World News and Trends: Pope reiterates religious stance on Europe
Rocco Buttiglione, a Roman Catholic and friend of Pope John Paul II, was unable to become European justice minister in the European Commission after the EU parliament objected to his conservative views on homosexuality and single mothers.
Rocco Buttiglione, a Roman Catholic and friend of Pope John Paul II, was unable to become European justice minister in the European Commission after the EU parliament objected to his conservative views on homosexuality and single mothers.
According to The Guardian (Nov. 8, 2004) he afterwards "began a public campaign to form a European 'Theocon' movement for those who believe that traditional values should be part of public life." Mr. Buttiglione stated that he has been the recipient of thousands of letters of support.
Further measures have been taken by others of like mind. An article in the online Telegraph reported that "more than a million people are going to deliver a petition to Tony Blair and fellow EU leaders calling for changes to the constitution recognising Europe's Christian heritage. Refusing to accept a secular 'fait accompli' from Brussels, a Christian coalition is demanding that each EU state publish its version of the constitution preamble with references to God if desired" (Nov. 29, 2004).
Perhaps more importantly, "the move has the backing of Pope John Paul II, who has repeatedly condemned the 'moral drift' of Brussels. 'One does not cut the roots of one's birthright,' he told pilgrims this summer [2004]" (ibid.).
The Vatican has not been happy with the fact that the proposed European Union constitution does not specifically mention Christianity. According to the Vatican-based ZENIT News Agency, during a recent meeting with Romano Prodi, outgoing president of the European Commission, the pope reminded him of the symbolic value of Rome as the site of the signing of the original Treaty of Rome in 1957 as well as the new constitution in 2004.
The pope clearly stated: "Whoever speaks of Rome, speaks of the radiation of universal juridical and spiritual values. The Holy See favored the formation of the EU before it was juridically structured, and has followed the successive stages with active interest. It has always felt the need to express openly the just expectations of a great number of Christian citizens of Europe, who have so requested it.
"This is why the Holy See has reminded all that Christianity . . . has contributed to the formation of a common conscience of European peoples and has helped enormously in shaping the civilizations. Whether or not it is recognized in official documents, it is an undeniable fact that no historian will be able to forget" (Oct. 28, 2004).
Whatever the outcome of the current campaign, religion eventually is going to have the last word in Europe—notwithstanding the secular EU. If you would like to understand why, please request or download our free booklets You Can Understand Bible Prophecy and The Book of Revelation Unveiled. (Sources: ZENIT News Agency [Vatican], The Telegraph, The Guardian [London].)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: January - February 2005
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
