Roby Ronza, spokesman of the «Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples,» presented the request to the Italian government, which occupies the rotating presidency of the European Union this semester, and which seeks consensus to approve the draft of the Constitution this autumn.
In a statement on Monday, Ronza called for a «radical revision of the draft,» which would imply «a postponement in the signing of the European Constitutional Charter.»
The message of greeting to the meeting, sent on behalf of John Paul II by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, stated that the event should remind «the peoples of Europe, who seem to vacillate under the weight of their history, where their roots are imbedded.»
The meeting, which has attracted 600,000 people to this coastal city, opened Sunday with an address by Pierferdinando Casini, president of the Italian Chamber, who also stressed the need to refer to the Christian roots in order to understand Europe.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, however, said the request would not be easily implemented. He told a diocesan weekly newspaper Verona Fedela that, «in addition to Italy, only Spain, Ireland and Poland» support the mention of Christian roots, while 21 countries are opposed.
