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Vatican diplomat laments desecration of cemeteries
March 07, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: Reacting to a UN report on the relation between religious freedom and honoring the deceased, a Vatican diplomat lamented the desecration of cemeteries.
Such desecration “violates the right to freedom of religion or belief, as it destroys a sacred space where the faithful fulfil their religious duty and moral obligation to honor their deceased loved ones,” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, stated during a UN Human Rights Council meeting on March 3.
“Above all, freedom of religion or belief must be protected, especially during the most vulnerable moments of life,” he continued. “The right of the dying to receive spiritual assistance, and of the bereaved to be supported by their faith community, are not merely private comforts; they are essential manifestations of respect for religious belief. Denying this access violates the God-given dignity of the human person in their greatest time of need.”
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