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Embattled European Politician to Receive Acton Institute Award; 

After Politically Correct "Borking" Rocco Buttigilione Visits U.S.

WASHINGTON, DC--Rocco Buttiglione, Italy's Minister for European Affairs and  nominee to the European Commission, was vociferously rejected by the EU for his views on marriage and sexuality. Buttiglione is in the United States as a guest of the Michigan-based Acton Institute for the

Study of Religion and Liberty to receive the "Faith and Freedom" Award.

Buttiglione was the focus of a firestorm during his confirmation

hearings in the European Parliament last month where he was falsely

labeled a potential inquisitor and intolerant zealot. A full reading of

the hearing transcripts reveals a man of tolerance with a commitment to

equality before the law and to the equal dignity of every individual. 

Opponents to Buttiglione's candidacy, in the European government and

media, began a public campaign and quoted him selectively in order to

caricature Buttiglione as a sexist and homophobe. The full transcripts

are available online (www.acton.org/rb).

"Rocco Buttiglione was the target of a malicious and profoundly unfair

campaign that  increasingly resembles the assault on religious liberty

in America," said Rev. Robert A.  Sirico, President of the Acton

Institute. "Buttiglione was borked because he articulated  genuine

answers to questions about his personal beliefs even though those

beliefs would  have no role in his work. There is a critical difference

between a healthy separation of  church and state and a radical

secularism that denies all public manifestation of religion."

Ten days ago, the tension between radical secularism and the separation

of church and  state became ever more apparent as a coalition of more

than one million people from all  over Europe signed a petition to

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and fellow EU leaders  calling for

changes to the preamble of the European Constitution. The people

requested  that the EU recognize Europe's Christian heritage. Many

state representatives had  requested some reference to Christianity in

the document but were blocked by Valery  Giscard d'Estaing, the former

French president, because such a reference would  "exclude" and

"offend."

Poland's President, Aleksander Kwasniewski, denounced the "Godless"

tone of the Constitution as shameful. He told the press: "I am an

atheist and everybody knows it, but there are no excuses for making

references to ancient Greece and Rome, and the Enlightenment, without

making references to the Christian values which are so important to the

development of Europe."

"We are seeing something similar in America" said Sirico "especially in

the last few  weeks when numerous public intellectuals and journalists

insist on describing the  integration of faith, character, and morality

as theocracy. Secularism is a value that religious leaders recognize

but so much of the secularism that we see manifested in  European and

American public life is intolerant and anti-Christian."

"There is a misguided sense that if religion influences the social and

political decisions that Americans make, the values of tolerance and

pluralism--rightly understood--will disappear," he added "There is a

struggle for religious freedom and everyone who values individual

rights and equal dignity must become involved. There are no sidelines."

The Acton Institute's Faith and Freedom Award recognizes Rocco

Buttiglione as a  person who has stood up for his beliefs and in favor

of religious freedom. His case  symbolizes attendant struggles in

Europe and America. The award recognizes individuals  who exemplify

commitment to faith and freedom through leadership in civic, business,

or religious life.

Mr. Buttiglione is the third recipient of the Faith and Freedom Award.

The Award was first presented to Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen van

Thuan, a Catholic priest who spent 13 years in a Vietnamese prison

because of his faith. Sir John Templeton, one of modern history's

stalwart defenders and promoters of freedom and faith, was the second

person to receive this award. Mr. Buttiglione will be in New York and

in Washington, DC until Thursday of this week.

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