Pope declares Robert Shuman, architect of the European Union, 'Venerable'

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Vatican launches approval that might lead to EU ‘founder’ Schuman becoming a saint

RT | 19 Jun, 2021

Pope Francis has approved a decree recognizing the “heroic virtues” of French politician Robert Schuman, known as an ‘architect’ of the EU. The official decision is one of the first steps to Schuman potentially becoming a saint.

Having served as France’s finance, foreign and prime minister after World War II, the statesman became best known for proposing economic unity among European nations in the so-called “Schuman Plan” of 1950, which eventually evolved into what is known today as the European Union. In the late 1950s, he served as the first president of what is now the European Parliament.

The Pope’s decree on Saturday declares the “heroic virtues” of the politician, who can now be considered and called “venerable” by the faithful of the Roman Catholic Church.

“Behind the action of the public man, there was the interiority of the man who lived the sacraments, who, when he could, would take to an abbey, who would reflect on the sacred word before finding the shape of his political words,” the Vatican said, as quoted by AP.

The decree “advances the causes for canonization,” the Vatican’s statement said.

For Schuman to be recognized as a saint, more steps are needed, including miracles to be attributed to him and validated by the Vatican. Prior to the Pope’s latest decree, Schuman’s followers and devotees had examined his writings and heard from witnesses before sending relevant documents to the Church’s headquarters.

Last year, Pope Francis publicly praised Schuman, having said that “a long period of stability and peace” had resulted from his initiative.

Some social media users have questioned the news, apparently puzzled by the "mix" of politics and religion. Shuman’s actions were a “political success or political heroism but nothing to do with sainthood at all,” one Twitter user commented, while another expressed disappointment that religion could be “politicized like this.”

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Bio from the European Commission: 

https://europa.eu/european-union/sites/d...man_en.pdf

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Excerpt from the Shuman Declaration of 1950: 

"The coming together of the nations of Europe requires the elimination of the age-old opposition of France and Germany."  The French government "proposes that Franco-German production of coal and steel as a whole be placed under a common High Authority, within the framework of an organization open to the participation of other countries of Europe." The pooling of coal and steel production should allow for a common foundation for economic development and "will make it plain that any war between France and Germany becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible."[10] Importantly, by pooling basic production and by instituting the new High Authority — whose decisions bind France, Germany and other member countries — "this proposal will lead to the realization of the first concrete foundation of a European federation indispensable to the preservation of peace."

-Sounds very much like something one would find under Communist Russia and her satellite nations perhaps? Emphasis mine.