Vatican official speaks of intolerance of Christianity in Europe’s public life

December 19, 2016

Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, the Vatican’s undersecretary for relations with states, spoke about the intolerance of Christianity in Europe’s public life, in an address to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

“To act and speak out publicly as a committed Christian in one’s professional life has never been more threatened,” Msgr. Camilleri told OSCE delegations. “There are those who would advocate that the voice of religion be silenced, or at least relegated to the purely private sphere,” he remarked. He observed, too, that the public celebration of Christian holy days, such as Christmas, are more and more often discouraged if not forbidden.

Msgr. Camilleri recalled the words of Pope Benedict XVI that religious faith “is not a problem for legislators to solve.” Religious beliefs should be welcomed into public discussions, he said, and faith should play its natural role in forming public opinions.

The address to OSCE by Msgr. Camilleri marked the 2nd time in less than a week that a Vatican representative had alerted the European body to the dangers of anti-Christian sentiments. Msgr. Janusz Urbanczyk, the Vatican’s representative to OSCE, had reported that “manifestations of intolerance, hate crimes, and episodes of violence or vandalism against religious places or objects” are on the rise in Europe.

 

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Further information:

• Vatican official: Religion in public has never been more at risk (CNA)
• Anti-Christian ideology on the rise in Europe, Vatican envoy tells OSCE (CWN, 12/15)