Strong case for Nice, say bishops

Ireland's Catholic bishops have said that there seems to be a stronger case for the Treaty of Nice than against it.

In a statement following a meeting in Maynooth, the Standing Committee of the Irish Bishops' Conference said yesterday its comments were intended to encourage people to vote.

They were not intended "to express an unqualified preference as to how votes should be cast one way or the other. Arguments for and against have to be considered, but in the end a decision has to be made. On balance, there seems to be a stronger case for the treaty than against. "To vote against Nice would be to change the direction of positive involvement in Europe we have [had] going for more than 25 years, an involvement that has been to our benefit."

It said, "while the Irish Bishops are aware that we as a people are gradually getting more familiar with the European process, they are not at all convinced that our response is adequate. It is broadly accepted that Europe has treated us well materially and that it will soon be our turn to help others as we have been helped ourselves. We need a greater awareness that Europe means more than the exchange of merchandise.

"Our involvement in the EU has enabled us to be more outward-looking towards Europe, to pick up again a vibrant tradition that was launched by the monks of the early Christian centuries. As a people, we are learning to appreciate the cultural heritage and national identity of our fellow-Europeans as they are learning about ours. This is a vital message for our people in considering the challenge of enlargement," the bishops said.

"The original inspiration of the Common Market was not to create a new post-colonial melting pot but rather to enable people to come together as equals and to participate in a common project of realising the goals of peace, stability, rule of law and solidarity. The time has come for our people to draw upon our own inheritance of cultural and spiritual values as a rich source of human dignity and self-esteem. In doing so, we will have much to offer the new candidate member-states of the EU."

The bishops also acknowledged the important role the EU had played in creating peace and prosperity in western Europe.