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."
SS/RELIGIOUS FREEDOM/LAJOLO VIS 20041203 (490)
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