Fundamental values are at stake in next month's elections to the European Parliament, the Catholic bishops of the European Union said yesterday, urging citizens to get out and vote.
Voters "of all faiths and none" had both an interest in voting and a moral duty to do so, the bishops said, lamenting the low turnout in the 1999 elections to the European Parliament.
"The EU merits the participation of its citizens in the elections," said Mgr Noel Treanor, secretary-general of COMECE, the commission of bishops' conferences from the EU.
COMECE is careful to avoid committing support to any political party or group, but in yesterday's statement, the bishops set out twelve issues on which they wanted citizens to question European Parliament candidates.
The list begins with "respect for life" and ends with the possibility of mentioning "our Christian heritage" in the preamble to the proposed EU constitution.
Mgr Treanor said there had been a conscious decision to put "respect for life" first but the order of the other issues was partly influenced by the extent to which they fell within the competence of the European Parliament.
He said that although the European Parliament had no competence to legislate on issues such as abortion or euthanasia during the five years of the next parliament, there would be reports and discussions on these issues. MEPs would play a role in setting the tone and content of ethical debates in society at large, he said.
Furthermore, the European Parliament would have a say in the EU's allocation of funds for scientific research.
The list has questions on safeguarding creation and ensuring sustainable economic growth and solidarity with the poor. Among the topics is the EU's response to terrorism and the parliament's commitment to the fair treatment of refugees and migrants.
On the constitution, the bishops called again for "an open and inclusive reference to Europe's Christian heritage in the preamble".