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Archbishop proposes world day against persecution of Christians


Archbishop Mamberti

Archbishop Mamberti

Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See's secretary for Relations with States, has proposed a world day against the persecution of Christians, during an address to the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vinius, Lithuania, on 7 December.

Msgr Mamberti noted that there is a growing consensus in the international community on the necessity of paying greater attention to migrants.

He said it was important to help keep migrant families together, since "the family plays a fundamental role in the integration process, giving stability to immigrants in new social environments". He said: "Migrants, aware of their rights, can be more secure in offering their services and talents and the receiving community, well-informed and respectful of these rights, will feel freer in extending its solidarity in order to build together a common future".

Archbishop Mamberti also addressed the organization's commitments in defence of fundamental freedoms and human rights, one of which is the right to freedom of religion.

"The right to religious freedom, despite being repeatedly proclaimed by the international community, as well as in the constitutions of most States, continues to be widely violated today", he said.

Pope Benedict XVI himself recalled, in his message from this year's World Day of Peace, that Christians "are the religious group which suffers most from persecution on account of its faith".

According to Archbishop Mamberti, "there may be more than two hundred million Christians, of different denominations, who are in difficulty because of legal and cultural structures that lead to their discrimination". For this reason, he proposed the institution of an International Day against persecution and discrimination of Christians as "an important sign that governments are willing to deal with this serious issue".

The archbishop also addressed the problem of human trafficking, especially of women and minors, for sexual exploitation as well as for labour exploitation and domestic servitude, which has become a "powerful global business involving many countries of origin, transit, and destination. He said that in order to combat the scourge of trafficking in human beings, a "convergence of efforts was necessary: a mentality that is centered on the unique dignity of every person, a sure punishment of traffickers, the fight against corruption, ... and the fairness of mass media in reporting the damages created by trafficking".

Source: VIS

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