VATICAN CITY, DEC 3, 2004 (VIS) - Archbishop
Giovanni Lajolo, secretary for Relations with States, addressed a conference
this morning at Rome's Gregorian University on the topic of "The Holy See
and Contemporary Challenges to Religious Freedom." He spoke in the
framework of a series of celebrations, organized by U.S. Ambassador to the Holy
See, Jim Nicholson, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties
between the Holy See and the United States.
Noting that the conference is "dedicated to the topic of religious
freedom as the cornerstone of human dignity," he offered some
considerations from the point of view of diplomatic activity of the Holy See,
starting with "the contribution offered by the Holy See to ensure that this
right is recognized by individual States and, above all, by the international
community."
The archbishop said that "considering the importance of religious
freedom for the very life of the Church and her faithful, it is obvious that
Vatican diplomacy must actively concern itself with this right. The diplomacy of
the Holy See, in fact, does not determine its priorities based on economic or
political interest, not does it have geopolitical ambitions; its 'strategic'
priorities are, above all, to insure and to promote favorable conditions not
only for the exercise of the proper mission of the Church as such, but also for
the life of faith of believers."
In further remarks, Archbishop Lajolo spoke of the Holy See's
"concordat" diplomacy, that is, agreements with other countries with
"a specific content" and "inspired by certain fundamental
criteria" such as ensuring "freedom of cult, jurisdiction and of
association of the Catholic Church" and opening "areas of cooperation
between the Catholic Church and the civil authorities," especially
regarding charitable activity and education. He said that at least 115 such
concordats have been concluded since 1965.
He also spoke of religious freedom in the Holy See diplomacy at the United
Nations and in the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE). He closed with thoughts on contemporary challenges to religious
freedom.
Archbishop Lajolo concluded by emphasizing that "even in States in which
the right to religious freedom is taken very seriously and in which the Church
can say that she is reasonably satisfied, there is always something which does
not adequately respond to her needs. In one country, for example, the specific
nature of some of her fundamental institutions is not recognized (for example,
regarding her hierarchical structure); in another there is no due recognition of
canonical marriage; in another the educational system does not sufficiently
respect the right of parents and even less of the Church; in yet another the
economic system does not take into account the properly social ends of the
institutions of the Church. In these countries, notwithstanding this or that
particular limitation, the Church nevertheless can say that she enjoys almost
always sufficient freedom, equal to that of other confessions."