"According to [European Commission President Romano] Prodi, 'the monotheist religions, particularly the Christian religion,' have been 'one of the essential roots of Europe and one of its factors of development,' as 'the history of Europe and the history of Christianity are indissolubly united.' All this 'must be recognized in the Constitutional Treaty,' he writes."

—ZENIT News Agency (Vatican), Sept. 4, 2003.