By SIR
The Christian Churches of Europe of the different Christian traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic ones) sent a letter to Baroness Catherine Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security policy of the European Union, asking her “to include the issue of the defence of religious freedom and Christians across the world into the agenda of the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU, due to take place on February 21st”.
The letter was disclosed today in a joint final release of the Joint Committee of Ccee (Council of European Bishops Conferences) and Kek (Conference of European Churches), at the end of their yearly meeting in Belgrade. During the meeting, the Committee members also spoke of religious freedom, saying that it “is a right and a value that every democratic society should be ready to defend and promote”.
In this spirit, the Joint Committee members decided to draw up and send a letter to Baroness Catherine Ashton, in which they also asked her to “give a clear sign about decisions on common policies that will prove the European Union’s commitment to defend religious freedom for the devotees of all religions all over the world”.
“Such reference to the persecution of Christians, the urgency of which is obvious in the face of the recent events (especially in the Middle East and Iraq) – the leaders of the Christian churches in Europe write –, cannot be forgotten or buried under abstract, ineffectual policies. The Western countries that have special relations with areas in which such persecution is obvious should prove to be effectively committed to defend those who are persecuted because of their faith, no matter what faith it is”.
The meeting, which was focussed on the Christians’ contribution to national identity and European integration – the release states –, “brought to the fore the belief that every human being is endowed with a non-negotiable dignity. Such dignity comes from having been created in the resemblance of God, which is itself a communion of People”. “Therefore, a human being is not reduced to the individual dimension but intrinsically partakes of the social dimension as well”. Because of this – the leaders of the Christian churches state –, "religious freedom cannot mean confining the religious dimension to private life”.
The Christian Churches of Europe of the different Christian traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic ones) sent a letter to Baroness Catherine Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security policy of the European Union, asking her “to include the issue of the defence of religious freedom and Christians across the world into the agenda of the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU, due to take place on February 21st”.
The letter was disclosed today in a joint final release of the Joint Committee of Ccee (Council of European Bishops Conferences) and Kek (Conference of European Churches), at the end of their yearly meeting in Belgrade. During the meeting, the Committee members also spoke of religious freedom, saying that it “is a right and a value that every democratic society should be ready to defend and promote”.
In this spirit, the Joint Committee members decided to draw up and send a letter to Baroness Catherine Ashton, in which they also asked her to “give a clear sign about decisions on common policies that will prove the European Union’s commitment to defend religious freedom for the devotees of all religions all over the world”.
“Such reference to the persecution of Christians, the urgency of which is obvious in the face of the recent events (especially in the Middle East and Iraq) – the leaders of the Christian churches in Europe write –, cannot be forgotten or buried under abstract, ineffectual policies. The Western countries that have special relations with areas in which such persecution is obvious should prove to be effectively committed to defend those who are persecuted because of their faith, no matter what faith it is”.
The meeting, which was focussed on the Christians’ contribution to national identity and European integration – the release states –, “brought to the fore the belief that every human being is endowed with a non-negotiable dignity. Such dignity comes from having been created in the resemblance of God, which is itself a communion of People”. “Therefore, a human being is not reduced to the individual dimension but intrinsically partakes of the social dimension as well”. Because of this – the leaders of the Christian churches state –, "religious freedom cannot mean confining the religious dimension to private life”.