Maltese Church wants to join EU dialogue

The bishops are calling on the government to do its utmost for the EU constitution to reflect the values of the people of Europe.

They have also expressed their wish to be involved in the local dialogue on EU membership.

The Church, they said, wished to give its contribution. It wanted to confirm its readiness and desire to be present and active, particularly in MEUSAC, and, especially, in those sectors in which the Church believed it could make an important contribution.

In a letter to Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami, Archbishop Joseph Mercieca, Gozo Bishop Nikol Cauchi and Auxiliary Bishop Annetto Depasquale expressed the appreciation of the Church in Malta for the work done by all representatives of the government and parliament in the Convention on the Future of Europe, which drafted the constitution.

The bishops said the Catholic Church, through the Episcopal Conferences Commission of the European Union, had welcomed the draft treaty for a European constitution but expressed serious reservations about some points.

The fact that the charter for fundamental rights was to be part of the constitution was an important step which further safeguarded the rights of people at a union level.

At the same time, the Church pointed out serious shortcomings in the charter especially as regards cloning, marriage, the family and religious freedom.

The Church welcomed the fact that the charter was only to be applied when it came to Union policy and action, respecting the exclusive prerogative of member states to legislate on sensitive sectors.

On the preamble of the draft constitution, the bishops said this created serious difficulties for the Church, which believed it remained essential to include a reference to the contribution of Christianity without which Europe would not be what it was today.

Besides, the Church insisted that the European Union's constitution should also include a reference to God as the supreme being who guaranteed the freedom and dignity of humanity.

In their letter, the bishops said that during deliberations at the intergovernmental conference, which should lead to a final decision on the constitution, the Maltese government should bear in mind the observations made by the Church.

It should work hard so that what finally emerged from the constitutional treaty would really reflect the values of the people of Europe, as well as the process which led to them.

The bishops noted that, on a national level, political leaders were being generally positive in the way they spoke and acted on EU membership.