” “"Completely inadequate in its contents and general cultural premises": this is how the Van Thuan International Observatory for the Social Doctrine of the Church judged, in a note today, the Document-Manifesto that has been circulated in the last few days in the name of the "Initiative of Christians for Europe" (IXE) in the run-up to the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome (26 March 1957). Named "Retrouvons le sens de la construction européenne" and signed also by Michel Camdessus, the document has been defined by the Observatory as "politically correct". "It agrees on the most obvious, least demanding areas of the European policies", explains the note, but when faced with "legislations that legalise abortion", national laws "that are extremely prejudicial to the dignity of the family" or "legalise euthanasia", "the IXE Document does not say anything at all". According to the Observatory, it lacks a "reflection on the relativistic culture that is so widespread" in the continent, as well as "on the relation between faith and reason, on laicism proper, on the public role of religions, especially Christianity".” “
