Not just 'a Valentine's Day love-in'

Senior British official says Europe faces militant secularism

Pope Benedict XVI arrives with Britain's Baroness Sayeeda Warsi at a meeting of religious leaders at St. Mary's University College Chapel at Twickenham in West London in 2010. The Muslim woman, who co-chairs Britain's Conservative Party, will meet with the Pope at the Vatican Feb. 15.

This Catholic News Service story shows that in today's "Christian" world it takes a Muslim and it takes a woman to point out that Christian nations must become more comfortable in their Christianity.

A "deeply intolerant" militant secularism is taking hold of Western societies, said a senior British government minister heading a delegation to the Vatican.

Such secularism "demonstrates similar traits to totalitarian regimes: denying people the right to a religious identity because they were frightened of the concept of multiple identities," said Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a Muslim. She said Europe must counter the threat by becoming "more confident and more comfortable in its Christianity."

For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.