Is Europe losing its Catholic heritage? (News in Brief: Europe).Brussels--The future of the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community is being debated over the next 12 months by a commission that represents all facets of European society -- all, that is, except the religious sphere. The French Socialist government is adamant that religion be excluded from the discussions, and that all references to the "Christian roots of Europe" be suppressed. To date, there has been little opposition from the other EU nations. The Vatican, and some believing thinkers, have serious concerns that the right of "religious liberty" is at stake, a right that John Paul II John Paul II, 1920–2005, pope (1978–2005), a Pole (b. Wadowice) named Karol Józef Wojtyła; successor of John Paul I. He was the first non-Italian pope elected since the Dutch Adrian VI (1522–23) and the first Polish and Slavic pope. has called "source and synthesis of all human rights" (Centesimus annus Centesimus Annus (which is Latin for "hundredth year") was an encyclical written by Pope John Paul II in 1991, on the hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. , no. 47). Europe's indifference to Christianity is worrying to John Paul who keeps recalling that Europe has a definite Christian stamp and "Europe is very difficult to understand and evaluate without a Christian perspective." He adds that the last century made strong efforts to exclude God and Christianity from all expressions of human life, and thus Christianity has now been confined to each person's private life. In response to the Pope's concerns, the bishops of the European Union are preparing a document that will form the Catholic Church's contribution to reflection on a new Europe. Adding his weight to the Church's voice is Jacques Delors, former president of the European Commission The President of the European Commission is the head of the executive body of the European Union. The President leads a college of 27 Commissioners, one from each Union member-state, who hold specific portfolios. , who said that the continent "cannot confine religion to private life" (Zenit files, Jan-Mar, 2002). One immediate concern is a feminist resolution which the European Parliament passed on March 13, 2002. It attacks pro-life religious beliefs and Christianity. The document, entitled Women and Fundamentalism, was unsuccessfully challenged by the EP's Irish representative and with minor revisions was passed by a vote of 242-240 with 42 abstentions. Article 4 could oblige the Catholic Church to ordain ORDAIN. To ordain is to make an ordinance, to enact a law. 2. In the constitution of the United States, the preamble. declares that the people "do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America. women; it states that the EP "condemns the administrations of religious organizations and the leaders of extremist political movements who promote racial discrimination, xenophobia Xenophobia Boxer Rebellion Chinese rising aimed at ousting foreign interlopers (1900). [Chinese Hist. , fanaticism Fanaticism See also Extremism. Adamites various sects preaching a return to life before the fall. [Christian Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 8] assassins Moslem murder teams used hashish as stimulus (11th and 12th centuries). and the exclusion of women from leading positions in the political and religious hierarchy." A related article could prevent countries which protect the unborn child from joining the European Union. One amendment to the original document removed a specific reference demanding that the Pope and the Romanian Patriarch "change their attitudes towards lesbians," but the adopted version still "expresses its support for the difficult situation of lesbians who suffer from fundamentalism." As in North America, some feminists want the Vatican expelled from the United Nations. The threat to Christian principles places more pressure on Pope John Paul's focus for the ''hour of collaboration" between the Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches. East-West ecclesial Ec`cle´si`al a. 1. Ecclesiastical. cooperation is needed to counter the secularization of Europe. The Pope's brief visit to Greece in 2001 has paid off with a counter-visit of a considerable delegation from Greece. On March 8, John Paul II invited his Greek guests, who were led by Metropolitan Panteleimon of Attikis, to walk together toward the "ecumenism ecumenism Movement toward unity or cooperation among the Christian churches. The first major step in the direction of ecumenism was the International Missionary Conference of 1910, a gathering of Protestants. of holiness which, with God's help, will finally lead us to full communion, which does not mean absorption or fusion, but a meeting in truth and love." In turn, a letter from Orthodox Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens to John Paul explained that the Archbishop "wishes to create a bridge of communication, reconciliation and confidence between us in the European Union, so that our Christian witness will be more intense, more credible and more effective in a society that is on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of losing the traditional values of faith in Christ the redeemer Christ the Redeemer (often from Spanish and Portuguese Cristo Redentor) may be a reference to:
The Greek Archbishop added: "It will not be easy to forget 10 centuries of separation (referring to the Eastern schism of 1054)... We will have to make efforts. We will have to struggle, and above all, pray ardently" (Zenit, Mar. 11/02). |
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