London, England, Oct 14, 2004 / 22:00 pm
British paper “The Guardian” published yesterday a collection of reactions to the effort of some congressmen of the European Union to block Catholic Italian Minister Rocco Buttiglione from serving as a Commisioner.
Reaction shows that, after a harsh reaction against his Catholic views on homosexuality and marriage, the table seems to be turning in favor of the Italian intellectual and former Minister of European Affairs, who is also a close friend of Pope John Paul.
The October 13 editorial of the Wall Street Journal Europe stated: "Judging from the hysterical reaction of the Socialist members of the European parliament, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Torquemada himself has arisen from his grave to usurp the European commission's justice and home affairs portfolio and reinstitute the inquisition. 'Shocking,' was how Josep Borrell, the Socialist president of the parliament described Rocco Buttiglione's statements on homosexuality and marriage.”
"Mr Buttiglione, an Italian philosophy professor, devout Catholic and friend of the Pope, became the first [European] commission appointee ever to be singled out and called unacceptable by a parliamentary committee,” pointed out the editorial.