“I would like to commend you on the important work accomplished in France during 2006 and on the creation of the secular inventories. In fact, apart from the purely French aspects like reference to the inventories made in
1906, or to the law of 1905, the contents of this campaign have an international dimension.

“This is what the IHEU’s representative declared publicly during the massive national demonstration of 10 December 2005: the absolute Separation of Religion and State is not a French political particularity; it is a political principle which is part of humanity’s heritage. There can be no democracy without laïcité, there can be no democracy without the Separation of Religion and State. And this applies to all countries and to all continents.

“It is for this reason that in a number of countries the developments in France are being watched carefully. And your findings today are likely to bring about two kinds of reactions:
• A sense of disappointment that such enormous sums of money are being given away to the Church in a country widely believed to have separated Religion and State.
• A certain optimism looking at the scale of the fight you are mounting against this situation, and looking at the close and efficient cooperation between secular groups in the country.

“The question of Separation of Religion and State arises, in one form or the other, in most countries. The advances in one country strengthen the developments in others, and France has an important role to play in the campaign for Separation of Religion and State.

“IHEU held its last World Congress in Paris in July 2005, organised by the Fédération Nationale de la Libre Pensée. It should not be a surprise that the theme of this Congress was the Separation of Religion and State, and that 100th anniversary year of the 1905 French law.

“Several of you participated in this Congress where 350 delegates from 30 countries assembled at UNESCO and at the Sorbonne. The delegates unanimously adopted the Paris Declaration which states that the campaign for the Separation of Religion and State is one of the priority areas of work in all countries.

“We have an excellent example of implementation of the Paris Declaration here. Your meeting and your proceedings here will interest all those who are working for the Separation of Religion and State around the world – a Separation that is the very foundation of democracy and the basis for civilisational advance.”

Extracts from speech by IHEU EC member and Treasurer Roger Lepeix at the Estates General