By SIR
In the run-up to the forthcoming Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union, which is due to take place in Brussels on February 21st, the European Churches expect the Ministers to make “explicit reference” to persecuted Christians in the world, showing that “religious freedom is a matter Europe has at heart”.
This was said by father Duarte da Cunha, secretary general of the Council of European Bishops Conferences (Ccee), in an interview with Sir Europe just before the meeting of the Joint Committee of Ccee and Kek, due to take place in Belgrade from February 17th to 20th about national identity and European integration. Items on the agenda will also include religious freedom.
On January 31st, the latest meeting of the 27 Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union had not find agreement on a joint statement of “condemnation of religious persecution”. “Hopefully – father Duarte da Cunha says –, on February 21st Ms Katherine Ashton will put on the agenda the continuation of the reflections of January 31st in the attempt to take a decision for good this time. We do not want the European Union or the Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs to produce a new statement. The Council of Europe and the European Parliament have already taken a very strong position”.
“What we ask for – father da Cunha explains – is that decisions are actually taken, for example to monitor the situations of Christians across the world, and that such monitoring mechanism can and must be factored in, in the economic policy and in the relations between the States. In other words, it must be clear that religious freedom is a matter that Europe has at heart, that it is no less important than economic factors. Of course, we care for the men and women of all religions, but what we ask for is that explicit reference be made to Christians, because they are the ones that are suffering the most, they are the victims of the most visible forms of persecution. Just think of Iraq, where Christians are forced to flee the country because they are Christian. The European Union must be aware of this”.