FORGING A CATHOLIC EUROPE

The Bible in the book of Revelation depicts the Whore of Babylon sitting on the Beast, signifying that she plays a principal role. Religion does play a part in European politics. Its precepts provided the ideology that prompted the European Union’s formation.

Religion has a voice in European politics through the Christian Democratic and Socialist political parties, which elect statesmen who share their beliefs. The leaders of these parties become the political representatives of their churches. During the French Revolution, as Democracy spread through Europe, so did Christian political parties. Most of these parties were Catholic. The Christian Democratic political movement would defend the Church’s ultimate interests. This political party assumed responsibility for the social services that the Church was no longer in a position to provide. The Whore in part sits on the Beast through the Christian political parties that are responsible for the European Union’s formation and evolution.

Catholic ideals influenced the European Union’s founders. During World War II, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, and Alcide de Gasperi, each man exemplary

Catholics, had been hunted by Nazis and Fascists. De Gasperi-the founder of the Christian Democratic Party in Italy, and a militant Catholic activist and anti-fascist-became premier of Italy in 1945. He believed that the party man remained linked with his spiritual mother, the Church. His theological convictions influenced his public and private actions.

German Chancellor Konrad Adenaeur helped found the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Germany in 1945. He “typified a Catholic Germany in contrast to a pagan Germany.” In 1949, the Frenchman Robert Schuman became France’s foreign minister. He had wanted to become a priest, but gave the idea up to serve his faith in other ways. For him, politics was a priestly duty. All three men were politicians with high ideals. Pope Pius XII, who held strong political beliefs, sought to aid the cause of peace with the help of fellow Catholics. He and the leaders of the Christian Democratic parties formulated a plan. For the first time, leaders of the Catholic Church headed the French, Italian, and German governments. The Christian Democratic political parties aroused hopes of a new Christianity. The movement arranged religious gatherings where they planned political action. Vatican Europe became part of the political scene.

Europe, devastated by two world wars, directly felt the threat of two atheistic ideologies-communism and fascism. The European political leaders believed that the only way to have peace among nations would be if the nations aligned themselves in economic and political pursuits. Schuman proposed that France and Germany create a Coal and Steel Community, encompassing the two nation’s production. Konrad Adenauer welcomed the idea as a way to prevent war among these two nations. They invited other nations to join as well. On May 9, 1950, the Schuman Declaration led to the first European Union and on April 18, 1951, European leaders signed the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) Treaty in Paris.

The entire Franco-German production of coal and steel resided under a higher authority. Its decisions bound France, Germany, and other member countries. A Council represented the interests of the Member States. The common assembly later became the Court of Justice. In their view, this foundation of a European federation was vital to the preservation of peace. The union would prevent war.

The French and German heavy industries urgently needed rebuilding. The ECSC would spur growth. This agreement marked the birth of the European Union. Ratified by the governments of France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, the ECSC began functioning in 1952. It represented a revolutionary approach to international relations, as the first international organization with a federal governing body. This led to the drafting of the EURATOM (European Atomic Energy Community) and Common Market Treaties.

On March 25, 1957, European founders signed the EURATOM (European Atomic Energy Community) and the Common Market Treaties in Rome on one of its seven hills-Capitoline Hill.

Religion influenced the European Union’s formation through political leaders who embraced its precepts. These men acted as key players in the Union’s formation. They held the highest positions in its newly established organizations. Robert Schuman became the first president of the European Commission in 1958. Alcide de Gasperi held the presidential post of the ECSC Common Assembly in 1954. Monsignor Pierre Raffin, the Bishop of Metz, in Schuman’s native Lorraine, launched a campaign for his beatification; the first step on the way to sainthood. Some Christian Democratic members of the European Parliament backed the initiative. Of Jacques Delors, the former EU Commission president, Stanley Hoffman, who writes on European Union affairs, wrote: “A former official of the French labor union inspired by progressive Catholic thought, he exemplifies the synthesis of Christian democracy and socialism on which the Community was built.”

One’s religious convictions greatly affect one’s political beliefs. In the summer of 1998, the United Methodist News Service issued a press release stating that European churches were preparing to play a major role in the continued development of the European Union. The European Ecumenical Commission for Church and Society merged with the Conference of European Churches (CEC) into the Commission on Church and Society.

Members of this new commission included Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Anglicans, and the Orthodox. The Conference of European Churches comprised 123 different church bodies, and also cooperated with the Roman Catholic Church. Keith Clements, the conference’s general secretary, commented: “For the first time in centuries, there’s the possibility of creating a Europe without barriers, the challenge to the churches is whether they themselves can contribute to the unity.”

Catholic thought provides the ideological basis for a united Europe, and presents itself as a political point of reference. The Church along with the unification of Europe, is simultaneously attempting to unify and strengthen itself. It aims to become the spiritual backbone of the evolving European Union. According to See Change, a publication for Catholic organizations, which reports on how the hierarchy of the Catholic Church involves itself in public policy debates: It seems that the bishops want the European Union to become an extension of the church, by confirming that European civilization, in the words of the pope, “emerged because the seed of Christianity was planted deep in Europe’s soil.” (Zenit, “Popes, proposals for European Charter of human rights, “September 24, 2000.)

Few democracies in Europe mention God in their constitutions but this did not deter the bishops from demanding that the European Union should do so. On January 13, 2003, Pope John Paul II gave his State of the World address to representatives of 177 countries in Vatican City. Concerning the European Union he stated: “The Holy See and all the Christian Churches have urged those drawing up the future Constitutional Treaty of the European Union to include a reference to Churches and religious institutions.” He added: ” A Europe which disavowed its past, which denied the fact of religion, and which had no spiritual dimension would be extremely impoverished in the face of the ambitious project which calls upon all its energies: constructing a Europe for all.”

Within two weeks of the Pope’s address, United Press International reported that the Pope was “lobbying European governments to officially recognize the European Union’s Christian roots,” and they reported on the Catholic Church’s efforts to work a strong Christian reference into the preamble of the EU Constitution. The Vatican argues that “Christianity’s fundamental role in shaping European culture should be acknowledged in what is destined to become the European Union’s key document.” Convention delegates are reluctant to involve religion in the new constitution; for fear that it might create additional problems for the Union. Dr. Ian Paisley of the Institute of Protestant Studies, whose web site promotes, defends, and maintains Bible Protestantism in Europe (http://www.ianpaisley.org/about.asp), exposes the papacy as the Beast of Revelation.

MEDIA INSIGHT (FATIMA.ORG)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA

Strasbourg, October 24, 2012 – On October 23, 2012 Father Nicholas Gruner of the Fatima Center in Canada and Catholic attorney and author Christopher A. Ferrara of the United States appeared at the headquarters of the EU in Strasbourg, France to speak in support of a motion for a declaration by the EU Parliament calling upon Pope Benedict XVI to carry out the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The motion is being sponsored by two members of the Parliament of the European Union, the Honorable Mario Borghezio and the Honorable Lorenzo Fontana, who invited Father Gruner and Mr. Ferrara to speak in its support at the time of its official introduction. The motion refers to the threat of “great danger at the present time to world peace and the serenity of all European peoples” and notes that “the Blessed Virgin Mary has promised a long period of prosperity and peace, if and only if, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia in a solemn and public manner, as precisely specified by Her in the Message of Fatima.”

 The motion provides for a declaration by the EU Parliament formally requesting that “His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI… fulfill the will of the Queen of Heaven” by performing the Consecration in order to address European and world problems.Speaking before the international press corps in the press hall of the EU Parliament headquarters in Strasbourg, Father Gruner and Mr. Ferrara made presentations in support of the measure, including a discussion of the content, undeniable authenticity, and absolute urgency of the Fatima Message for the Church and humanity at large. They were introduced by MPs, Borghezio and Fontana, who appeared with them at the press conference.

 “This was a God-given opportunity to advance the cause of Our Lady of Fatima in a forum whose deliberations will have considerable impact at the Vatican. MEPs. Borghezio and Fontana are to be commended for their courageous defense of the Blessed Virgin before a hostile world. I pray the motion passes and the EU Parliament calls upon the Pope to do his duty,” said Father Gruner. “I believe we succeeded in making a case for the Consecration of Russia that would appeal even to rational non-believers, who have nothing to lose by voting in favor this measure,” said Mr. Ferrara.

 The motion has been lodged with the EU Parliament as an official legislative document and will become part of the public record of EU proceedings. It has already attracted the signatures of a growing number of additional sponsors in the Parliament, including members from Italy, Austria and Ireland.

Revelation and offers some enlightening facts. His web site also exposes the Catholic Church’s immorality and its political role within the European Union, and alerts its readers to EU legislation that infringes on the freedoms of European citizens.  His article “The Vacant Seat Number 666 in the European Union Parliament,” records:

“The prophetic significance of the European Union has been revealed as the saga unfolds. First, the sign which it chose as its symbol was the woman riding the Beast. This comes from a prophecy in Revelation 17. The depiction of the harlot woman was reproduced on the centenary stamp of the European Union, in a huge painting in the Parliament’s new building in Brussels, and by a huge sculpture outside the new EU Council of Ministers Office in Brussels. The new European coinage, the euro, bears the same insignia. The Tower of Babel has been used on the posters emanating from Europe – a truly suggestive prophetic sign.Now, a massive Crystal Palace tower (officially called the Tower Building) houses the Fifth Parliament of Europe”

In November of 2008, the Catholic Church demanded that the EU enshrine Sunday observance into law. In October of 2009, the Catholic News Service reported Pope Benedict XVI asserting: “If European unity is based only on geography and economics, it cannot succeed in promoting the common good of all Europe’s citizens and in helping the rest of the world. The recognition of the dignity of the human person and the obligation to work for the common good — values Christianity fostered on the continent — are what inspired the movement toward European unity and are the only guarantee of its success” The European Union did not bring those values to the 27 member countries, but rather it is these shared values that have given birth to and were like a gravitational force that drew the countries together and inspired them to form a union.

When the church recalls the Christian roots of Europe, it is not seeking a special status for itself, instead, it is calling Europeans to remember that the values that brought peace to the continent and freedom and dignity to its people must be allowed to continue nourishing it…Europe will not truly be herself if she cannot keep the originality that made her great. In the Pope’s own words we see the image of the woman sitting on the Beast and her influence is clearly evident. So much so that contributors have devoted a page to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia entitled “European Union- Holy See Relations,” and another entry titled, “The European Union and the Catholic Church.”

A few years back there was a web site dedicated to exposing the meaning of the EU flag. The site called itself “The EU Flag’s True Symbolism Revealed.” The writer presented the idea that the symbol derived from the Virgin Mary, and is a tribute to her. The EU’s flag, a circle of twelve stars on a blue background, depicts Judeo-Christian symbolism. The twelve stars symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve apostles, along with the twelve months in a year, and the Greek myth that speaks of the twelve labors Hercules performed to gain immortality.

The European Union bases many of its symbols on pagan myths; the very name Europe is from the Greek mythological Europa, a Phoenician noble woman kidnapped by Zeus who came to her as a bull and took her to the island of Crete where she became queen. Ian Paisley pointed out the similarity of Revelation Chapter 17 depiction of the harlot riding the beast and the EU’s woman seated on the bull which are outside several of the European Union’s institutions, as well as on the Greek euro coin.

Europa’s name appeared on postage stamps commemorating the Council of Europe, issued in 1956. Furthermore, the dome of the European Parliament’s Paul-Henri Spaak building contains a large mosaic by Aligi Sassu portraying the abduction of Europa with other elements of Greek mythology. Europa also serves as the national personification for Europe.

THE ROMAN LEGACY

If you live in Europe a gap of 2,000 years may seem to have put the Romans at a safe distance from your own lives and experience, but modern Europe with its Union is unthinkable without the Roman Empire. It is part of the story of how Europe came to be what it is today. The Romans are important as a conscious model, for good or ill, to successive generations. Why do they have such a powerful hold on Europe’s development? A century ago, for those with imperialist ambitions, the Roman Empire represented a success story. Rome’s story of conquest, at least in Europe and around the Mediterranean, was imitated, but never matched, by leaders from Charlemagne to Napoleon. The dream that one could not only conquer, but in so doing create a Pax Romana, a vast area of peace, prosperity and unity of ideas, was a genuine inspiration. And that genuine inspiration is what has preserved the legacy of Rome from the time of the Caesars up until the twenty first century.