Vatican City, May 16, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Speaking at the third Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Council of Europe yesterday, Vatican representative Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo told Council members that Europe would only be an “agent of peace and civilization in the world” to the extent that it promotes human dignity and fundamental rights.
The summit is being held today and yesterday in Warsaw, Poland with prominent attendees from around Europe.
In his address, Archbishop Lajolo, Holy See’s secretary for Relations with States, reminded summit members of the deep Christian roots, which formed Europe’s history.
"Europe”, he said, “will be loved by its citizens and will serve as an agent of peace and civilization in the world only if it is animated by certain fundamental values: the promotion of human dignity and fundamental human rights, ... in the first place freedom of conscience and religion; the pursuit of the common good in a spirit of solidarity; and respect for national and cultural identity."