Poland Wants God Mentioned in European Constitution

This agreement was arrived at Wednesday during an unprecedented meeting between Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski, a former Communist; Cardinal Jozef Glemp, Polish primate; and Ministers and delegates of the government, also formerly Communist.

"In addition to social and economic values, the Polish Church wants the final document elaborated by the European Convention to be based on spiritual and ethical" values as well, said Adam Schultz, the Polish episcopate´s spokesman, after the two-hour meeting.

Dariusz Szymczycha, Minister of the presidency, agreed: "The Church is one of Europe´s fundamental institutions. This is the reason to include ethical and religious values in the future constitutional treaty."

By way of precedent, both sides referred to the 1997 Polish Constitution in which Poles agreed to include a reference to the traditional values of their national Christian culture.

President Kwasniewski quoted Cardinal Glemp when he said Poland´s integration in the European Union is "a historical necessity."