Holy See, British Govt. underscore religious freedom

(Feb.15, 2012) The Holy See and the British Government issued a joint communiqué on Wednesday agreeing on the urgent need for action to strengthen the universal commitment to religious freedom as a fundamental human right, and to its practical application with a view to promoting respect for all religions worldwide. The statement was issued as an official UK delegation led by Baroness Sayeeda Husain Warsi concluded a two day visit to the Vatican to mark 30 years of Holy See - UK diplomatic relations. The Holy See and the British government look forward to working together to combat intolerance and discrimination based on religion, wherever it is manifest, said the joint communiqué. Both the parties reaffirmed the need to promote integral and sustainable global development, based on the centrality of the human person and grounded in the principle of the inherent human dignity and worth of each person.
It said much progress has been made over the last decade in improving health and well-being for many people. However, there are still significant gaps and challenges in the long and complex path towards ensuring integral human development for everybody. Too many people are still hungry, too many people do not have access to education and to decent work, too many women die in childbirth. In view of these challenges we recognise a shared obligation to achieve a fair international financial and trade framework. And we will strive for a better future for all humanity, taking into particular account care for the poorest people in the world, the joint statement added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Baroness Warsi addressed Vatican’s Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome expressing alarm that Christianity is in grave danger of being marginalised. In her talk, to the Vatican institute which trains priests for diplomatic and secretariat duties, Baroness Warsi who is Britain's only Muslim cabinet minister, called for Europeans to take more pride in their religious roots and for Christianity to play a greater role in public life. She attacked the 'basic misconception' that Christianity needs to be 'erased' for minorities to feel welcome in society. She also spoke of her fears for British society, which she believes is being taken hold of by 'militant secularists'. Social cohesion will improve, if individuals feel more confident in their religious beliefs, she said. The UK delegation also included Catholic Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminister.