Statement of Holy See Press Office Director in response to Racism Conference Controversy

(21 Apr 09 - RV) Western Diplomats walked out of a controversial UN conference on racism yesterday, after Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad made inflammatory statements against Israel.

The director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi condemned the statements, and explained the reasons for the Vatican Delegation’s continued participation…

The Conference offers an important opportunity to make progress in the fight against racism and intolerance.

 
Participating in the conference, the Holy See intends advancing these ends, and supporting international efforts to make progress in this sense.

 
The vast majority of the nations of the world are participating, and objectionable content has been removed from the draft document, making it basically acceptable.

 
Statements like those made by the Iranian president, are not helpful.

 
Even though he did not deny the Holocaust or Israel’s right to exist, they were extremist and unacceptable.

 
It is important to continue to affirm clearly our opposition to every form of racism and intolerance and the need to respect human dignity.

 
We hope the conference may yet serve this purpose.

 
This is the purpose to which the Holy See’s delegation is committed as the conference continues.