Brussels
France this week rejected a proposed constitution for the European Union because it contained references to God and Christianity. Twenty-five foreign ministers who had gathered in Belgium immediately went back to the negotiating table. Representatives from Poland, Italy, Portugal, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic—supported by Pope John Paul II—suggested mentioning “the Christian roots of Europe” in the charter’s preamble, which they said would merely recognize “a historical truth.” France said it would nonetheless offend the rapidly growing number of non-Christian Europeans, and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw agreed. “We have to bear in mind other religions as well,” he said.
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