Vatican envoy warns OSCE on erosion of religious freedom
October 01, 2015
A Vatican representative speaking has alerted the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to “warning signs” indicating the erosion of religious freedom.
“We have already heard even from some of the highest instances in society that religious institutions, more concretely the Catholic Church, must change teachings or positions regarding the human person,” observed Msgr. Janusz Urbanczyk, the Vatican’s permanent representative to OSCE.
“If freedom of religion is not respected, inevitably many other freedoms will be eroded as well,” Msgr. Urbanczyk said.
The Vatican envoy said that a proper understanding of religious freedom entails a recognition of the role that faith should play in public discussions. He argued forcefully that religious individuals and institutions do not limit the freedom of others when they speak out on public affairs. “On the contrary,” he said, “the the acceptance of the religious freedom of other persons and groups is the cornerstone of dialogue and cooperation and guarantee of all other freedoms, including freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and association.”
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