HOLY SEE ADHERES TO CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 26, 2002 (VIS) - Today, "International Day of support for torture victims", declared by the United Nations, the Holy See decided to adhere
- in the name of the City State of the Vatican - to the Convention against torture, other punishment and inhumane and degrading cruel treatment.

According to a note published today, this Convention was adopted by the general assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1984 and enacted on June 16, 1987. Up until now, it was been ratified by 129 states.

The instrument of adhesion, signed by John Paul II, will be placed in the United Nations secretary general's office in New York by Archbishop Renato Martino, permanent observer of the Holy See, along with the following declaration:

"The Holy See considers the Convention against torture and other punishment or degrading and inhumane cruel treatment, a valid and ideal tool for the fight against acts that constitute a grave attack on the dignity of the human person. In the contemporary age, the Catholic Church has declared itself constantly in favor of unconditional respect for life itself and has condemned unequivocally'everything that violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, physical and mental torture, including psychological coercion' (Vatican Council II, Pastoral Constitution 'Gaudium et Spes', December 7, 1965)".

In the note, it is recalled that the Code of Canon Law as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) "clearly identify and mention behavior that can hurt the physical or moral integrity of the person, reproache leaders and urge
the abolition of these acts." In addition, the note concludes, both John Paul II and Paul VI condemned torture and cruelty against people on different occasions.

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