Vaticaan betreurt afwezigheid van Christendom in Europese Grondwet (en)

Pope John Paul II publicly expressed his disappointment on Sunday (20 June) over the fact that the Constitution makes no reference to Christianity

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, Pope John Paul said that Europe's Christian roots could not be forgotten, and was upset that the EU leaders failed to mention Christianity in the Constitution text.

"One does not cut the roots to one's birthright," the pontiff said.

He also went on to publicly praise Poland, his home country, for trying until the last minute to get a reference included in the treaty.

The Pope, along with representatives of other European churches and several governments, campaigned strongly for a mention of Europe's Christian roots in the preamble of the European Constitution.

Others, with France and Belgium at the forefront, fought to keep the text free from any specific religious reference.

The preamble to the Constitution says that the EU draws its "inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, democracy, equality, freedom and the rule of law".