蜜桃交友

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

On Wednesday, the United States Embassy to the Holy See hosted a symposium in Rome. Advancing and Defending International Religious Freedom through Diplomacy was its theme.

Shared priority for US and Holy See

In her welcoming remarks, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich highlighted: 鈥淧romoting and securing the universal right of religious freedom is a shared priority for the United States and the Holy See鈥�. This collaboration preserves this right, she continued, at a 鈥渃ritical time鈥� in which international religious freedom must be advanced and defended.

Moral witness

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo opened his remarks reflecting on World War II because of the 75^th anniversary of when it ended. He recounted the story of Fr Bernard Lichtenberg, arrested by the Nazi regime for his outspokenness and public prayer 鈥渇or the Jews and other victims of Nazi brutality鈥�. He also recalled Pope John Paul II鈥檚 鈥減ivotal role in igniting the revolution of conscience that brought down the Iron Curtain鈥�. The U.S. Secretary of State then criticized China in regard to religious freedom. Religious freedom, he said, depends on Christian leadership and the moral witness of those who have withstood persecution.

Religious freedom important for Holy See

Representing the Holy See were the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See鈥檚 Secretary for Relations with States.

Archbishop Gallagher extended Pope Francis鈥檚 greetings to the participants, saying the Pope 鈥渋s aware of this meeting on a topic of great importance for the Holy See, especially in its diplomatic activities on both the bilateral and multilateral levels鈥�.

Right to religious freedom

Awareness has been growing, the Archbishop acknowledged, regarding the role religions play in questions such as international peace, security, and mutual coexistence. Due to this reality, protecting religious freedom 鈥渋s one of the main political priorities of the Holy See鈥�, he said. It is important because of the innate dignity of the human person, created in God鈥檚 image and likeness, and is 鈥渇oundational to each person鈥檚 identity鈥�, their own integral development and that of society.

Types of religious persecution

Persecution of religious liberties is not limited to physical persecution. Ideological trends and silencing through 鈥減olitical correctness鈥� are also forms of attacking religious freedom, Archbishop Gallagher explained. 鈥淧articularly unacceptable and offensive鈥�, he said, is the pressure that religious freedom and conscientious objection must be abandoned in the name of promoting other 鈥渟o-called human rights鈥�.

Holy See at the service of the persecuted

The Holy See is committed to remaining in the discussion, the Archbishop said. This discussion is now guided by the 鈥渢eaching and engagement鈥� of Pope Francis, and stresses 鈥渢he importance of dialogue and mutual understanding among peoples and societies鈥� and 鈥渄ifferent religious鈥� persuasions.

Two panel discussions followed Archbishop Gallagher鈥檚 remarks: 1. Diplomatic tools for identifying areas of concern where religious freedom is threatened; and 2. Diplomacy and international cooperation.

Freedom of conscience

Concluding the symposium, Cardinal Parolin reiterated that defending and promoting religious freedom is a 鈥渉allmark of the diplomatic activity of the Holy See鈥�. This right, coupled with the 鈥渋nviolable right to life鈥�, is the foundation for all other human rights, the Cardinal said. When this freedom is violated, the 鈥渆njoyment of all rights鈥� is put in jeopardy. Freedom of conscience is also intimately connected to religious freedom because it is the 鈥渋nner sanctum鈥� in which we discover a law we 鈥渉ave not laid upon鈥� ourselves, but which we 鈥渕ust obey鈥�.

Exaggerated personal freedom

Cardinal Parolin expressed the insight that violations against religious freedom today are rooted in a misunderstanding of human freedom. Intolerance is shown not only by prohibiting people from exercising their religion, but also through 鈥渢he intolerant voices of the politically correct鈥� who are themselves intolerant of others鈥� religious beliefs. When the highest good attainable is that of removing any obstacle to the individual freedom to choose, leading to an exaggerated personal freedom, the common good is threatened, he said. This type of freedom is rooted in the self, rather than in the Creator, and does not seek the good of others.

Freedom to seek the truth

In concluding, the Cardinal noted that understanding religious freedom solely as 鈥渇reedom from coercion鈥� is only a partial understanding. The positive aspect of this freedom is 鈥渢he freedom to seek the truth鈥�, the 鈥渇reedom for belief鈥�. It is the freedom to discover 鈥渢he ultimate truth of one鈥檚 existence, one鈥檚 origin and destiny given by the Creator鈥�. This is the 鈥渢ool鈥�, he said, that needs to be given to believers. Unless believers discover the purpose for which they were created, 鈥渁n end that exists beyond the self鈥�, the Cardinal said, 鈥渨e cannot hope but to find a society in crisis, with each of us unable to embrace anyone but ourselves鈥�.

Responding to questions from journalists on the sidelines of the Symposium, Cardinal Parolin stated that the Holy See believes in a policy of taking small steps and that the Agreement on the appointment of bishops is a step toward greater religious freedom as well. Therefore, he declared it is not appropriate to use the topic of the Agreement between the Holy See and China for internal electoral purposes in the United States.