Vatican official explains church view on E.U. Constitution, diplomacy

Published: 2004-11-05

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A former Vatican foreign minister said the preamble to the new European Union Constitution should have included some recognition of the role of religion in Europe's history. Speaking at The Catholic University of America Nov. 3, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, now archivist and librarian at the Vatican, primarily explained for students the role of the Vatican in international diplomacy, but he also touched on issues including the church's participation in negotiations about the constitution. On Oct. 29 the heads of state of the 25 E.U. countries signed the document in a ceremony in Rome. It must now be ratified by each country. The Vatican and European bishops had lobbied for the preamble to the constitution to include references to the church's role in European history, but they were unsuccessful.

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