Bishops push Berlusconi on IGC

Date:25/09/03

THE organization representing Europe's Catholic bishops has written to Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, renewing its call for a reference to Christianity in the preamble of the future EU constitution.

Berlusconi is due on 4 October to open the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), which will determine the final shape of the constitutional treaty proposed by the Convention on the future of Europe.

The letter, sent by the president and vice-president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community, describes the draft treaty as "a successful innovation in the European democratic process".

But while Bishop Josef Homeyer, Bishop Adrianus van Luyn and Archbishop Hippolyte Simon welcome the proposed references to "Europe's religious inheritance and values", they say a reference to Christianity would give "concrete expression to what many recognize as the source of the values on which the European project is founded". "Omitting [it] would be difficult to understand for many citizens in Europe," they add.

The President and Vice-President of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community have written to the Italian President Silvio Berlusconi, renewing a call for a reference to Christianity in the preamble of the future European Constitution. Italy currently holds the six-month rotating Presidency of the European Council, and Mr Berlusconi will open the Intergovernmental Conference on 4 October 2003, which will decide the final shape of the constitutional treaty.