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.