Cognitive impairment does not diminish human dignity, Vatican diplomat says
September 11, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: A Vatican diplomat emphasized that diminished cognitive capacity does not diminish personhood.
“A person is not defined by his or her consciousness, intellect, or abilities,” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said during a conversation with a UN official. “These qualities may weaken or even disappear, but the person’s dignity does not fade with them.”
“Dignity is God-given,” the prelate added. “Dependence and frailty do not negate or obscure such dignity; rather, they are a manifestation of the human condition.”
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