The rise of religious intolerance, especially towards Christianity as well as modern
forms of slavery, were the main points of a speech addressed by Vatican Secretary
of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to the summit meeting the Organisation for Security
and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), being held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
In his
speech to heads of State and government representatives, Cardinal Bertone affirmed
that the Holy See "does not cease to reiterate that the aim of States should be to
protect and respect that human dignity which unites the entire human family”. He said
“This unity is rooted in four fundamental principles: the centrality of the human
person, of solidarity, of subsidiarity and of the common good. These principles harmonise
well with the overall concept of security, which is the foundation of our organisation,
and are a constant reminder which the political community must bear in mind".
Cardinal
Bertone noted that "The CSCE and the OSCE have always had the promotion and protection
of human rights in their respective agendas". "These fundamental freedoms include
the right to religious freedom”, and added that “Developments of recent years and
the progress made in drafting the various texts adopted by the OSCE show, with increasingly
clarity, that religious freedom can exist in different social systems".
He
said that "Closely related to the denial of religious freedom is religiously-motivated
intolerance and discrimination, especially against Christians. It is well documented
that Christians are the most discriminated and persecuted religious group. Over 200
million of them, belonging to different denominations, live in difficult conditions
because of legal and cultural structures".
Referring then to the subject of
human trafficking, the Secretary of State pointed out that "the Holy See has always
been aware of the seriousness of this crime, a modern form of slavery. ... To prevent
trafficking in human beings today, use is often made of stricter immigration policies,
increased border controls and combating organised crime. However as long as its victims,
once repatriated, find themselves in the same conditions from which they sought to
escape, the traffic will not be easy to stop. Thus, anti-trafficking initiatives must
also aim to develop and offer effective opportunities to break the cycle of poverty-abuse-exploitation".
Finally
the cardinal underlined the ongoing validity of the "ten principles" of the Helsinki
Conference, stressing that "the commitments agreed by the OSCE are strong and noble.
They are supported by a robust mandate and by the principle of consent. The Holy See
reaffirms these commitments and encourages the organisation to stand firm on them".