Holy See Urges OSCE and Council of Europe to Pay Attention to Discrimination Against Christians
The Holy See’s Permanent Representative to UN offices in Vienna, Msgr. Janusz Urbanczyk, has urged the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe to pay greater attention to discrimination against Europe’s Christians.
Msgr. Urbanczyk offered his observations in a statement 9 June at the 1104th Meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. Below are portions of his statement:"With regard to the promotion of tolerance, my Delegation notes with regret that a general rise in racism and intolerance (including anti-Semitism and discrimination against Muslims) is being observed in Europe. Furthermore, Christians also suffer intolerance and discrimination, whether they are in the majority or in the minority, often in ways that go unnoticed."
"Anti-Christian sentiment appears to be the last acceptable prejudice and seems to receive less attention than other forms of intolerance because of Christianity’s position as the principal religion in Europe. Marginalization and social hostility against religions and committed believers seem to be among the main root causes of intolerance and discrimination, while public discourse plays a fundamental role in creating and reinforcing patterns of religious intolerance and discrimination."
"Therefore, the Holy See encourages both the OSCE and the Council of Europe to pay due attention also to the discrimination and intolerance against Christians inside Europe, without applying any improper selectivity or hierarchical distinction. These concerns should represent a common concern for our Organizations since ignoring them would leave unchecked a direct threat to the stability of the international community or may even trigger violence and conflict on a wider-scale."
Source: Vatican Radio. Read the entire statement here.