Following news that the EU was trying to remove the word “Christmas” from all official text — a move condemned by Pope Francis — more information is rolling in about attempts to keep reference to the Christian day of celebration out of European Parliament.
Polish news outlet Dorzeczy.pl has published a controversial email that was sent out to the assistants of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from Adam Mouchtar, who is a special political advisor to the European Parliament.
In the email titled “No Christmas greetings please,” Mouchtar asked MEPs’ assistants to persuade their MEPs to not send out Christmas greetings and wishes. The advisor outright stated that the wishes were “treated like spam” and were a “nuisance.”
At the end of November 2021, the European Commission released shocking recommendations concerning Christmas. According to the proposal, EU officials were meant to avoid “assuming everyone was Christian.” The document’s authors explained that not everyone celebrated Christmas.
EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli had emphasized in the document that everyone should feel appreciated in official EU materials no matter their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, faith, disability, age, and sexual orientation.
The document sparked massive outrage and severe criticism from Catholics and conservatives. The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) released an opinion on the document in which it defined the proposals as solutions which “characterized anti-religious prejudices.”
Under pressure of criticism, commissioner Dalli informed that the European Commission would withdraw the proposals.
