Are we being unfair to the new European president?
Writing in the Independent, Dominic Lawson berates the NSS and others who are asking questions about the religious motivations that animate the new president of the European Council, Mr Herman Van Rompuy (HVR for short).
In his article, Mr Lawson turns the question that we placed over our announcement of Mr Rompuy’s appointment into a statement. We asked: “Does the Pope have another little toiler at the top of Euro politics?” Mr Lawson gives the impression we stated it as a fact.
We have little information yet about Mr Van Rompuy, but what we do have does not fill us with confidence. Mr Lawson himself accepts “It is in fact true that van Rompuy is a serious Catholic, the author of a book entitled Christendom, who has opposed Turkish entry into the EU on the grounds that “The universal values which are in force in Europe and which are fundamental values of Christianity, will lose vigour with the entry of a large Islamic country such as Turkey.”
Damian Thompson, the Catholic journalist, says in his blog in the Daily Telegraph, that Mr Van Rompuy’s opinions about Turkish accession chime perfectly with those of the Pope. Mr Thompson says he finds it hard to argue against those who consider HVR to be an agent of the Vatican.
Rev. George Pitcher, the crack brained “religious affairs correspondent” at the Telegraph is certainly of the opinion that the Vatican is on a “rampage” to re-establish itself as the major player in Europe. Writing about Rowan Williams’ insultingly brief (20 minute) meeting with the Pope last week, he said:
Benedict is determined to rebuild his one, true and, importantly, universal Church. Under a banner of doctrinal purity, he is annexing orthodoxy. That's why, in 2006, he dropped the title Patriarch of the West from the list of handles conferred on the Pope. Too parochial, too implicitly restrictive. Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church is altogether more agreeable to him.
Organic growth is not an option for him, so he must grow the Church by acquisition. The Apostolic Constitution is part of that acquisitive strategy, aimed less at dismembering the Church of England than at bringing home Catholics in America and Australia; but even more significantly being tested as a tool ahead of bringing others, such as the ultra-traditionalist and schismatic Lefebvrists, back into the fold. Benedict wants to consolidate orthodoxy wherever he finds it and, eastern Orthodox patriarchs should note, there can be only one voice of authority and it speaks from Rome. This Pope is on a reactionary and Counter-Reformational rampage.
Meanwhile, back to HVR, who is presented to us as a nonentity who will make no impression in his new job. We are told that he will just be a negotiator, a conciliator, a chairman of meetings. But what else is there that we know about him that can inform our thinking? Well, this much we know:
• He makes monthly retreats to a Benedictine monastery;
• His wife is reported to have said that she is “overawed by the force he can find in his faith”.
• He gained a degree in economics at the Catholic University of Leuven – but also one in philosophy.
• He is a leader of the Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams, Belgium's Flemish Christian-democratic party – hardly an endorsement of his secularist tendencies.
• Some members of his party promote “Intelligent Design” in Europe, and he does not contradict them.
• On October 19, he delivered a paper to a conference on the last encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI about the Church’s social doctrine. He supported the Pope’s idea that social doctrine needed a “world leader” to ensure that it was based on morality. We wonder who Herr Ratzinger could have had in mind, when he made that recommendation – and who HVR would like to see filling such a position?
We’ll have to wait and see whether Mr Van Rompuy puts “Democracy” before “Christian” in his political life. We will be watching closely.
