PRESS OFFICE DECLARATION ON THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2003 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following statement this afternoon on the European Constitution:

"It has been noted with satisfaction that, with the current project of Article 51, the European Convention has included in the constitutional treaty the content of Declaration 11 annexed to the Treaty of Amsterdam and has envisioned a constant dialogue with Churches and with religious communities, recognizing their identity and specific contribution.

"In what pertains to the first project of the Preamble, the mention of the various and important components that have acted together to form the European patrimony was noted, but the absence of an explicit mention of Christianity was noted with surprise.

"As a consequence, we share the opinion of those authoritative members of the Convention who have already proposed the inclusion of this element in the successive version of the Preamble, out of respect for historical truth and for a more balanced text."

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