Vatican to UN: 100 thousand Christians killed for the faith each year
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See has expressed "deep concern" for violations of religious
freedom and systematic attacks on Christian communities in regions of the world such
as Africa, Asia and the Middle East. This was pointed out by Msgr. Silvano Maria Tomasi,
who spoke Monday at the United Nations in Geneva.
Statement by His Excellency
Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
and Other International Organizations in Geneva 23rd Session
of the Human Rights Council InteractiveDialoguewithHigh Commissioner- Item2 Geneva, May 27,
2013
Mr. President,
My Delegation congratulates Madam High Commissioner
for her presentation as well as for the activities of her office for the promotion,
recognition and implementation of human rights.
Mr. President,
The
serious violations of the right to freedom of religion in general and the recent continuing
discrimination and systematic attacks inflicted on some Christian communities in particular,
deeply concern the Holy See and many democratic Governments whose population embrace
various religious and cultural traditions. Credible research has reached the shocking
conclusion that an estimate of more than 100,000 Christians are violently killed because
of some relation to their faith every year. Other Christians and other believers are
subjected to forced displacement, to the destruction of their places of worship, to
rape and to the abduction of their leaders -as it recently happened in the case of
Bishops YohannaIbrahimand Boulos Yaziji, in Aleppo
(Syria).
Several of these acts have been perpetrated in parts of the Middle
East, Africa and Asia, the fruit of bigotry, intolerance, terrorism and some exclusionary
laws. In addition, in some Western countries where historically the Christian presence
has been an integral part of society, a trend emerges that tends to marginalize Christianity
in public life, ignore historic and social contributions and even restrict the ability
of faith communities to carry out social charitable services.
Mr.
President, The Human Rights Council has recognized that "religion,
spirituality and belief may and can contribute to the promotion of the inherent dignity
and worth of the human person." The Christian religion, as other faith-communities,
is "at the service of the true good of humanity." In fact "Christian
communities, with their patrimony of values and principles, have contributed much
to making individuals and peoples aware of their identity and their dignity".
In
this connection, it may be useful that the Delegation of the Holy See should recall
some pertinent data on the current services to the human family carried out in the
world by the Catholic Church without any distinction of religion or race. In the field
of education, it runs 70,544 kindergartens with 6,478,627 pupils; 92,847 primary schools
with 31,151,170 pupils; 43,591 secondary schools with 17,793,559 pupils. The Church
also educates 2,304,171 high school pupils, and 3,338,455 university students. The
Church’s worldwide charity and healthcare centres include: 5,305 hospitals; 18,179
dispensaries; 547 Care Homes for people with Leprosy; 17,223 Homes for the elderly,
or the chronically ill or people with a disability; 9,882 orphanages; 11,379 creches;
15,327 marriage counseling; 34,331 social rehabilitation centres and 9,391 other kinds
of charitable institutions. To such data about social action activity, there should
be added the assistance services carried out in refugee camps and to internally displaced
people and the accompaniment of these uprooted persons. This service certainly doesn’t
call for discrimination against Christian.
Mr. President, Allow me also
to congratulate the Delegations, like that of Italy, that took the floor to express
a defense of religious freedom in general and Christians in particular since these
have been targeted victims of human rights violations and to welcome the position
of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on the introduction of anti-blasphemy law in her
country. In conclusion, Pope Francis’ words regarding the celebration of the 17th
Centennial Anniversary of the Edict of Milan, that opened the way to religious freedom,
are an appropriate wish, that "… civil authorities everywhererespectthe right topublicly express one’s
faithand to acceptwithoutprejudicethe contributionthat Christianitycontinues to
offerto the cultureand societyof our
time".