Cardinal Parolin regrets that religious freedom continues to be threatened and that, therefore, the situation for many believers is far from improving.
CARD. PIETRO PAROLIN
Vatican Secretary of State
“A brief consideration of the numerous violations of religious liberty on the global stage and the appalling number of innocent persons that suffer persecution, because of their beliefs, including many Christians, should leave no doubt in our minds that we are dealing with an aggressive attack that strikes at the very core of the enjoyment of fundamental human rights.”
He expressed this in an event organized by the StandTogether project and the United States Embassy to the Holy See. It was an occasion in which the Vatican Secretary of State also recalled the violation of religious freedom threatens the common good.
CARD. PIETRO PAROLIN
Vatican Secretary of State
“Despite so many efforts to promote and reinforce the fundamental human right of religious freedom, we are actually witnessing a continued deterioration, we might say even an assault, of this inalienable right in many parts of the world.”
The host of the meeting was the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Callista Gingrich. She insisted that protecting this freedom is urgent and it is work requiring everyone's help.
CALLISTA GINGRICH
U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
“Our symposium today comes at an urgent time. Unfortunately, for millions around the world, religious freedom is currently under threat or restricted entirely. All of us across governments, civil society, faith organizations, and media must work together to advance and defend this cause.”
Therefore, projects like StandTogether, which started more than two years ago, warn of the continuous violation of this fundamental right. It is materialized in attacks against believers, by the mere fact of being one. This drama affects more than 60 percent of the world's population, who reside in countries where there is not complete religious freedom, as explained during the event.
It was in this context that StandTogether started. It is an awareness project uniting its forces with those of organizations such as Aid to the Church in Need. This Pontifical Foundation has worked for decades to raise awareness and be the voice of so many persecuted Christians.
-----
Don't miss Cardinal Parolin's full speech on religious freedom here
