Pope slams exclusion of Christian roots
Published: Sunday, 25 March, 2007

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI strongly criticised the European Union yesterday for excluding a mention of God and Europe’s Christian roots in declarations marking the 50th anniversary of its founding.In a toughly-worded speech to European bishops, Benedict said Europe was committing a form of “apostasy of itself” and was thus doubting its own identity.

The Pope, who like his predecessor John Paul II has often called for a mention of God and Christianity in the European Constitution, said leaders could not exclude values that helped forge the “very soul” of the continent.

“If on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome the governments of the Union want to get closer to their citizens, how can they exclude an element as essential to the identity of Europe as Christianity, in which the vast majority of its people continue to identify?” he asked. the rest