have witnessed – concludes the CCEE Secretary – clearly show that the democratic model is precarious and that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is still far from being inscribed within the hearts of mankind”.Concrete measures and politically significant actions. In a statement released on February 1 the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) conveyed its “regret” over the issue while it expects that the EU will take concrete measures to turn the general principles established in EU Treaties “into significant political action”. “This diplomatic wavering is all the more incomprehensible as innocent lives are being cut short in atrocious attacks against Christians and other minorities all over the world”, COMECE said, underlining that the failed adoption of the text was “due to internal wrangling among the Ministers over a specific reference to Christians being included as victims of religious persecution”. COMECE “wonders” about this “wavering” since “public opinion in Europe has become aware of the particular situation of Christians in the Middle East after the recent attacks on churches in Iraq and Egypt”. The COMECE bishops point out that the European Parliament (on January 20) and the Council of Europe (on January 27) “have already paved the way for a specific condemnation of the persecution of Christians by adopting both resolutions explicitly condemning violence against Christians”. According to the COMECE bishops “the recent attacks against Christians are not isolated cases”, antichristian persecution “is particulalry alarming”. The “commitment of the EU to stand for fundamental rights and religious freedom is clearly stated in the EU Treaty and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and has been reaffirmed in many declarations”, thus COMECE “expects that the EU will take concrete measures to turn these general principles into significant political action”.