Targu Jiu

The religious freedom in Europe

 

Even since the Middle Age, since it was formed as a geo-political individuality, the European identity has adopted Christianity as a fundamental value. The term “res publica Christiana” showed the affiliation to the Christian religion and to the European continent.

“The Great Schism” in 1054, the religious reform in the Western Europe in the 16^th century and the ottoman attack in the Eastern Europe created religious problems, made new a faith on the continent. Many military, political conflicts, collective and personal dramas had their origins in the lack of tolerance. Thus, the projects of the European Union had to take into consideration this reality. Today to be a European doesn’t mean to be a Christian, too. The motto “Unity in diversity” is fully applied in the problems of the religious freedom.

At the meeting of the European Union from Koln on June 3^rd-4^th 1999 its members decided to elaborate “The Charter of  the fundamental rights in the E.U.” in order to confer “a more visibility to the human rights”. This was proclaimed by “The European Committee”, “The European Parliament” and “The Council of the E.U.” at the European Council at Nice, on December 7^th 2000 and adopted at Strasbourg in 2007. In the Treat from Lisbon signed on December 13^th 2007 by all of the states of the E.U. and valid since January 1^st 2009, in the Article 6 it is stated: “the Union admit the rights, liberties and principles specified in <The Charter of the fundamental rights of the E.U.> as well as its adoption on December 2007 at Strasbourg that have the same juridical value as the one of the treats.”

In “The Charter of the fundamental rights in the E.U.” the article 10 refers to “the freedom of thought, conscience and religion” and states: (1) “Any person has the right to the freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right implies the freedom of changing his religion or belief as well as the freedom of practising his religion or belief individually or collectively, in public or in particular, by the cult, education, practices.” (2) “The right to objection on account of the conscience is admitted according to the internal laws which regulate this right.”

The legislative regulations can’t produce automatically the solving of the whole problems regarding the religious freedom. The religious inheritance of today’s Europe is very complex and requires a solution carefully elaborated. An example is the war in  ex-Yugoslavia in 1990s which had religious causes, too.

The dialogue between the catholic and the orthodox people is another present and future problem. The proliferation of terrorism including the religious implications of the phenomenon can find its solution only by a simultaneous application of  tolerance, dialogue, a strong attitude against indoctrination and religious fanaticism.

At the level of the European citizen - Christian, Jewish, Muslim etc - there are new challenges including the freedom of faith that can be solved only by acceptance and tolerance now and in the future.

 

←