EU draft pulled after Vatican complains Christmas ‘canceled’

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — The European Commission has retracted internal communication guidelines that had proposed substituting the “Christmas period” with “holiday period” after an outcry by conservatives. The European Commissioner for Equality said the draft document had been intended to highlight European diversity and showcase the “inclusive nature of the European Commission.” But in a statement, the commissioner said it didn’t meet standards. Even the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, intervened with an unusually sharp critique in a video posted Tuesday. Parolin lauded efforts to eradicate discrimination but said initiatives can’t involve the “cancellation of our roots, the Christian dimension of our Europe, especially with regard to Christian festivals.”