"The official story of the Treaties of Rome doesn’t say that, but we know that on that 25th March 1957 the signatories came to this church to attend Mass in memory of Alcide De Gasperi. This gesture is extremely meaningful. It doesn’t matter that the official history mentions it or not: it is to us Catholics that this memory has been entrusted and it is up to us to keep it alive". These are the words uttered last Saturday by mgr. Hippolite Simon archbishop of Clermont Ferrand (France) and member of Comece at the Vespers in San Lorenzo fuori le Mura where the mortal spoils of De Gasperi rest. Mass was also attended by card. Nicora and Maria Romana, De Gasperi’s daughter. The "great meaning" of that Mass and the omitted reference, according to the archbishop who was ending the second day of the Congress of the Commission of the EU Bishops Conference for the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, lies in the "distinction between politics and religion". Europe, he specified, "needs to combine three free commitments: those of the States, those of society, those of individuals who have deep moral and spiritual beliefs". Finally he mentioned the "fortunate coincidence" between the anniversary of the Treaties of Rome and the Day of the Annunciation: according to mgr. Simon, "Providence winking at us".
