Holy See Rep Calls on UN World Leaders to End Racism

By Verghese V Joseph –

United Nations: His Excellency Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, on the occasion of the high-level meeting at the United Nations on the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Action Plan (DDPA), in a video message strongly urged an end to racism that can and must be defeated through a culture of encounter, fraternity, and solidarity.

As a party to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Holy See, Msgr. Gallagher said in accord with its particular nature and mission and in a spirit of cooperation, “is engaged in combating all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.”

Msgr Gallagher while referring to Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti, said, “our social progress is not as real or definitive as we think, with racism regularly hiding beneath the surface only to keep remerging.”

“Many persons of African descent around the world are migrants or refugees that after leaving their homes – or being forced to leave – face racism and xenophobia, discrimination and intolerance in countries of destination, rather than the support that they need. My Delegation hopes that the recent establishment of the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent will contribute to local, national and international efforts aimed at providing justice and support for victims of racism”, he said.

He further stated that universal human rights were indivisible and interdependent and thus cannot exist in opposition. Laws and norms that seek to root out discrimination and intolerance must therefore respect the right to freedom of opinion, thought, religion, and conscience. Monitoring, investigating, and prosecuting incidents of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance should never become a justification for States to violate the human rights of minorities or to censor minority opinions.

“While adopting international agreements and declarations such as the Durban Declaration as an important and necessary step, they must lead to real change. The Durban Declaration rightly expresses concern about intolerance, hostile acts, and violence against religious groups. Intolerance on the basis of religion or belief leads to restrictions to the right to practice one’s chosen religion freely and in its most extreme forms can cause hostility, violence, and atrocity crimes. Disregard for the right to freedom of religion and belief leads to the violation of further human rights,” he mentioned.

“In recent years, we have witnessed an overall rise in religious persecution by both State and non-State actors. Individuals and entire populations are discriminated against because of their faith while perpetrators often enjoy impunity. Some religious minorities in certain regions even face extinction, including Christians who represent the most persecuted group globally,” he stated.

Msgr Gallagher also highlighted another form of discrimination known as eugenics. “Today, we could say that a eugenic mentality often lurks behind artificial procreation techniques and the dark sides of pre-natal diagnostics, where the idea that there are human beings of inferior value because of disability, sex, or other traits often leads to the denial of their right to life. Such a mindset entrenches principles of discrimination squarely opposed to the Durban Declaration and cannot be ignored,” he said.

The Durban Declaration recognizes the role of religion in promoting the inherent dignity and worth of every person and in eradicating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. This must be coupled with legislation and functioning institutions, but ultimately “racism will disappear … only when it dies in people’s hearts,” he concluded.