Intolerance in the name of 'tolerance' should be condemned
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican Secretariat of State issued a tweet on Monday: “Intolerance
against Christians, especially in the name of ‘tolerance’, should be condemned publicly.”
The
tweet referenced a Statement of the Holy See delivered by Bishop Mario Toso, SDB,
at the High Level Conference on Tolerance and Non-discrimination (including Human
Rights Youth Education), which took place May 21-22 in Tirana, Albania.
The
Conference was held under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE).
Since the last High Level Conference, Bishop Toso said,
“examples of intolerance and discrimination against Christians have not diminished,
but rather increased in various parts of the OSCE region.”
Bishop Toso denounced
attempt to divide religious belief from religious practice. Christians, he said, are
told “they can believe whatever they like in their own homes or heads, and largely
worship as they wish in their own private churches, but they simply cannot act on
those beliefs in public.” This distinction, he went on, “is a deliberate twisting
and limiting of what religious freedom actually means.”
In the Holy See’s statement,
Bishop Toso identified two particular areas of intolerance against Christians: intolerance
of Christian speech, and intolerance with regard to Christian conscience, particularly
in the workplace. Discrimination against Christians, he said, “even where they are
a majority – must be faced as a serious threat to the whole of society – and therefore
should be fought, as it is done, and rightly so, in the case of anti-Semitism and
Islamophobia.”
Bishop Toso said, “Intolerance in the name of ‘tolerance’ must
be named for what it is and publically condemned. To deny religiously informed moral
argument a place in the public square is intolerant and anti-democratic.”
He
concluded by saying, “As for the prevention and response to intolerance, discrimination
and hate crimes against Christians, [the Holy See] Delegation believes that it should
be seen in close connection with the promotion of religious freedom. The right to
believe in God and to practice that belief is a fundamental human right, one that
is central to the OSCE commitments.”
Below, please find the full text
of the Statement of the Holy See as delivered by Bishop Mario Toso, SDB, at the High-level
Conference on Tolerance and Non-discrimination:
Mr. Chairman,
At
the last High-Level Conference on tolerance and non-discrimination, held three years
ago in Astana, the participating States committed, inter alia, to counter prejudice,
discrimination, intolerance, and violence against Christians and members of other
religions, including minority religions, which continue to be present in the OSCE
region. They were also called to address the denial of rights, exclusion and marginalization
of Christians and members of other religions in our societies.
Unfortunately,
examples of intolerance and discrimination against Christians have not diminished,
but rather increased in various parts of the OSCE region despite a number of meetings
and conferences on the subject organized also by the OSCE and ODIHR.
Mr. Chairman,
This
year we celebrate 1700 years of the Edict of Milan, issued in 313 A .D. by Emperor
Constantine, one of the most important documents in history related to freedom of
religion. With this decree the persecution of Christians finally ended, Christianity
was legalized and religious freedom was granted and guaranteed for all throughout
the Roman Empire.
It is regretful, therefore, to note that across the OSCE
region a sharp dividing line has been drawn between religious belief and religious
practice, so that Christians are frequently reminded in public discourse (and increasingly
even in the courts), that they can believe whatever they like in their own homes or
heads, and largely worship as they wish in their own private churches, but they simply
cannot act on those beliefs in public. This is a deliberate twisting and limiting
of what religious freedom actually means, and it is not the freedom that was enshrined
in international documents, including those of the OSCE beginning with the 1975 Helsinki
Final Act, stretching through the 1989 Final Vienna Document and the 1990 Copenhagen
Document, and including the 2010 Astana Summit Commemorative Declaration.
There
are many areas where intolerance against Christians can clearly be seen, but two stand
out as being particularly relevant at present.
The first is intolerance against
Christian speech. In recent years there has been a significant increase in incidents
involving Christians who have been arrested and even prosecuted, for speaking on Christian
issues. Religious leaders are threatened with police action after preaching about
sinful behaviour and some are even sentenced to prison for preaching on the biblical
teaching against sexual immorality. Even private conversations between citizens, including
expression of opinions on social network, can become the grounds of a criminal complaint,
or at least intolerance, in many European countries.
The second area where
intolerance against Christians can clearly be seen is in regard to Christian conscience,
particularly in the workplace. Throughout Europe there have been numerous instances
of Christians being removed from the workplace simply for seeking to act according
to their conscience. Some of them are well known since they have come even before
the European Court of Human Rights.
It is remarkable that after centuries of
struggling for freedom of conscience, some citizens of the OSCE region in the 21st
century are now being forced to choose between two impossible scenarios: they can
abandon their faith and act against their conscience, or resist and face losing their
livelihood. Participating OSCE States must therefore guarantee that intolerance and
discrimination against Christians is ended, enabling Christians to speak freely on
issues that the government or others may find disagreeable, and act on their consciences
in the workplace and elsewhere. Discrimination against Christians – even where they
are a majority – must be faced as a serious threat to the whole of society – and therefore
should be fought, as it is done, and rightly so, in the case of anti-Semitism and
Islamophobia.
Particular attention should be also paid to the widespread vandalism
targeting churches and Christian cemeteries. Insulting or mocking graffiti, broken
windows, burnt down, desecrated or devastated places of prayer and worship, damaged
or smashed tombstones, in particular tombstone crosses, have been noted throughout
the OSCE region. All these acts are not just harmless incidents committed by irresponsible
teenagers or mentally disordered persons, as it is often claimed, but rather a result
of a premeditated plan and should be therefore treated as a clear hate message and
hate crime against Christians who are represented by, and who identify with, those
symbols of their faith.
Mr. Chairman,
Intolerance in the name of “tolerance”
must be named for what it is and publically condemned. To deny religiously informed
moral argument a place in the public square is intolerant and anti-democratic. Or
to put it another way, where there might be a clash of rights, religious freedom must
never be regarded as inferior. On the other hand, the issue of religious freedom cannot
and should not be incorporated into that of tolerance. If, in fact, this was the supreme
human and civilian value, then any authentically truthful conviction, that excludes
the other, would be tantamount to intolerance. Moreover, if every conviction was as
good as another, you could end up being accommodating even towards aberrations.
As
for the prevention and response to intolerance, discrimination and hate crimes against
Christians, my Delegation believes that it should be seen in close connection with
the promotion of religious freedom. The right to believe in God and to practice that
belief is a fundamental human right, one that is central to the OSCE commitments.
In
conclusion, I just wish to express the Holy See’s confidence that this High-Level
Conference will contribute to the development of concrete and effective proposals
to fight intolerance and discrimination, as well as hate crimes and incidents against
Christians.