Pope Francis at the European Parliament: Throne and altar

Opinion by Anna van Densky

The visit of Pope Francis to the European Parliament in Strasboug is the second the most grand religious manifestation of the Italian EU Presidency after 'bringing saints' to Brussels Bozar – an exhibition of 60 Gothic icons  – the beacon of Middle Ages pilgrims. Both events claimed the EU's Christian roots, throwing oil on the fire of the notorious 'Clash of Civilizations' debate  launched by Samuel Huntington in 1992, which predicted religion as becoming the major source of conflict in the post-Cold War era. The European collective conscious has been particularly sensitive to the issue since the Balkan war - one of many tragedies to serve as proof of the hypothesis. Breaking away from secularism as a political institution, the European Parliament hinders the progress that it is supposed to achieve.

The Pope's appearance de facto claimed a privileged place for one branch of Christianity – Roman Catholics – over the whole ensemble of other European believers and non-believers, and has changed the image of the EU as being a secular and neutral body in the eyes of the larger global community.

The Italian presidency's drive, represents an obvious setback to the whole of the European secular doctrine, of building citizenship within the legal universe.

The Italians imposed their vision of Europe, referring to the Middle Ages as a model, ignoring the many centuries of European civilisation that has since been achieved, via innocent victims slain in crusades, destroyed in witch hunts and colonization and burned on fires, persecuted as they were for 'freedom of thought' - around 50 million souls perished in the spread of Christianity according to the philosophers of the Enlightenment, who made the giant move to secularism on which modern Europe was constructed.

However, the holy visit did not pass without an amusing touch of profane, revealing politician-sinners in their pursuit of heaven. The former companion of the incumbent French president received the Pope at Strasbourg airport – Ségolène Royale, ecology minister and mother of four children with François Hollande,  who never bothered to register their union, even in a civil ceremony. Yet, dressed in the blue hue of the European flag, she contentedly floated next to Pope Francis.

Her courtesy towards Francis was not a unique deviation from the secular institutional trend  – the whole of the Parliament was turned into a giant place of worship for pilgrims, screaming: "Papa Francis, bless us!"

There was undoubtedly a star moment for the European People's Party (EPP), in pursuing the concept of the Christian roots of Europe – Josef Daul, the EPP leader, was visibly ecstatic in being introduced to the Pope. And not only him. A politician noted previously for her  'paganism' in promoting the LGBT lifestyle was MEP Ulrika Lunchek, appeared in a a new light. With a sweet expression has she handed over the crimen pessimum symbol to the Pope – a rainbow scarf. Are LGBTs concerned with infernal punishment in the afterlife?

Nowadays, there may be no place in Hell for all the sinners, as there is a considerable flock of Catholic priests who are waiting to take their place there. In a spell of piety towards the successor of Saint Peter, the MEPs have overlooked the problems of the Holy See. For many worldwide, it is associated with indulgences towards paedophiles, reportedly 2%, that's 8,000 clergymen. The avalanche of allegations concerning the sexual abuse of hundreds of thousands of children in the past half-century provides an insight into the abhorrent backstage of the breathtaking beauty of the Italian icons.

No one would deny the outstanding efforts of Francis in fighting poverty, however if united with the same rigour behind Italian MEP Marco Zanini's 'crusade' against tax evasion, politicians could perhaps achieve more in fighting the problems of the disadvantaged rather than expressing courtesy to Pope Francis.

"The distance between the throne and altar can never be too great," Diderot once said. President Schultz has obviously decided otherwise.

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