Pope Treads Softly Into Treaty Vote

The pope has crossed from religion into politics during his weekly address, praising the Irish peoples' role in the history of Europe.

The papal’s subject matter conspicuously coincides with the presently ongoing voting on the Lisbon Treaty, which has strong support from the continent.

Speaking to tens of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square, Pope Benidict XIII gave a sermon about the life of St Columbanus, an Irish monk born in 543 who travelled to Europe to spread Christianity.

The pope explained the church was split with schisms in northern Italy, prompting Columbanus to write "a letter to Pope Boniface IV to convince him to make certain decisive steps towards re-establishing unity".

Pope Benedict described Columbanus as one of the founding "Fathers of Europe".

"With his spiritual strength, with his faith, with his love of God and neighbour, he became one of the Fathers of Europe, showing us today the way to those roots from which our continent may be reborn," he said.

While the Pope did not outright urge for a "yes" vote in Ireland, church sources said that the timing of his speech would not have been accidental.

In Ireland, the Catholic church refused to take sides on the referendum, but the statement from the pope has made the churches position clear.

(DW)