Archbishop of Valencia exhorts Spaniards to vote for a Christian Europe

Madrid, Spain, Jun 10, 2004 / 22:00 pm

In his latest pastoral letter, Archbishop Agustin Garcia-Gasco of Valencia, Spain, is calling on Spaniards to vote in the coming European parliamentarian elections for a European Union based on the truth and not deception, in which the Christian roots of the continent are recognized.

Archbishop Garcia-Gasco noted “with profound sadness” the presence of political parties with parliamentarian representation that make secularism their “banner in these European elections.”  He called it a phenomenon that “intends to ignore the religious phenomenon in its public dimension, limiting it to a private, particular and almost secret issue, about which it is better not talk about in public.”

The Archbishop said, “We want to build a European Union based on the truth” and he recalled that “in the historical origins of Europe, we find the fact of the presence of Christianity,” and therefore “to exclude it from the European constitutional text is to falsify history and is improper of those who legislate with a democratic mentality.”

“To push forward with the omission of the Christian roots of Europe is an abuse of power, an imposition of the secularist principles of some versus the religious freedom of all.”  Consequently, “those who wish to silence the Christian origins of Europe are opting for deception instead of the truth,” he said.

The Archbishop appealed to “the sense of responsibility” of voters, reminding them to vote with a Christian conscience and to remember that “to vote is a magnificent opportunity which the democratic system gives us to show our convictions.”

Lastly, the Archbishop called for a Europe “of peace, security and freedom, that welcomes immigrants and is concerned for justice in the world”, adding that “that Europe will be a reflection of the face of God.”