Old foes unite against EU ‘ideology’ to defend faith

The Polish Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches have issued an unprecedented joint plea to European Christians to defend their values, writes Josef Pazderka. “Today, we see more issues that unite us than divide us,” said the head of the Polish bishops’ conference, Archbishop Józef Michalik, after meeting Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s External Relations.

“We all remember the Soviet times, when we were forced to follow atheist state ideology,” Metropolitan Hilarion said. “However, there is another dangerous ideology ruling in the European Union now and we should not follow it blindly.” Archbishop Michalik said the Russian Orthodox Church offered “a fresh viewpoint that we urgently need”.

Meanwhile two-thirds of voters in Croatia want to change their country’s constitution to recognise marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Some 65.8 per cent of those who took part in a referendum last Sunday voted in favour, with 33.5 per cent against.