In a powerful address to the National Forum on Europe, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said the Union had to do more in the promotion of peace.The EU, if it is to be true to its history, should be in the forefront of the promotion of peace, said Dr Martin, who pointed out that the war in Iraq had demonstrated the ‘utter failure of military intervention as a means effectively to resolve conflict.’
But Iraq also represented another failure, he continued, the failure of non military means to address the question of regimes which wipe out their own citizens.
‘Where were we when Saddam Hussein was killing his people?’ he asked. ‘Where are we with regard to Darfur? Where are we in Sri Lanka? We need a new strategy for peace, for conflict prevention, for building up true democracy as opposed to maintaining national strategic interest.’
Catholic Social Teaching favoured two important principles, the Catholic Primate of Ireland explained – the obligation of the State to foster ‘subsidiarity’ (the principle that what can be done effectively at local level, should be done at local level), respect for individual and family rights, and on the other hand 'to underscore the unity of the human family and international solidarity rather than any narrow nationalism.'
The problem of racism, for example, Dr Martin said, was best tackled at a local level. In North Dublin in some Catholic schools the majority of the children were non national, but even the youngest could tell a Lithuanian or South African flag not because they have a good geography teacher but because it is the flag of their friend. These children are the ones who change the feelings of the parents. These are the one who build up a future of a Europe which is respectful of different cultures.
The European Union was not a super state and a long way from becoming a ‘United States of Europe’. But the Union needed to be ‘maxi and super’ in its spirit of solidarity.
‘There is however a growing tendency of the EU in international negotiations to adopt some of the trappings of a superpower, especially in trade negotiations,’ said Dr Martin. He lamented that the Union was often held back from ‘more enlightened positions’ by national interest.
The Archbishop addressed the problem of the perceived distance between European citizens and the law making institutions. He called for an improved debate between MEPs and their constituents, and an improved system of information on an ‘EU wide basis’
On the topic of God in the European Constitution, the Archbishop of Dublin said he would have liked to see a reference to the Christian roots of Europe in the Constitution, but said the best way to counteract those who would play down the significance of the Christian contribution to Europe in history was ‘not so much decrying their viewpoint, but by witnessing to the significance for today’s EU of those perennial values which have always been at the root of that Christian contribution.’
Looking at economic values, for example, the Archbishop said what was at stake was the livelihood and prosperity of EU citizens, ‘especially its weakest citizens.’
‘Such economic values include fair competition practices, good corporate governance, sound fiscal policies, and the rejection of corruption, the avoidance of the exploitation of national interest or narrow particular interests to the detriment of the common good,’ he continued.
But economic activity was only one dimension of human activity and could not be sustained in ‘an ethical and legal vacuum'.
It was the excellent education system which had brought about Ireland’s prosperity. ‘It would be short-sighted to think that Ireland can continue in its leadership role at the cutting edge of economic growth within Europe without intensive and focused new investment in education for the years to come, aimed at maintaining the same focus on creativity,’ said Dr Martin.
He called on Ireland to be generous and to support investment in infrastructures in the poorest regions of the newly acceded countries so they could enjoy the same benefits as Ireland did.
He hoped that the measures introduced to limit freedom of labour, would be temporary ones, and that the citizens of Bulgaria and Rumania would soon be welcomed to Ireland ‘with the same embrace of equality as citizens of other EU States.’
‘Immigration has indeed brought overall positive results to Ireland. It has brought an injection of new initiative and creativity to our economy and our society, as well indeed as to our Church community,’ he said.