Satisfaction and some disappointment

Those who tried to find out through a section of the local media the reaction of the Catholic Church to the agreement reached in Brussels about a Constitution for the European Union are surely misinformed.

One paper had a large headline saying "No God in the EU Constitution." We do not know whether or not this paper has ever campaigned to have a reference to God in the Maltese Constitution. For correctness' sake we note that the European bishops were campaigning for the inclusion of a reference to the Christian heritage of Europe and not for a reference to God.

The Church statement released by the Vatican, the European bishops and our own bishops have balanced their sense of satisfaction with their sense of disappointment. They told us clearly how much of the glass is full and how much is empty. Let's see some comments from these reactions.

Mgr Noel Treanor, Secretary General of COMECE - the conference of EU bishops - clearly stated that the agreement about the Constitution is something positive in itself. "There should be no doubt that it marks a major step forward in the development of the EU."

It is significant that his statement did not start with a reference to the Christianity bit but by a reference to the event in itself. "First and foremost, I should like to welcome the fact that Europe's leaders have agreed on a Constitutional Treaty for the EU," Mgr Treanor said.

The Vatican took a similar position expressing satisfaction "for this new and important milestone in the process of European integration which was always welcomed and encouraged by the Pope".

The EU bishops gave five reasons why they think the agreement on the Constitution is positive in itself:

1. It redefines the democratic mission of the Union.

2. It identifies clearly the values and objectives, rooted in its common heritage, that guide the EU.

3. It makes the Union's institutions and tasks easier to understand, which if presented responsibly by the EU's politicians should help to address the serious sense of alienation among many Europeans.

4. It reinforces the principle of subsidiarity, that political action should be taken at the lowest effective level.

5. And it provides an unprecedented opportunity for all citizens and actors in civil society to contribute through the democratic process to a Europe of peace, justice and solidarity.

The Church also showed satisfaction when it looks at the Constitution from a strictly ecclesial point of view. "The way in which the Constitutional Treaty recognises and embraces religious freedom and the role of religious communities in public life is particularly welcome.

"It guarantees both respect for diversity and dialogue between religious institutions and the political authorities. By balancing a spirit of openness between the religious and the political with the proper separation of the two spheres, Article I-51 embodies a new, inclusive approach to governance fit for the challenges of European society in the 21st century."

The Vatican in its statement showed a similar kind of satisfaction.

The European Bishops through their secretary then turned to the part they did not like. Even here they found things which they liked. Once more we quote Mgr Treanor:

"The revised preamble also represents a more balanced and accurate account of the source of the Union's values. By referring in its opening words to Europe's "cultural, religious and humanist inheritance", the Constitutional Treaty emphasises the formative role of this inheritance - of which Christianity is an essential part - for today's Europe.

"For this very reason I regret that the heads of state and government failed to find a formulation that would have explicitly recognised the undeniable contribution of Christianity and other traditions. This omission does not alter the fact that the Union's values as described in Article I-2, above all respect for human dignity, have been inspired by Christian thought. But it represents a missed opportunity to build on our common heritage a future that is open and inclusive for all."

The Vatican quite naturally expressed the same feelings of disappointment at the failure to have a reference to Christianity. As the Church has so often said, such a reference is nothing more than an attempt to present a correct historical position.

The Bishops of Malta expressed these same balanced reactions. One difference is that while the Pope in his speech thanked the Polish and other governments which did their best to include a reference to Christianity, our bishops thanked the Maltese government.

We state the above for correctness' sake.