The Vatican Secretary of
State Card Tarcisio Bertone called for an end to discrimination against
Christians in his speech to the Organisation for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
“Society must fight anti-Christian
discrimination with the same determination that it fights anti-Semitism
and Islamophobia,” said Benedict XVI’s right-hand man.
“The progress
attested in the various OSCE documents indicates that religious freedom
can exist under various social systems. Religious intolerance and
discrimination, against Christians for example, are closely correlated
with the lack of religious freedom,” the secretary said. “Christians are
the most persecuted group; more than 200 million Christians are living
in difficult situations.”
Card Bertone began his address citing Kazakh poet Abay
Qunanbayuli, for whom love and friendship are the beginning of
humanity. He then called for greater efforts to stop conflicts that,
although they might localised, threaten the whole OSCE area.
The cardinal also touched upon the current economic
crisis, which has shown the importance of ethical principles in the
economy. Given the situation, “The Holy See calls for policies in favour
of the family.”
Water is another issue that deserves attention. “Every
human being should be guaranteed adequate access to quality water,” the
secretary of state said.
At the same time, “the rights of migrants and their
families” must be defended.
“Pope John Paul II said that the Helsinki
Declaration was an act of hope for millions of Europeans and non
Europeans. I hope and call on God almighty that the Astana meeting may
be an act of hope for our generation and for generations to come,” Card
Bertone said as he brought his speech to a close.
The Helsinki Declaration acknowledged the principle of
religious freedom in the countries of Eastern Europe at a time when
they were under Communist rule. The Catholic Church used it to defend
the rights of its members behind the Iron Curtain.
The future and goals of the organisation are also
under discussion at the summit. In her address, US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton said that respect for human rights and press freedom are
priorities in the world at a time when democracy is under pressure.
“It
is not enough for a constitution to guarantee freedom of the press if,
in reality, journalists are put under intense pressure and even
assaulted," she said.
On Afghanistan, Clinton said the OSCE can play an
important role to improve border security, counter illicit trafficking,
boost legitimate trade, promote economic development and help develop
national institutions.
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