Secular anger as Pope is invited to address European Parliament

News that the President of the European Parliament, Jercy Buzek (Christian Democrat) has invited the Pope to address the parliament has been greeted with dismay and anger by secularists in Britain and Europe.

Dutch MEP, and NSS honorary associate, Sophie in ’t Veld, has written to Mr Buzek protesting on behalf of the European Parliamentary Platform for Secularism in Politics. Ms ‘int Veld says:

“The plenary session in this assembly discusses and decides policies for all 500 million European citizens, regardless of their belief, faith or religion. It is wholly inappropriate for plenary meetings to be used as a podium for religious messages. “The European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics has repeatedly invited you, as President of this House, for an exchange of views on the implementation of Treaty article 17, regarding the relation between the EU institutions and churches and non-confessional organisations. So far you have not found the opportunity to attend one of our meetings, and you recently cancelled a date that had been set well in advance. “In view of your invitation to the Pope, we feel it is even more urgent to have a debate on the place of churches and religious organisations within the EU institutions. “The European Union has to defend the rights of every citizen, regardless of their religion or belief. Freedom of religion is an individual right, it is not a collective privilege. Freedom of religion can only be safeguarded if the EU institutions do not favour certain groups over others. All beliefs and convictions must be heard, including secularist voices.”

Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, added: “If the Pope is invited to speak at the European Parliament it will represent a slap in the face for the tens of thousands of victims of child abuse committed by Catholic priests and covered up by the Vatican hierarchy. I have twice challenged the Holy See to fulfil its obligations under the European Convention of the Rights of the Child at the United Nations Human Rights Council, and there has yet to be any action.

“To treat the Pope as an honoured guest after he has presided over two decades of institutionalised cover-ups of this criminal activity is grossly insulting. He should be made to answer for his sins, not lauded for them.

“We consider that inviting the Vatican — Europe’s last remaining theocracy — to the heart of the European Parliament to be undesirable and unhealthy. The Catholic Church already exerts far too much influence in the EU. This should be discouraged and curtailed rather than encouraged in this way.”

But William Oddie, the rather extreme Catholic commentator, saw things very differently in an article in the Catholic Herald

See also:

Berlusconi engages in a spot of gay bashing to please the pope

“Holy See” tells UN committee: Girls must be denied abortion rights