Serracino Inglott appointed on 'Committee of the Wise'
The former Rector of the University of Malta and Malta's representative to the European Convention, Rev. Prof. Peter Serrachino Inglott, has been appointed by the Commission of the Bishops of the European Community (Comece) to form part of the...
The former Rector of the University of Malta and Malta's representative to the European Convention, Rev. Prof. Peter Serrachino Inglott, has been appointed by the Commission of the Bishops of the European Community (Comece) to form part of the "Committee of the Wise", which will prepare a report on the values upon which the EU is based.
The appointment of this committee was approved earlier this week by the EU Bishops conference.
Prof. Serrachino Inglott will join high-profile names such as former European Commissioners Loyola de Palacio, Mario Monti and Franz Fishler, the former President of the European Parliament Pat Cox and Vytautas Landsbergis, former Prime Minister of Lithuania.
The decision to draft this report is being considered as the latest initiative by the Roman Catholic Church to refuel the debate over the "Christianisation" of the EU constitution.
Malta was among the EU member states insisting that the new text of the Constitution should make reference to the Christian heritage of Europe.
Germany, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ireland had all pushed hard for this reference during the negotiations in 2004. However, opposition from the UK, France and Sweden kept a religious statement out of the constitutional text treaty.
Comece's secretary general, Mgr Noel Treanor told a press conference in Brussels yesterday that the report of the Committee of the Wise will serve as preparation for an EU bishops' congress to be held in Rome next March on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.
He said that Comece's bishops hope that this report will provide a more explicit presentation of the values which are the basis of the process of building Europe.
The Vatican has been lobbying hard to revive this debate. Following a private meeting with the Pope last month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that any EU Constitution should refer to Christian values. She had promised to make another attempt to resurrect the constitutional treaty when Germany takes over the EU presidency next January.