Seanad debates

Wednesday, 22 October 2003

European Convention/Intergovernmental Conference: Statements.

 

It is a pity there is no reference in the preamble to the Christian heritage of Europe. It would be an acknowledgment of historical reality. One could have a little too much of a French Third Republic, Jules Ferry type ideology. That is the type of ideological thing that will inevitably cause difficulty for some people. I do not regard it as an issue that would even remotely influence me in a "No" direction, but it is nonetheless something that would be nice to see included. It would be a generous acknowledgment, even in today's fairly secular world, of the Christian heritage. I do not wish to exclude other religious heritages and the phraseology used could also encompass them. That is one change I would like to see in the convention when concluded.

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