European religious representatives at their meeting with EU leaders
Photo European Commission
Europe's political leadership have met with leaders of the continent's three monotheistic religions in Brussels. Tuesday's meeting was co-chaired by the presidents of three main institutions of the European Union, José Manuel Durão Barroso, president of the European Commission, Hans-Gert Pöttering, president of the European Parliament, and German chancellor Angela Merkel, currently president of the European Council. Senior leaders of Judaism, Christianity and Islam attended the gathering, whose topic was "Building a Europe based on human dignity." The participants addressed religion's role in European society, stressing the need for mutual understanding and dialogue. The meeting came ahead of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue in 2008.
The Jewish delegation included: Sir Jonathan Sacks, the chief rabbi of the United Kingdom and associate president of the Conference of European Rabbis; the chief rabbi of Antwerp, David Lieberman; the chief rabbi of Strasbourg, and Maram Stern, the deputy secretary-general of the World Jewish Congress.
"At a time when relations between faith groups in Europe are undergoing a sometimes difficult period, it gives us great encouragement that the European institutions at the highest level are giving full support to dialogue between faith groups," Philip Carmel, international relations director of the Conference of European Rabbis, told the JTA news agency. "It is also an important sign for Jewish groups in Europe that we hear such clear statements from important leaders such as president Barroso and chancellor Merkel, who are continually forthright in their condemnations of anti-Semitism."
Commission president Barroso said: "The presence of so many religious leaders is a reminder not just of Europe's rich religious diversity, but of the great importance that we give to this dialogue and our desire to further deepen our understanding." He went on to say: "We want our citizens to have confidence in Europe, by seeing the values they all hold dear, values based on human dignity, reflected in Europe's policies." Angela Merkel said the redrafted European constitution most likely would not mention Europe's Christian roots or God. The German chancellor told the meeting that a majority of fellow EU leaders did not support a second attempt to mention God in the revived constitutional treaty. "I would have liked to include such a reference," Merkel told reporters, but added, "I have to take note of the fact that there is not much chance of this reference being included."
