At a conference entitled

“Religious Freedom: The Cornerstone of Human Dignity”

Friday, December 3, 2004

The Pontifical Gregorian University

Piazza della Pilotta, 4

Rome, Italy

Your Excellency Archbishop Lajolo,
Your Excellencies,
Ambassador Hanford,
Father Flannery,
Members of the Clergy and Religious Orders,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

Thank you for joining us today for this, our fourth and final conference to celebrate twenty years of diplomatic relations between the United States of America and the Holy See. I would like to extend a special thanks to the Gregorian University for so ably hosting our meeting today, as they have the other conferences this year. Thank you Father Flannery and thanks to your faculty and staff.

It is fitting that our final conference should call attention to religious liberty, because the desire for religious liberty was the driving force for the establishment of the first American colonies, and has been a central tenet of American life from the foundation of the United States. Religious liberty is also a value and a priority we share with the Holy See. Both the United States and the Holy See work ceaselessly throughout the world to promote and protect this freedom that is so essential to the dignity of mankind. It is a freedom President Bush has often described as "God’s gift to humanity."

In fact, religious freedom was the subject of the very first diplomatic contact between the United States and the Holy See. Soon after the creation of the new American Republic, the then Pope, Pius VI, sent an emissary to see Benjamin Franklin, the U.S. Ambassador in Paris, about the appointment of a Catholic bishop in America. Franklin consulted President George Washington and the reply came back that the Holy See was free to appoint as bishop whomever it saw fit, because freedom of religion was at the foundation of the new country that was the United States of America in 1788.

Two hundred and sixteen years later, religious liberty for everyone in every country remains a priority for the United States and for the Holy See. In fact, it was a subject during the most recent diplomatic contact between the Pope and President Bush during the President's visit to the Vatican in June this year. At that time, the Holy Father observed that "respect for human dignity finds one of its highest expressions in religious freedom." Noting that it is the first right listed in America's Bill of Rights, the Pope hailed the significance "that the promotion of religious freedom continues to be an important goal of American policy in the international community," and expressed the appreciation of the Catholic Church for America's commitment.

The United States and the Holy See both know that when people are not allowed to practice their faith because their government favors one religion over another or bans religious expression, these are grave threats to human dignity and a threat to freedom. President Bush has observed that it is no accident that freedom of religion is one of the central freedoms in our Bill of Rights. It is the first freedom of the human soul -- the right to speak the words that God places in our mouths. The President believes that we must stand for that freedom in our country, and we must speak for that freedom in the world because religious liberty rests as the very heart of human dignity. There is nothing more fundamental to human life that our freedom of conscience, our freedom to be who we are. As the Holy Father has so eloquently stated: “It is a question of respect for a fundamental right of the human spirit, in which man expresses himself most deeply, perhaps, as man.”

In his proclamation for Religious Freedom Day this year, President Bush observed: "The right to have religious beliefs and to freely practice such beliefs are among the most fundamental freedoms we possess. … The right to believe and express one's beliefs in words and practice is a right that should belong to all people." Similarly, from the very outset of his pontificate, Pope John Paul II has emphasized that religious freedom is "at the basis of all other freedoms" and he has challenged and confronted governments that have sought to "deter citizens from the profession of religion and to make life difficult and dangerous for religious communities." So I am grateful that we can join together today to reflect on how we can do more to enhance this most fundamental of human freedoms.

I’m especially pleased that the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, is able to be with us today. Your Excellency, the Holy See has been a moral beacon in its efforts -- transcending religious differences -- to promote religious freedom. Throughout his pontificate, Pope John Paul II has consistently raised his voice to rouse the conscience of governments and regimes that would seek to deny this fundamental freedom to their people.

While religious liberty deserves special attention as the foundational human right from which all others flow, its importance extends far beyond the realm of private conscience. Religious liberty in today's world is closely linked to world peace and stability. Where religious liberty is not respected, where religious tolerance and respect for the rights of others is not common, conflict and violence too often are. That is why religious liberty and its related themes of religious tolerance and inter-religious dialogue have moved to the forefront of international politics today, and that is also why we will examine religious liberty in our meeting today as the cornerstone of human dignity and international order.

Only last week, Pope John Paul II in welcoming the President of Yemen to the Vatican, urged all people of good will to fight against terrorism and promote peace and justice, adding that this would be possible only when there is “tolerance and understanding,” and a “spirit of frank and open dialogue between different religions.” The Pope and President Bush know that religious freedom is a powerful antidote to religious extremism and terrorism. Where a society protects religious freedom, extremism and religion-based violence are less likely to take root.

Reflecting these connections between religious liberty, peace, and stability, most of the world’s nations have committed themselves to the guarantees of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These legal instruments recognize the right of each individual to worship, or not to worship, as he or she sees fit. Unfortunately, these core international commitments have not been universally respected. On the contrary, individual freedom of belief continues to be restricted, abused, or denied, and millions of people suffer every day for following the dictates of their conscience.

In response to this suffering and oppression, the United States has stepped up its support for freedom of religion worldwide with passage of the Religious Freedom Act in 1998 and the subsequent creation of a special envoy for religious freedom. I am very pleased that the U.S. Ambassador-at-large for Religious Freedom, John Hanford, is with us this morning and will be able to share his insights and experience on the United States approach to the promotion of religious liberty and how we can join with other countries to expand respect for religious freedom where it is under threat.

Ambassador Hanford overseas the direct engagement of the State Department and our Embassies the world over to promote religious liberty. Our Annual Report on International Religious Freedom shines a bright spotlight on the state of religious freedom in every country. We monitor religious persecution and discrimination worldwide, travel directly to countries where problems exist, and advocate with host governments on behalf of those who are victims of persecution and discrimination. Violations of religious freedom, which are contrary to human dignity, sometimes require sanctions and we in the United States have laws to impose economic sanctions against the perpetrators to dissuade them from continuing these violations.

At the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See we engage actively with the Holy See to promote religious freedom in many countries including Russia, China, Vietnam, the Sudan, and Cuba. For example, when Russia denied Catholic bishops and priests visas and entry, we helped focus the attention of U.S. officials, from the president on down, to this threat to freedom. Indeed, President Bush, at our urging, has spoken up for religious freedom with both Russia's and China's leadership.

The United States also recognizes that the promotion of religious freedom is not only a job for governments, but also for religious leaders and non-governmental organizations. That is why we work closely with an array of dedicated organizations who share our commitment to religious liberty, and why we have invited representatives of some of these inspiring groups to share their perspectives with us today.

Our agenda this morning is full, reflecting the scope and complexity of the task of promoting religious freedom in many regions and cultures. We are delighted to be able to bring together so many people of different background and areas of expertise, and are gratified that so many have turned out today to explore this issue with us. Before we begin, I would like to express my gratitude to Frank Hanna, an American business leader who has devoted his energy and financial support to the promotion of religious freedom and who has generously provided support for our gathering today. With that, I would like to invite His Excellency Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo to join me at the podium, so we can begin our dialogue on "Religious Liberty: the Cornerstone of Human Dignity."