Vatican diplomat calls for protection of religious and cultural sites in wartime
April 16, 2026
» Continue to this story on Vatican News (Italian)
CWN Editor's Note: In a wide-ranging address to the UNESCO executive board, a Vatican diplomat spoke of the obligation, in wartime, “to respect and protect cultural property, including places of worship, as expressions of the identity of peoples.”
“Adherence to these norms constitutes an essential legal and moral responsibility, particularly in contexts of conflict,” said Msgr. Roberto Campisi, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
“Always, but particularly in the dramatic circumstances of war, such as those we are currently experiencing, information must be careful not to transform itself into propaganda,” Msgr. Campisi added. “And the mission of journalists—to verify information so as not to become a megaphone for power—becomes even more urgent and delicate; indeed, I would say essential.”
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