Vatican City (Fides Service) - "The heritage of Cyril and Methodius is precious also under the cultural profile. Their work helped in fact to consolidate Europe's common Christian roots, roots that impregnated Europe's history and institutions". Pope John Paul II said this before praying the Angelus on Sunday 16 February from his window overlooking St Peter' Square with the people gathered below. He said this with reference to the feast of the saintly brothers earlier in the week on 14 February. "This is why it has been requested that in the future constitutional Treatise of the European Union space be given to this patrimony common to the East and to the West - the Pope continued -. The reference will in no way alter the rightful secular nature of political structures indeed, on the contrary, it will help save the Continent from the twofold risk of ideological secularism on the one hand and sectarian fundamentalism on the other". The Holy Father also stressed that a characteristic of the apostolate of Cyril and Methodius was "that they always remained faithful both to the Roman Pontiff and to the Patriarch of Constantinople, while respecting the traditions and language of the Slav people". The Pope said he hoped that the example and intercession of the Saints would help "Christians in the East and the West to rebuild full unity". See Angelus in Italian at www.fides.org SL (Fides Service 17/2/2003 EM lines 16 Words: 244)