Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Table Of Contents
Abstract 3
Introduction 4
Limitations 7
Literature review 7
Body 11
Conclusion 20
References 24
Abstract
The Roman Catholic Church, which once formed a second Pax Romana, has lost significant
impact in its old dominion, Western Europe. The political dimensions, economic shifts, and
cultural changes of this shift are undeniable, but there is few consensus on just what is to be
attributed to this oft-celebrated fall. This paper defines western Europe in the same vein of the
European UNION: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,Croatia, Cyprus, croatia, czech republic, denmark,
estonia, finland, france, germany, greece, hungary, ireland, italy, latvia, lithuania, luxembourg,
malta, the netherlands, poland, portugal, romania, slovakia, slovenia, spain, sweden, and the
United Kingdom.
Introduction
Ever since Theodosius 1 made Roman Catholicism the official religion of the
Roman Empire in 380 A.D, The Roman Catholic Church has been the major source of
stability, order, and culture in western europe. The monasteries of the Catholic Church
preserved the knowledge of the Greco-roman world and led to the creation of the modern
university system and libraries, preventing the middle ages from being true dark ages.
Through the creation of the hospital network in Europe, and guided by its view of social
justice, health care was expanded in europe pass only familial obligations, with a
preferential option for the poor. The church is documented as being one of the first
institutions to recognize human rights, issuing edicts against western european powers
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 4
known for inhumane treatment of the indigenous in their territories, and issued
encyclicals aimed at providing humane labor conditions for workers following the
industrial revolution.
However, The Roman Church has also had its share of controversy. Around the
late middle ages, a series of abuses by certain princes of the church and the frightful
widely throughout the laity, via the advent of the printing press and the democratization
of knowledge, leading to a distrust of the clergy and the institution of the church as a
moral edifice. This was further complicated by the spread of requiring donations for st
Peters basilica for indulgences, a religious practice of catholics freeing them from
temporary internment for sin, which acted as a catalyst for the protestant reformers to
spread their ideas to throughout Europe. Many newly protestant nations, mostly
constantinian Rome.This led to the first major weakening of the Churchs power in
western Europe since the Arian heresy. This weakening was further enhanced by the
enlightenment, which increased religious skepticism and led to anti catholic laws in
historically Catholic Nations, such as France and Italy, who felt the Churchs global
influence was far to antithetical to their leaders nationalist aims. The 20th century,
tendency to tout secularism over the influence of the Catholic Church, leading the church
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 5
to offer the secular world olive branches, by supporting and influencing global
institutions, such as the U.N and the E.U, and convening the Second Vatican Council,
which expanded its teachings on human dignity, and the relation of the church to the
state. Into the twenty-first century, the Boston Globe's coverage of the sex abuse Scandal
in 2004 led to a further weakening of the Churchs influence, and led to a popular opinion
While this paper focuses on the Western European Region, the effects of this phenomenon
is worldwide. Western Europe, as an economic and cultural powerhouse is dwindling, and the
aftershocks of its collapse will send waves through the many channels and gateways that Western
Europe plays a huge part in. Due to Hegemony and Globalism, western Europe has been the
litmus test for other civilizations, as its vast impact has created uniform landscapes across the
globe, including the phenomenon of the catholic churchs waning influence. As Europe is farther
along in its progression, the effects of this change are likely to be mirrored in other nations and
regions.
Limitations
First, The researcher is not an expert in sociology nor western european history, and as
he has not yet finished high school, he lacks a degree analogous to these areas of study. He
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 6
supplements this by consulting expert researchers and advisors to educate him on the topics at
hand.
Second, The researcher is a pious Catholic, but he has kept his bias out of the paper by
consulting multiple sources. The paper utilizes governmental, Catholic, and liberal sources in
order to reflect the diverse insights on this topic, while limiting the spin each source puts on the
piece.
Finally, due to the uniqueness of the topic question and the relatively short time period in which
the phenomenon at hand is in question, the sources were limited, however this small setback was
overcome via multipolar investigation and research
Literary Review
The sociological community has recognized the ceding influence of the Roman
paradigm shift are still unclear even to global experts. The historical
The Catholic Church, in its teachings on family structure and the nature of
marriage, has advocated the nuclear family as the basic social unit for society
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 7
(John Paul II, 1992). As such, Catholic nations in western Europe have historically
restricting divorce and same sex marriage. The Catholic Church has a unique
contraception (Paul VI, 1968). Just as with same sex marriage and divorce,
Catholic Countries have historically implemented these church teachings into civil
law. The Catholic Church, having lost most of its grand temporal power with the
reunification of Italy in the mid to late 19th century(Metcalf, 2003), has had these
between the state and the Holy See. Despite the emphasis on the ideal of laicite
have actually increased from before the Second Vatican Council, the major council
which issued a wide range of reforms into the catholic church (Teicher, 2012).
Human Geography and economists teach us that the vitality of a society is locate in
natality, mortality, the replacement ratio, gender ratio, and dependency ratio
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 8
(Pearson, 2014). These values are displayed on the Demographic Transition Model.
reproduction rate of 1.5 children per women, and its trend is likely to
exponentially deteriorate if matters are not effectively dealt with (reuters, 2013). At
western Europe, which now boasts some of the most powerful economies in the
world, will have only one economy at the top ten, Germany, which will drop from
The European Union, with historically catholic ties and positions (Carroll,2015),
has embraced progressive positions on the relation of the state and the church and
catholic countries. Even requiring passage of anti catholic legislation for reception
into union, a prime example being Malta. Due to the increasing dependency upon
Church has advocated a healthy freedom of religion as a basic human right and a
france, has increased bigotry and aggressive secularization into the region (Paul,
1968).
Body
The Catholic Church and Western Europe, symbolically wed by Charlemagne, had
enjoyed an intimate relationship since the 9th century, a relationship so close that Hilaire Belloc,
famed Catholic writer, quipped, the Faith is Europe, and Europe is the Faith (Belloc,1920).
Without a doubt, this relationship has faltered significantly, to the applause of many secularists
and the lament of many of the faithful. However, there has been little investigation into the long
term effects of this major change, due to the waning influence of the Church, in contrast to a
single, identifiable event causing a huge loss of influence. Many major changes in the culture,
economics, and politics of Europe are seen as isolated events, and are not drawn to their
provenance.
European Union
The European Union has been a hot topic on the global arena due to the Brexit, the
widely publicised, populist-driven exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Gregg,
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 10
2016). The exit of the UK, a founding member of The EU, is seen as having dramatic effects on
the economics and trade capabilities of the international organization ( Irwin,2015), by its exit
alone in March 2017 (Foster, 2016), not to mention the powder keg of other exit movements it
has inspired throughout western europe. As this wave of euroscepticism and nationalism sweeps
the western half of the continent (Gutteridge, 2016), and nations as important as France and the
Netherlands consider leaving the union, the initial prospect of the union, for European unity,
seems to be unraveling at the seams (Macmillan, 2016). In 1957, The European Union was
conceived, with a large amount of support from the Catholic Church, as both had a common
interest in the union of the continent(Kratochvl, 2014). The bolstering of nationalism in Europe
following the erection of nation-states to the shedding of the traditional monarchies of Europe
culminated in the disastrous rise of Nazism, perhaps the worst iteration of a nationalist and
populist movement(Truman,2016). The world war and awful crimes against humanity that
ensued from this ideology gave the leaders a potent jerk to ensure that never again will a
European nation feel so economically isolated, that they fall prey to demagoguery as Germany
did in 1933. The Catholic Church, an institution with a near eidetic memory, learned longer
lessons as to the danger of nationalism. A wave of anti-clericalism and anti-Catholicism had been
instilled into the hearts and minds of the intelligentsia of Europe during the late 19th century. In
the minds of men like Garibaldi, the Italian statesman and one of the unifiers of Italy, saw the
Catholic Church, powerfully resting in the temporal power of the Papal States, as a medieval
powerhouse of feudalism and the enmity of democracy. Garibaldi and his red shirts waged war
on the Papal States, and the church therein, but failed to accomplish his perfect democratic
utopia, as his compatriots vested power of the unified Italian peninsula to Sardinian king Victor
Immanuel II (Smith, 2007). This was the first success of realpolitik, the Machiavellian doctrine
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 11
that a nation state interests justify the means of reaching their said goals. This term would soon
become more associated with anti-Catholicism than the color orange. In Germany, during the
same epoch, Otto Von Bismarck employed the kulturkampf, seeking to transform Prussia into
modern day Germany. In doing so, he actively purges Catholic influence from the state and
Catholics from the developing state. This period of attention on ones own nation introduced an
air of eugenics to pollute the minds of many European statesman, particularly in southwest and
Midwest Europe. Nations grew in importance to the point of being thought of as their own races,
thinking which the Catholic Church vehemently opposed consistently and at times verbally(Pius
XII, 1937), and minority groups residing in these areas were seen as undesirables. These
ideologies went unchecked for decades, were further agitated in the Great War, and escalated to
their highest Brest in the Second World War. It was in the aftermath of this disaster, that
European leaders officially took potent measures to finally condemn the eugenics by forced
sterilization, internment, and extermination via the Convention for the Protection of Human
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This 1953 treaty, drafted by the EUs spiritual ancestor and
lessor contemporary, the Council of Europe, was seen by many as a new world order, meant to
foster a Pax Europa, a direct contrast to the past 40 years of hostility and bloodshed. Jacques
Maritain, french Catholic philosopher and father of supranational democracy and Christian
Democracy, posited that for the european Union to succeed, it must have a close relationship
with the Catholic Church (Baster, 2008). While firmly in opposition to it becoming a second
iteration of the papal states, or the Holy Roman Empire as the detractors of the time accused it to
be, Maritain envisioned the union to operate under the Universal Law of Charity, the
cooperation of democracy due to the genuine concern for the state of the other. West German
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Italian statesman Alcide De Gasperi, and French Foreign Minister
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 12
Robert Schuman, contemporaries of Jacques Maritain and considered the founding fathers of
modern Europe, envisioned European order based off of Catholic Social Teaching, the union of
Subsidiarity and Solidarity (Glendon, 2015). Schuman went on to found the first European
Community, the European Coal and Steel Community, which formed the economic foundation of
what would become the socio economic European Union. The government of this Union was
recommended to Schuman by Pope St. Pius XII, stating that each state retains an equal right of
its own sovereignty, but it also acts through "an organ invested by common consent with
supreme power . While The E.U ostensibly retains this in its documents, the current political
situation is visibly drifting from the view of its founders. Schuman, like Maritain, saw this union
as having Catholic ties, even stating, Europe is the establishment of a generalized democracy in
the Christian sense of the word (Baster, 2008). The Union, in the eyes of its founders and
supporters, could not be separated from Christian principles and Catholic philosophy. However,
with the widely-publicised and criticized decision to leave Christian Heritage out of the
European Union in 2003, the E.U seems on par to paint a completely irreligious Europe. While
taking Issue with the current positions of the E.U, The Catholic Church, particularly the
hierarchy, tends to support the Continuation of the European Union, and wishes to work towards
strengthening it, seeing it as beneficial for the protection of human rights and migrancy, and also
for loyalty to the once close relationship between the two supranational organizations. In 2014,
the current Pope, Francis I, addressed the European Parliament with an olive branch and a
friendly admonishment of it's path and what he feels needs to happen for thee E.U to survive and
taper the growing wave of Euroscepticism and protect what he says as the correct view of
humanity, that is a humanity that is integrally connected to the well being of his
neighbor( Francis I, 2016)In this selected section of the address, he again sets out another plea
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 13
for the two organizations to work in tandem: Taking as a starting point this opening to the
transcendent, I would like to reaffirm the centrality of the human person, which otherwise is at
the mercy of the whims and the powers of the moment. I consider to be fundamental not only the
legacy that Christianity has offered in the past to the social and cultural formation of the
continent, but above all the contribution which it desires to offer today, and in the future, to
Europes growth. This contribution does not represent a threat to the secularity of states or to the
independence of the institutions of the European Union, but rather an enrichment. This is clear
from the ideals which shaped Europe from the beginning, such as peace, subsidiarity and
reciprocal solidarity, and a humanism centred on respect for the dignity of the human person.
I wish, then, to reiterate the readiness of the Holy See and the Catholic Church, through the
and transparent dialogue with the institutions of the European Union. I am likewise convinced
that a Europe which is capable of appreciating its religious roots and of grasping their
fruitfulness and potential, will be all the more immune to the many forms of extremism
spreading in the world today, not least as a result of the great vacuum of ideals which we are
currently witnessing in the West, since it is precisely mans forgetfulness of God, and his failure
to give him glory, which gives rise to violence (Francis I, 2014). Martin Schulz, President of the
Parliament, acclaimed this address, spoke on the common values of the Catholic Church and the
solidarity and peace" (Schulz, 2014). Whether the two organizations will enter into detente is for
time to tell.
Aggressive Secularism
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 14
The Catholic Church, since the aftermath of the second world war, has been dutifully
interested in formulating the existence of a balance of its obviously missionary goals and the
existence of pluralistic societies. Prior to the Second World War, religious homogeneity was a
reality of society, so pluralism was an Alien concept of the time. However the attempted
extermination of the Jewish people by the Nazis, who have always been a substantial minority in
Catholic countries, put into view of the need for minority rights and freedom of religion. Jacques
Maritain, aside from his political works, was a humanist. He pioneered what he called integral
humanism, which was a humanism open to a spiritual level, which he felt encapsulated the
entirety of a person. In this, Maritain tackled the issue of pluralism through human rights and
natural law. He pondered that every person, by their very nature, had the right of conscience,
which he argued was the result of their creation from God, but the recipient of this right was
under no obligation to do so. This has been compared to the philosophy of the American framers
who argued that their rights came not from temporal powers, but from Nature and Natures God
(Framers, 1776). Maritain was instrumental in the Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, but also
in the Catholic Churchs Dignitatis Humanae, the Churchs document on Freedom Of Religion.
Published as a consensus of the Second Vatican Council, The Churchs address to modern
society, the document not only affirms the right of religious freedom, but also its existence as a
civil and constitutional right: This Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to
religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part
of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be
forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether
The council further declares that the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very
dignity of the human person as this dignity is known through the revealed word of God and by
reason itself.This right of the human person to religious freedom is to be recognized in the
constitutional law whereby society is governed and thus it is to become a civil right. Placing
high value on this right, The Catholic Church has sought to guard this right throughout out the
world. Church In need, a pontifical foundation based in England and Wales, publishes a semi-
yearly report on the global climate of religious freedom. It applauds the Western European
Governments of generally being benevolent towards religious freedom, and even gives plaudits
denied, particularly France and Greece. However, it gave in depth reports of anti religious hate
crimes rising in Europe due to the issue of refugee migrancy. While this barometer of religious
freedom gives the governments of Europe high marks, another report sees things differently. The
United States Commision on International Religious Freedom, while also acknowledging the
general good measures of the european union and its governments, it stated that there is a
growing trend that is restricting religious freedom, even using the term aggressive secularism
(CIRF, 2014). The study has found that governments, due to the increasing number of Muslims
in Western Europe due to immigration, have issued restrictive measures on the wearing of
sacrosanct religious dress in public institutions and in public, and restricts those who wear
religious items, particularly islamic religious headdress from holding public office. Religious
circumcision and ritualistic slaughter in accordance with dietary laws, both sacred acts according
to Jews and Muslims, have been restricted by the the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe. Muslims in Sweden have been banned from the construction of minarets, an act which
the Catholic Church in Sweden vocally opposed (Stussi, 2009). The sharing of Religious
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 16
opinions has been treated in certain countries as Hate Speech, particularly from members of
faiths who hold traditional bioethical views on reproductive health, marriage, and the issue of
Euthanasia. The farthest of the countries has most likely been France, which has voted to
ban the proliferation of Anti-abortion sites on the Internet, as the government sees these positions
as false and harmful. The aim of these governmental actions in these European, especially france
and those influenced by the culture, is Laicite, the whitewashing of Religion from the public
square, as a solution to a pluralistic society. This system, in contrast to the free practice of
religion, actively limits freedom of expression, and has created an inviolable position to stem the
Populism
President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, credited the Brexit with his historic
win, seeing himself as riding on a global populist wave (Fergusson, 2016). Researchers, however
have been tracking this trend for at least a decade. Many people feel disenfranchised by the
current political situation in Europe. The centre seems to be eroding away, as elections are
growing more and more polarized. The suppression of religious and cultural expression by
European Countries was meant to foster a coexistence of differing philosophies by simply hiding
their existence. This, however, has led to many polarized factions in Europe, and the rise of
Identity Politics, far-left and far-right fighting for civic and sometimes ethnic nationalism. The
European Refugee Crisis, has empowered these groups, as many european citizens, while
themselves generally free of prejudice and xenophobia, are in fear of the increased financial
strains of accepting refugees. Norbert Hofer, a politician with the Nazi-SS founded Freedom
Party, was narrowly defeated by the Green Party in Austria, giving a quick gut check to the
European Union of the lengths their constituents are willing to go for a change of government.
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 17
Due to multiple incidents across Europe of Radical Islamic Terrorism, particularly Charlie Hebdo
and the Nice and Paris Attacks of 2016, Muslims have been targeted by far right nationalists as
un-european and an attack on European Values. The tension of Anti-Muslim vandalism, and
attacks, has radicalized many young european muslims, bitter over their minority status and acts
against them (Leiken, 2005). These young men, influenced by radicalized street imams and the
internet, have reinvigorated anti-semitism, which is further agitated by the rise of fascists and the
anti-zionist left (CIFR,2016). It would seem that the very principles that the E. U was created for
sociologists such as George Soros, have listed it as only the first of major exits, as the popular
Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far- right National Front, has instituted leaving the E.U as a
campaign promise, hoping to put the nails in the E.Us coffin(Macmillan, 2016). The
Netherlands and Greece, large contributors to the E,U, are also seen as next to leave, as
2016). It would seem that the dissolution of the E.U is only a few referendums away, as the
institutions scrambles to satisfy its detractors. The Catholic Church, Led by Francis I, has also
lamented this impending New World Order, as its philosophy is in opposition to the rising tides
of strict border nationalism and xenophobia, and Pope Francis is principally concerned with the
humanitarian crisis of the syrian refugees, who are seeking asylum in Europe, but may face
expulsion and further religious persecution should the E.U fracture. Pope Francis I, has
consistently warned the E.U of its vitality, for its failure to act on behalf of the Syrians would
Economics
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 18
A large catalyst for the rise of euroscepticism is the economic crisis of europe. Today,
the eurozone, the economic union of the Euro currency, plus the always currency- independent
United Kingdom, boast some of the worlds most prominent and strong economies, with the euro
beating out even the United States Dollar. However, future projections are not as brilliant. Today,
4 western european countries are in the top twenty for GDP per PPP (Purchasing power Parity),
with Germany at 5, UK at 10, Italy at 12, and Spain at 16 (PWC, 2015). By 2050, These four
Countries, will lower substantially, with only the Germany remaining in the top ten, but falling
five spots. This trend is seen in place today by populist parties, and many citizens in these
European countries frantically searching for solutions. There are a number of causes of this
economic phenomena. The Euro, the common currency of most european nations, ties their
countries together, creating the illusion of uniformity against a backdrop of very diverse living
standards (maughan, 2005). The monastic Catholic Church holds simplicity and poverty, or the
is meant for all men to participate in it, not just the clergy. This teaching has formulated the
traditionally agrarian societies of Catholic Europe, as the people were generally austere and
simple, which was reflected in living, however due to modernity and massive urbanization,
formerly austere nations have become known for unsustainable living conditions and high
government spending (Catania, 2013). Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, forming the acronym
PIGS, were identified as these countries, all of which, especially Greece, have fallen into deep
recessions requesting aid from other countries in the Eurozone. Having all of the economies tied
to these countries, has caused all of the nations of the Eurozone to take a loss. Many economist
worry that the fail of the Euro, and thus a european recession, is imminent if the Eurozone is not
renegotiated and austerity reestablished in some way (Stiglitz, 2016). There are also bioethical
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 19
and cultural contributions to the economic decline of Europe. In Cairo, Egypt, The United
Nations issued the Programme of Action of the United Nations International Conference on
Population and Development, which legalized abortion in almost the entire european region, save
the heavily catholic Malta (UNFPA, 2005). Though, abortion rates are lowering continent-wide,
there is still a very high rate of 12 per 1000 pregnancies ending in abortion, and the rate of repeat
abortions rising, particularly in france(Toulemon, 2014). This has lowering of abortions has been
attributed to the contraceptive revolution ( Ulrich, 2001). Which has led to 80% of western
European women using contraception. The Catholic Church is probably most notorious for its
infamous and complete ban on artificial contraception, however this has been ignored by a large
plurality of the faithful and virtually whitewashed from european government, as the E.U
mandates access to contraception in even historically Catholic Nations such as Spain and Italy
(Cross, 2012). These two factors have led to a negative population growth in 17 countries in
Europe. Researchers say there is a negative birth rate in most of the counties of Germany,
Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, as well as in Sweden and the
Baltic States. Further south, natural decrease is found occurring in the majority of the counties of
Greece, Portugal and Italy. There are simply more people dying then being born, which is
causing a demographic crisis in which the elderly have no one to care for the, the welfare and
pension systems have no one to pay into them, and the jobs have no one to fill them. Some
European countries, such as Germany and Italy, have attempted to stem this by subsidizing
having children with a baby bonus but this small source of income has failed to stem the
negative birth rate, as it is far too little( Smith, 2011). Without a large change in the family
structure, the demographic ratio will continue to veer into inviolable territory ( Smith, 2011)
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 20
Conclusion
In summary, The substantial decrease in the impact of the Catholic Churchs influence has acted
as a catalyst for substantial changes in the politics, culture, and economics of the Western
European region. If the Catholic Churchs presence and influence continues to be marginalized,
the politics, culture, and economics of the region will continue to decline in quality
First, The European Union, the chief supranational organization in western europe far outpacing
the Roman Churchs influence, must return to its foundation in Catholic Social Teaching and
assume a primus inter pares role in contrast to its more hegemonic role. If this shift fails to
occur, than the anti-globalist and populists movements in western europe will continue to grow
and will fracture the European Union into a state of dormition.
Second, The Catholic churchs inclusivist and pluralist philosophies are lost on the increasingly
sectarian factions of european politics, which, if peace is not soon engendered, will escalate into
more civil violence.
Lastly, The Catholic Church has fostered a viable philosophy on family affairs that has been lost
on Europe due to the growing use of contraception and abortion, if these trends continue, the
european continent will continue to depopulate leading to an austere future for the European
economy, and then the world, due to its web of connections around the world. This change, in
contrast with the increasing of developing countries in birth rates and GDP, will be the end of the
long era of a western dominated world.
Annotated Bibliography
"Marriage and Divorce Statistics." - Statistics Explained. Eurostat, June 2016. Web.
This resource explains the the rate of divorce and the falling rate of marriage, two things which have
happened as a result of the failing influence of the Catholic Church, and which have a clear societal
impact.
Pope Paul VI And VCII Council Fathers - NOSTRA AETATE Declaration on the Relation of the
Church to Non-Christian Religions Second Vatican Council
Decline Of the Catholic Church in Western Europe 22
Relays the teaching of the Catholic Church on matter pertaining to religious freedom, which have
been lost in Western Europe as neo fascism is on the rise
"Why Italy's Facing a Birth Rate Apocalypse." Thelocal.it. AFP, 17 June 2016. Web.
This explains the issue of marriage and the failed initiatives to counteract it by the italian govt, which
is acting as a litmus test for other Eu countries
@thinkingfaith. "United in Diversity: Catholic Social Teaching and Europe." Thinking Faith: The
Online Journal of the Jesuits in Britain. N.p., n.d. Web.
This source shows the initial grounding principles of the EU, and its initial groundings in Catholicism,
which have then fallen away into a now disreputable organization
"The Brief: Rise of Islamophobia in Western Europe." Time. Time, n.d. Web.
This source shows the rising rate of racism and islamophobia in europe from an interview with a top
intelligence operatives.
This source shows how rapid european depopulation will result in europe having huge economic
losses
Beyers, J. (2004). Voice and Access: Political Practices of European Interest Associations. European Union
Politics, 5(2), 211-240. doi:10.1177/1465116504042442
This shows the contraceptive rates rising in europe, and the effects of it
Bates, C. (2012, January 19). Nearly a third of pregnancies in Europe end in abortion. Retrieved
from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2088840/Abortion-statistics-Nearly-pregnancies-
Europe-end-termination.html
This site will be used to illustrate the growing rise of abortion rates in western europe
Stiglitz, J. (2016, August 10). Joseph Stiglitz: The problem with Europe is the euro. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/10/joseph-stiglitz-the-problem-with-europe-is-the-
euro
This site shows a pertinent economist explaining the downfall of the euro and the reasons behind its
downfall
Ten Reasons Why The Euro is Bad. (2010, March 02). Retrieved from
http://www.stevemaughan.com/europe-the-euro/ten-reasons-why-the-euro-is-bad/
This site shows the implications of the euro when it comes to the global recession
More people in Europe are dying than are being born. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-people-europe-dying-born.html
This Is Why the Far Right Is on the Rise in Europe. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://time.com/4075396/far-right-politics-rise-europe/
This site helps me explain what the new right is, its role in europe, the reasons behind its rise, and
its implications.
This source helped me realize and explain the fragility of the european union, if it fails to perform to
the satisfaction of its detractors.
APPENDIX B: Interview with French NATO officer and French National, these opinions
expressed are those of the anonymous Nato Officer and French National, and are not the
National: All of my Life, over forty years, in Corsica, Paris, and Toulons, the house next
National: Yes, Catholic, and France was too, you can see it today in the street names, the
National: In france, we have what is called, laicite, Laicite to me is fine, as everyone can
practice what they want, however they take it to far as they try to suppress religious liberty not to
offend the minorities. In france, before we had muslims and catholics, but above all we were
french, we all had french values, but now children are ashamed of being french, they only hear
the bad, like what happened in algeria, ignoring all of the services we provided them
National:Many people are benevolent to the migrants and refugees, out of christian
charity, however the economics are just not good, and the migrants demand social services but
pay nothing back, even using our tax dollars to pay for their churches
National: Yes
National: Absolutely negative, it has wrecked europe with its ideas and its economy and
it has done nothing for france and seeks to wipe out french culture
Interviewer:So would you favor the frexit, the french exit from the union,
National:Yes i would
National: See i do not know, as the older generation is far more afraid then the youth, do
you know the experiment with the frogs, where if hyou put one in hot water it jumps out, but if
put in tepid water that is slowly heated, the frog does not notice, we were the lattter frogs, but the
National: Absolutely Negative, he has completely acted against france, and ruined our
interviewer:How do you feel that contraception and abortion have affected france
National: Many Have abortions in france, actually 200000 every year, but catholics say
nothing about it because many of them have had abortions, you know france has issues with
ISIS( daesh) and you know what the government does, it bans pro life websites on the internet
Interviewer: Marine le pen, is rising in the polls, would you say you support the national
front
National: I would say it is a good party, she is a little extreme, but what are we going to
do with no options, i am no fan of Florian Phillipot as he supports gay marriage, and is gay
himself, and is pro choice, but I do support Marion Marechal-Le Pen as she is pro life and pro
family.
Interviewer: Sir if I may ask, what do you feel is the solution to radical islamic terror in
europe.
Officer:Well I don't know the answer to that, if i did i'd be commander in chief, however
in france, you have no identity, and these migrants are coming from their countries looking for an
identity as they have lost it in their own, and they are finding it in radicalism, and in the imams
preaching of radicalism.
Officer: Unfortunately some of them are, and they in turn radicalize countless other, but
there is no simple solution to this issue, save the return to catholicism itself.
Interviewer:Thank you
Officer:My pleasure