A letter Croatian bishops have written in connection with Croatia's accession negotiations with the European Union was presented at the Croatian Bishops' Conference (HBK) office on Monday.
The HBK president, Osijek-Djakovo Archbishop Marin Srakic, said the first part of the letter looked back on the creation of the EU. He recalled that the idea of European unity was born in the part of Europe that was not under communist rule.
The Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanic, recalled that the founders of the EU were politicians who conceived a united Europe on the foundations of the common Christian heritage.
"Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet, Konrad Adenauer and Alcide De Gasperi were the first to promote the idea of a united Europe," Bozanic said, adding all four were devout Catholics.
Bozanic said the letter stated that the original idea of Europe's uniters was increasingly being set aside for the benefit of economic unification. He said that the dismissing of the Christian roots was especially evident during the drafting of the European constitution, with attempts made not to even mention God and Christianity.
Bozanic went on to say that Croatia's legitimate government launched the process of Croatia's EU accession and that in the letter, the bishops wanted to point to the advantages of EU accession.
Rijeka Archbishop Ivan Devcic said European unification was based on the freedom of choice and democratic functioning.
Zadar Archbishop Zelimir Puljic said the Croatian people was not born yesterday and that it was recognised for its contribution to European culture.
Asked if the Church would call on the people to vote in a referendum on Croatia's EU accession, Monsignor Srakic said the referendum would be another opportunity for the bishops to take a position, but added that one should not forget that 20 years ago, when Croatia was leaving the former Yugoslav federation, it was not that well-accepted in Europe.
Asked how mature Croatia was for EU entry, Cardinal Bozanic said nobody was completely ready, adding that Croats must not only underestimate themselves.
He said certain lobbying positions were frequently being surreptitiously introduced under the EU flag, although they were not part of administrative European structures or part of Brussels' central policy.
