Ending the Concordats in Europe

And the established and official religions
And the earthly goods and benefits of the Churches!

Faced with this unacceptable situation, the European Bureau for the Coordination of Freethought proposes an international colloquium that could be held on 7 and 8 April 2023 in Paris  where the Law of Separation of Churches and State was passed and where a World Congress of Free Thought was held all this in 1905.

During this conference there will be a big republican banquet against religious prohibitions in Montmartre between Nadar Square, where the new statue of the Chevalier de la Barre stands, and the Sacré-Cœur basilica, a clerical monument.

On this occasion, the Libre Pensée will symbolically put up the original statue of the Chevalier de la Barre in front of the basilica where it had been erected and then removed under the pressure of the Church and melted down by the Nazis to make cannons.

This conference would have on its agenda the following point:
“What concrete measures should be taken to put an end
to the Concordats
and the scandalous earthly goods
and advantages of the Churches?

We propose the following programme:

Chairman  : Jean-Sébastien Pierre, Chairman of Libre Pensée française and member of the International board of the International Association of Freethought

Friday April 7th at 2pm  :

Introduction of the Conference by Michel Godicheau in the name of the European Board of IAFT (10 minutes)

14 concordats in the European union, the true nature of vaticane  Europe? Dominique Goussot (30 minutes)

The concordat in Germany, from Hitler to nowadays, Dr. Carsten Frerk, IBKA (20 minutes)

The concordat in Italy, Maria Mantello (20 minutes)

The Concordat in Spain, Pablo G. Toral, Europa Laica (20 minutes)

Clericalism/versus Separation in Scandinavian countries by Christian Lomsdalen, president of the Norwegian Humanist Association. The Norwegian Humanist Association is a member of the Humanist International. (20 minutes)

Paoli and secularism in the corsican constitution, Philippe Guglielmi (Chairman of Laïcité et Liberté) (20 minutes)

6 pm: Gathering in front of the Sacré-Coeur basilica and re-erection of the original statue in homage to the Chevalier de la Barre. Speeches by Nicole Aurigny of the French Libre Pensée, by the LDH of Abbeville and by a representative of the Friends of the Paris Commune 1871 (speeches of 10 minutes each)

8 pm  : Large regional and international banquet against religious prohibitions in Montmartre. Speech by Benoît Schneckenburger, philosopher and Deputy Secretary General of FNLP (15 minutes). Speech by Keith Porteous Wood, spoke-person of AIFT, UN rapporteur on church sex crimes (15 minutes) and on the wealth of the catholic Church in France brought to light by the secular inventories of the Libre Pensée to ask for reparation for the crimes of paedophilia: “The Church must pay, the Church can pay! by Brigitte Pastor (FNLP) – document prepared with Dominique Goussot (15 minutes)

Saturday April 8th 2023 at 9.30 pm:

Between the old and the new Concordat in Portugal, a secularist portuguese activist (20 minutes)

Clericalism against secularism in Latin America, Elbio Laxalte, spoke-person of IAFT (20 minutes)

Privileges of the Orthodox Church in Russia, a representative of a Russian association or Pierre Gueguen (FNLP) (20 minutes)

The Separation between Churches and State in the future united Republic of Irlande, by the Sinn Féin (20 minutes)

Freethought and secularism in muslim countries, by Georges Saad (Association philosophique libanaise pour le Droit) (30 minutes)

12 am  : Lunch (free)

2 pm:

The Orthodox Church, the official religion in Greece, by Stratoz Kalaitzis from Friends of Hypatie (20 minutes)

For the desestablishment of the Anglican Church in England and Campaign against the crimes of the Catholic Church, by Stephen Evans, CEO of the National Secular Society (UK) (20 minutes)

The first Amendement of the US Constitution, by Rob Boston (Americans United for the Separation of Church and States) (20 minutes)

The status of clerical exception in Alsace-Moselle and the ultra-marine derogatory statutes, José Arias (FNLP) (20 minutes)

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Conclusions and proposals, by Christian Eyschen, spoke-person of IAFT

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If the communication time is strictly respected, the debate will be possible without any problem with the audience.

Registration fees: 10€ including the Acts of the conference in digital format

Cost of the Dinner Against religious prohibitions: 30€

International Declaration for Freedom of Conscience through the Separation of Religion and States on the 5 continents