Among the co-signers of the request are ECPP MEPs Cristian Terheș (Romania) and Ondřej Dostál (Czechia). During the 18–21 May plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, both MEPs discussed the initiative with Márton Gyöngyösi, ECPP Director for Political Relations.

During the plenary session of the European Parliament of 18-21 May, MEPs Terheș and Dostál discussed with Márton Gyöngyösi, ECPP Director for Political Relations, their reasons to support the request for a European Year of Christian Heritage.

Explaining his support for the initiative, MEP Cristian Terheș stressed the importance of Christianity in the development of Europe and the European project:

“It is very important for understanding what Europe was, what it is, and what it is supposed to be. We cannot envision the European project without Judeo-Christian values and, implicitly, the Christian Church and Christian tradition. […] It was Christian tradition — the Church — that emphasised the importance of human dignity: the fact that we were all created equally by God.”

MEP Terheș also highlighted the role politicians of faith such as Robert Schuman played in building peace and cooperation in Europe after the Second World War. He warned that Europe risks losing its moral and cultural foundations if it disconnects itself from its historical roots.

MEP Ondřej Dostál argued that Europe must remain aware of who we are and where we come from in order to confidently engage with other cultures and civilisations:

“The world is changing, and in order not to get lost, we need to know who we are and where we come from. Christianity is the basis of our ethics, our legal systems, and our systems of governance. It is important to remember that we have a tradition much older than the 70 or 80 years of the European Communities — a tradition that goes back centuries. There is no reason to deny the importance of Christianity and no reason not to make 2027 this important year.”

The discussion focused on the historical and cultural contribution of Christianity to Europe, as well as the importance of preserving Europe’s civilisational roots for future generations.

Watch the full discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvnMpDNr_AQ

The letter to Ursula von der Leyen: