Polish cardinal positive about Europe

The admission of Poland to the European Community should be welcomed, Cardinal Joseph Glemp, head of the church in Poland said on Wednesday. Speaking on Vatican Radio after a meeting of the chairmen of bishops' conferences in Sarajevo, Cardinal Glemp said: "Joining the European Union is a challenge because Christians need to reinforce their identity in an increasingly secular world." But the Cardinal said he thought the admission of countries with a strong Catholic tradition, such as Poland, Slovakia or Lithuania, could be an important factor in finding common spiritual roots. While expressing concern that integration with Europe, might threaten individual countrys' identity, the Cardinal said the EU brought with it fresh opportunities for evangelization. . Asked about the important and still unsolved problem of Polish agriculture, Cardinal Glemp said it was not a Church matter to propose any technical solutions. He expressed concern that the forecast of four times smaller subsidies for Polish agriculture could cause some social tensions. In closing, Cardinal Glemp said he was sure the intentions of the EU were good. He hoped it could become more flexible.