Faithful Catholics cannot be Eurosceptic
SIR – In October 1999, St John Paul II wrote, when he named SS Bridget of Sweden, Catherine of Siena and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross as patron saints of Europe, “Europeans are called to leave behind once and for all the rivalries of history which often turned the continent into a theatre of devastating wars. At the same time they must work to create conditions of greater unity and cooperation between peoples. Before them lies the daunting challenge of building a culture and an ethic of unity, for in the absence of these any politics of unity is doomed sooner or later to failure.’ I wonder whether the writer of your leader of January 29 (“Let the voters decide on Europe”) has read these words. What does he or she think that they mean? Are they of no importance? Do they not apply to Catholics in Britain? Your leader completely ignores the explicit support to political union in Europe given by successive popes, particularly John Paul the Great. Such a union needs a cultural and spiritual underpinning, but nevertheless it is clear that the Catholic Church has supported the aspirations of the European Union for real political unity for a long time. This has been reinforced by statements from bishops in Europe (particularly in Europe-wide bodies of bishops such as CCEE and Comece) and in statements from our own bishops such as The Common Good in 1996. This consistent view has become part of the body of Catholic social teaching, based on the key principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. Catholics in the UK have a responsibility to be aware of this teaching and because of it the neutrality your leader calls for is not really an option. You cannot be a faithful Catholic and a Eurosceptic. The bishops should show a clear lead and urge Catholics to vote “yes” in the referendum. Yours faithfully, Fr Ashley Beck St Mary’s University, Twickenham
