Rome, Italy, Oct 18, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Italy and candidate for justice minister on the European Commission, Rocco Buttiglione, denounced the existence of an “anti-Christian inquisition” in Europe and a “campaign of hate” against him that twists and distorts his public statements.
“Buttiglione must be disqualified, no matter what, and this does not bode well for democracy. This doesn’t help you to understand Buttiglione,” the Catholic public official said, speaking about himself.
In interviews with the Corriere della Sera and La Stampa, Buttiglione blamed the matter on the European Parliament, a “new anti-Christian inquisition” and “a sort of ‘Berufsverbot’ against Christians.”
Buttiglione explained that the “Berfusverbot,” established in 1972 by Willy Brandt, prohibited those who were part of the leftist groups in Germany from access to public employment.