Vatican rep to UN calls upon governments to respect religious freedom

GENEVA (CNS) -- The Vatican's chief representative to the U.N. agencies in Geneva called upon the nations of the world to respect the right of all people to practice religion freely and urged world leaders to punish those who persecute religious minorities.

Addressing a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in the Swiss capital March 12, Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, the Vatican representative, said harassment of religious minorities often is "encouraged by the silent collusion of state authorities and by a judicial system that is ineffective or partial."

The archbishop called for the world's governments to pass legislation imposing tough sanctions against those found guilty of harassing people because of their faith. Citing recent surveys that found nearly 70 percent of the world's population living in countries that restrict religious practices, Archbishop Tomasi recalled how some religious minorities face physical harm or death threats, the loss of their homes and the destruction of houses of worship.

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