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Archbishop
Tomasi Reacts to Un Report Observations
Vatican Radio
February 5, 2014
http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/05/archbishop_tomasi_reacts_to_un_report_observations/en1-770552
[with audio]
(Vatican Radio) The United Nations has issued
concluding observations on the reviewed reports of the Holy See
and five States , Parties to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. It follows a hearing at the UN in Geneva attended by a
group from Holy See last month. Heading the Vatican delegation
at those discussions was Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Permanent
Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva.
He gave his reaction to the report to Vatican Radio.
Q. What is the reaction of the Holy See to
these harsh criticisms by the UN contained in this report?
The report in the concluding recommendations that the
committee of the Convention on the Right of the Child that were
released today point out a rather negative approach to what the
Holy See has been doing and has already achieved in the area of
the protection of children. The first impression is that the
report in some ways is not up to date, not taking into account
some of the clear and precise explanations that were given to
the committee in the in the encounter that the delegation of
the Holy See had with the committee three or four weeks ago.
Second, I would say that there is a difficultly apparent in
understanding the position of the Holy See that cannot
certainly give up certain teachings that are part of their deep
convictions and also an expression of freedom of religion and
these are the values that in the tradition of the Catholic
Church sustain the common good of society and therefore cannot
be renounced, for example the committee asked for acceptance of
abortion and this is a contradiction with the principle of life
that the convention itself should support recommending that
children be protected before and after birth. If a child is
eliminated or killed we can no longer talk about rights for
this person, so there is a need to calmly and in detail
analyzing the recommendations proposed by the committee and
provide an accurate response to the committee itself, so that
there will be no misunderstanding on where we stand and the
reason why we take certain positions and I would add that the
practical remedies for preventing cases of abuse of children in
forms of laws or decisions of Episcopal Conferences of
directives for the formation of seminarians constitute a
package of measures that is very difficult, I think, to find
other institutions or even other states that have done so much
specifically for the protection of children. So, my sense is
that we have to continue to refine, to enact provisions that
protect children in all their necessities so that they may grow
and become productive adults in society and their dignity be
constantly respected. And at the same time we have to keep in
mind that even though there are so many millions, forty million
cases of abuse a year regarding children and unfortunately some
cases affect also Church personnel. We have to keep in mind
that, we have to continue to combat this tragedy knowing that
even a case of abuse of a child is a case too much.
Q. The United Nations had said that the Holy See
had responded better than other countries regarding the
safeguarding of children. What’s changed now?
A. The Holy See presented its report as a state like in
this 65th session of the activity of the committee.
The reports of Germany, the Holy See, Congo, Portugal, Russian
Federation and Yemen were examined. The Holy See presented the
concrete measures taken both at the level of the State of Vatican
City and of the Church at large, taking into account that priests
are not employees of the Pope but they are responsible citizens
of the countries where they work and therefore accountable to the
judicial system of those countries. The effort made was to give
an objective picture of the remedies undertaken of the new steps
that still are in the making like the commission announced by the
Holy Father for the protection of minors and without any
comparison with other states we simply say we recognize there has
been a small percentage of Church personnel that have committed
abuses and these are the steps taken to prevent that such abuses
be made again. Maybe not all the observations in the facts have
been adequately taken into account in the conclusions, so that
for example the principle that the Holy See is accountable
directly for the Vatican City State but not for other countries
where local jurisdiction in the state authorities a
responsibility and should implement and punish whoever including
priests may have abused children, so that’s possibly an
explanation but we need time to reflect carefully on the
conclusions and recommendations of the committee and to prepare
an adequate response, so that the objective may really be
pursued. The Holy See is a state party to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child and intends to be faithfully carrying out all
the elements of this Convention for the protection of children
and this is the way toward the future and I don’t think that
there will be fundamental changes in this task ahead. Listen to
Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Archbishop Silvano Tomasi
 
Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2014/02/05/archbishop_tomasi_reacts_to_un_report_observations/en1-770552
of the Vatican Radio website
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