VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today was the speech given on November 24 by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva, and head of the Holy See delegation to the International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation to Freedom of Religion or Belief, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination. The conference was held in Madrid from November 23 to 25.
Archbishop Martin focussed his talk on educating young people in their faith and in respect for the faith of others. Noting that religion plays a central role in the lives of millions, he said that "religious education is a powerful instrument to help believers intensify their efforts towards the realization of the unity of the one human family, ... and a key factor in fostering understanding and tolerance among religious communities."
"Religious freedom," the archbishop affirmed, "constitutes a fundamental human right and can certainly be considered one of the cornerstones of the edifice of human rights, because it touches such an intimate sphere of human existence and personal identity, the relationship between the person and the Transcendent." This freedom, he added, also includes "the right of religious groups not to be prevented from freely demonstrating the special value of their teachings for the organization of society and the inspiration of human activity in general."
"Honestly addressing the tensions of the past," Archbishop Martin concluded, "generates a strong force for the construction of a different future and for the beginnings of a process of reconciliation and healing. The formation of future teachers should pay special attention to their ability to sensitively address divisive historical issues. Where necessary, school textbooks and curricula should be revised to remove harmful or unbalanced presentations of other religious traditions and historical events."
DELSS;RELIGIOUS FREEDOM;...;MADRID; MARTIN;VIS;20011127;Word: 280;
Archbishop Martin focussed his talk on educating young people in their faith and in respect for the faith of others. Noting that religion plays a central role in the lives of millions, he said that "religious education is a powerful instrument to help believers intensify their efforts towards the realization of the unity of the one human family, ... and a key factor in fostering understanding and tolerance among religious communities."
"Religious freedom," the archbishop affirmed, "constitutes a fundamental human right and can certainly be considered one of the cornerstones of the edifice of human rights, because it touches such an intimate sphere of human existence and personal identity, the relationship between the person and the Transcendent." This freedom, he added, also includes "the right of religious groups not to be prevented from freely demonstrating the special value of their teachings for the organization of society and the inspiration of human activity in general."
"Honestly addressing the tensions of the past," Archbishop Martin concluded, "generates a strong force for the construction of a different future and for the beginnings of a process of reconciliation and healing. The formation of future teachers should pay special attention to their ability to sensitively address divisive historical issues. Where necessary, school textbooks and curricula should be revised to remove harmful or unbalanced presentations of other religious traditions and historical events."
DELSS;RELIGIOUS FREEDOM;...;MADRID; MARTIN;VIS;20011127;Word: 280;
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