EU Bishops Want Reference To Religion In Anniversary Document

Next March marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the document that laid the foundation for the European Union. Last week, EUObserver reported that drafting has begun on the Berlin Declaration-- a document that will mark that anniversary. Catholic bishops in Europe are pressing for the document to make reference to Europe's Christian heritage. The Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the European Community released a statement earlier this month saying: "for a majority of EU citizens their Christian faith is the living source for their support of our common values and ambitions. The Berlin Declaration, therefore, should be inclusive enough not only to list the values and ambitions of the European Union but to reflect the religious and humanistic motivation of EU citizenship." This follows their failed attempt last year to get a reference to Europe's Christian heritage placed in the Preamble to the EU Constitution that was then being considered.