Vatican’s top official calls for respect of human rights

(Sept. 26, 2012) The integral development of all people, without exception of time and place, is the true guarantee of full respect for every single person, a top Vatican official told the United Nations on Monday. Pointing out that humanity today is facing a very difficult situation, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States told UN Genral Assembly Meeting on Human Rights that on the one hand there is rapid scientific progress, and on the other hand the global financial crises. Therefore, he said there is an urgent need for a just, fair and effective global governance, where human rights are protected by the rule of law. It is well known , he continued - that there are interest groups present, who by means of formally legitimate procedures are impacting on the policies of states, in order to obtain multilateral norms, which cannot serve the common good; instead they are an abuse of rules and international recommendations, as has been seen in the recent financial crises. Similarly, the attempt to promote in the name of democracy, a materialistic vision of the human person united to a mechanistic and utilitarian vision of law is also well known, he said. Thus, the will of the powerful, prevails over that of the weakest – the children, the unborn, the handicapped and the poor, or as was seen in the financial crises, those deprived of the right information at the right time. Archbishop Mamberti stressed that the Holy wants that the fundamental rights of each one are respected in every way – the right to have a father and a mother; the right to have a family and educate one’s children; the right to work, the equitable redistribution of wealth and above all the right to religious freedom.