Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention (continued)
Twelfth periodic report of the Holy See
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS, COMMENTS AND INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONVENTION (agenda item 4) (continued)
Twelfth periodic report of the Holy See (CERD/C/226/Add.6)
1. At the invitation of the Chairman, Monsignor Tabet, Monsignor Pierre and Mr. Buonomo (Holy See) took places at the Committee table.
2. Monsignor TABET (Holy See), introducing the twelfth report (CERD/C/226/Add.6), said that it also contained the eleventh report. Because of the special nature of the Holy See within the international community, the report did not follow the structure prescribed in the Committee's guidelines. As the supreme governing body of the Catholic Church, the Holy See was recognized as a sovereign subject of international law. Its territory, the Vatican City State, was very small, its only function being to guarantee its independence and the free exercise of its religious moral and pastoral mission. Its participation in international organizations, most notably the United Nations, and its accession to international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination differed profoundly from those of States which were communities in the political and temporal sense.
3. In the belief that all men and women were children of one God, and thus brothers, the Catholic Church categorically rejected any racial discrimination. That rejection was enshrined in the Church's basic documents, such as those promulgated by the Second Vatican Council in 1965 and the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the main legislative document of the Latin Church. More recently, Pope John Paul II had promulgated the Code of Canon Law for the Eastern Churches, which allowed those Churches to follow their own rites, traditions and particular customs within the framework of the universal Catholic Church. It was thus guided by the same principle of non-discrimination.
4. The Church had been charged by its founder to preach the Gospel to all peoples throughout the world. Its aim was therefore to meet all races and human groups, respecting their particular character and culture. Thus throughout the world, there were individual Churches, carrying out the mission of the universal Church in their own particular context. In most parts of the world, bishops and priests were nationals of their countries. At the same time, however, there were numerous exchanges of priests, monks and nuns of all races and origins between countries and continents, to help develop churches which needed assistance. The most senior officials of the Holy See came from every continent.
5. The Church's function had always been twofold, being both spiritual and also concerned with human advancement. Through the centuries, it had thus undertaken many activities relating to education, health, charity, training and human advancement in the broadest sense. The forms of activity had varied in the course of time to meet the needs of people, whoever they were, without any discrimination, except that the focus was on those most in need. He referred to the many initiatives taken by the Church in support of the main victims of discrimination, such as indigenous peoples, minorities, refugees and displaced persons.
6. In the period 1988 to 1992, covered by the twelfth report, the Holy See had made ever more vigorous and frequent efforts to awaken the human conscience in the face of the revival of prejudice and of racist and discriminatory behaviour. That was reflected in the Pope's numerous pronouncements and in those of such bodies as the Pontifical Council, Iustitia et Pax, as well as in the texts accompanying the report and the supplementary list of 24 documents recently submitted to the Committee. The document, The Church confronted with racism - for a more brotherly society, published on 10 February 1989 by the Pontifical Council, Iustitia et Pax, deserved particular attention. After addressing racism in the narrowest sense, particularly institutionalized racism, it also covered other forms, such as political, economic, cultural and religious discrimination, which could easily become tainted with racism or could contribute to its appearance. It concluded by offering guidance concerning the contribution Christians could make, together with others, in promoting brotherhood and solidarity between races.
7. Special attention was paid to migrants and refugees. The Pontifical Council on migrants and displaced persons and Cor Unum were charged with coordinating specific aid by Catholic organizations assisting refugees and migrants, such as Caritas Internationalis and its local organizations. The Catholic clergy were also concerned with new forms of racism and xenophobia, as witnessed by the many pronouncements by the Pope and bishops on the practice of "ethnic cleansing" in the former Yugoslavia. The Church had also taken a stand on the appearance of new forms of xenophobia and racism in Europe, as well as on the situation in Palestine and South Africa. The Pope was also concerned to go back to the historical roots of racism and inequalities based on race and colour of skin, as shown in his messages to Afro-Americans and American Indians during the commemoration in Santo Domingo of the fifth centenary of the arrival of Christopher Colombus in America.
8. The documents before the Committee also attempted to analyse the fundamental causes of racism. The consequences of slavery and colonization still existed. Current discrimination resulted from injustices committed in the past which had not been redressed, from oppression, marginalization and failure to respect the specific features of groups or minority peoples. As stated in the document published by the Pontifical Council, Iusticia et Pax, the deepest cause of racism was in the hearts of men when they refused to accept others with their "differences". The message of the Church was above all an appeal to personal conversion.
9. Given that many conflicts had a religious dimension, the Pope and the bishops believed they had a responsibility to adopt a resolute approach to the question of relations between adherents of different religions, particularly Jews and Muslims. That was reflected, for example, in the Pope's addresses to the Muslim leaders in Dakar and to the American Jewish Committee. Much had been done to promote dialogue between religions by the Pontifical Commission for religious relations with Judaism and the Pontifical Commission for religious relations with Muslims.
10. In the event of conflicts, the Holy See believed that dialogue and negotiation were vital to achieve peace and brotherly coexistence. Non-violence was essential to the nature of its action, and violence in all its forms had to be avoided. Experience showed that ethnic or racial violence was particularly cruel. The Pope had repeatedly called for mutual understanding, negotiation and dialogue.
11. The statements, declarations and initiatives mentioned in the documents accompanying the report embodied the principles which must guide Christian action to combat discrimination and find genuine solutions to problems of racism and xenophobia. The first principle was the inalienable dignity of every human being, based on the creation of man in the image of God. Flowing from that principle was the requirement to respect human rights, particularly religious freedom. The second principle concerned the fundamental unity of the human family, transcending its ethnic, national, cultural and religious divisions, to form a community without discrimination between peoples. A third principle was the right to existence of minorities, which must be able to preserve and develop their own culture and enjoy the main freedoms, such as freedom of religion. That right brought with it corresponding obligations towards the society or the State where they lived, for the common good. The fourth principle was the right of different races to coexist on the same earth, with equal rights.
12. The major contribution of the Holy See did not lie in the declarations to which he had referred, but in its capacity to educate consciences, motivating millions of Christians to become workers for peace and contribute to attenuating the conflicts between races, groups and ethnic divisions. The document, The Church confronted with racism - For a more brotherly society, stated that to eliminate racist behaviour of whatever kind from our society, it was necessary to have a firm conviction of the dignity of every human being and the unity of the human family. Morality flowed from such convictions. Laws might contribute to safeguarding the essential applications of morality, but they were not sufficient to change the hearts of men. That was the specific way in which the Holy See met its obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
13. In conclusion, he wished to reiterate the Holy See's respect for the work of the United Nations in combating discrimination, and reaffirmed its support for the work of the Committee.
14. Mr. WOLFRUM, Country Rapporteur, thanked the representative of the Holy See for his introduction, which had considerably expanded the information contained in the report. The Committee's task would have been facilitated if similar details had been included in the report itself. The report, however, provided a good background for continuing the dialogue with the Holy See, which had always been a fruitful one.
15. He noted that paragraph 1 of the report emphasized the exceptional nature of the Holy See as a subject of international law. Paragraph 3 referred to the many texts through which Pope John Paul II had denounced any form of racial discrimination. In that connection, he wished to draw particular attention to the message of solidarity for the people of the Roma delivered in April 1993 in memory of the fiftieth anniversary of the first group of Roma reaching Auschwitz, and to the message by Cardinal Sodano to the Armenian Church in memory of the seventy-eighth anniversary of the genocide committed against the Armenian people. References had also been made to publications such as The Church confronted with racism, published in November 1988.
16. Although, because of its particular nature, measures taken by the Holy See were less direct, the Roman Catholic Church wielded enormous spiritual and moral influence. Unfortunately, the report did not mention or assess the policy pursued in critical geographical areas. For example, he would like to know what activities were being undertaken by the Roman Catholic Church to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of the Indians in Latin America. The Holy See should provide more details of programmes in its next report, with emphasis upon education as a key factor in fighting racial prejudice and persuading people to live harmoniously together.
17. He would also have liked to know whether the Holy See had made any attempt to mediate in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Information on that point would be of great interest to the Committee, but he understood that, in view of the sensitivity of the situation, it might not be possible to give details at that time.
18. In addition, as already stated at a previous session, the Committee would have appreciated an explanation of the position taken by the Holy See on apartheid. The representative of the Holy See had touched on those matters but more detailed information would be welcome.
19. With regard to steps taken by the Holy See to counter new forms of racism and xenophobia in Europe, he wished to point out that doctrine and messages were not in themselves sufficient. He would like to know what means of education were being used and how the Holy See and the national churches identified racial prejudice, particularly in relation to children. He wondered if one route would be through the teaching of the catechism in preparation for the first communion. The victims of racism must be defended, and in that connection he would like to have details of assistance by the Catholic Church to asylum-seekers and refugees, such as the provision of housing, employment and financial assistance.
20. Mr. van BOVEN said he, too, welcomed the opportunity for an exchange of views with the representative of the Holy See. He was grateful both for the written report and for the full oral introduction that had just been made. The status of the Holy See in international law was a very interesting one, indeed almost a subject sui generis.
21. The Holy See had ratified a number of international instruments in the human rights area, including, as well as the Convention with which the Committee was concerned, the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It had also welcomed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religious Belief. All those instruments had strong humanitarian and moral, as well as legal and political, implications.
22. Since the Holy See had a status different in so many respects to that of other States parties, it could not be expected to follow the Committee's guidelines in preparing its report. However, there were a number of provisions of the Convention, notably article 7, concerning measures in the fields of teaching, education, culture and information, which were of great relevance to the Church's mission. While he welcomed the statements by the Pope referred to in paragraph 4 of the report, condemning such practices as xenophobia, apartheid, and hostility towards immigrants and refugees, which were central to the Committee's concerns, the Church also had scope for practical action. It was an unfortunate fact that in many situations of ethnic and national conflict there was an important religious component, notably in Northern Ireland and in the former Yugoslavia. Besides the appeals by the Pope mentioned by the representative of the Holy See, what other means did the Church have at its disposal to promote peace and justice in such situations? Was it, for example, doing anything to promote inter-religious dialogue between the Orthodox Church, the Muslims and the Roman Catholic Church in the former Yugoslavia?
23. Under article 5 (b) of the Convention, States parties undertook to guarantee protection of the person against violence or bodily harm. In view of the strong commitment of the Church to the right to life, he would like to know its position on the subject of the death penalty. Although it was true that the death penalty was not yet prohibited under international law, the Committee had been concerned to note that persons of a particular origin, race or colour were far more frequently subject to the death penalty than others, which was clear evidence of racial discrimination.
24. Article 6 of the Convention called on States parties to ensure that victims of racial discrimination received just and adequate reparation or satisfaction, and here the Church could act, for example, by making known the facts of such cases, or including them in educational material.
25. Lastly, he would like to know whether the Church had any institutions which dealt specifically with issues relating to the Convention, and, if so, how they could be further strengthened.
26. Mr. DIACONU thanked the representative of the Holy See for his introduction of the report and for his explanations. It was true that the situation of the Holy See in relation to the Committee was a very special one, and that the kind of action to be expected of it was different from that to be expected of other States parties. However, unlike other States parties, the Holy See had an opportunity to play a role in all countries where the Catholic Church had a presence.
27. The world was now faced with ethnic conflicts in which religion and ethnicity overlapped, and in some cases were one and the same. There was no doubt that the Church had the means to act to prevent such conflicts: it had great diplomatic skills, and its direct links with the population at grass-roots level everywhere meant that it was always well informed.
28. As the representative of the Holy See himself had pointed out, one of the main problems faced by the Church was good relations with other churches. In recent years, misunderstandings had arisen between the Catholic Church and Orthodox churches in the eastern countries: the latter had complained that the Catholic Church was taking the offensive in areas that by tradition were theirs. In his view, competition between churches should be avoided, particularly where it might lead to animosity and confrontation.
29. In the former Yugoslavia, where three different faiths coexisted, could the Catholic Church have done more to prevent conflict? In particular, could it act in Croatia to prevent a continuation of the conflict in the region of Krajina? How did it intend to act at grass-roots level to combat manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination against foreigners, particularly in countries where the Catholic Church was powerful?
30. He would appreciate more information on the proportion of races and ethnic groups found among pupils of Catholic schools throughout the world. Finally, with respect to article 2 (a) (e) of the Convention, how did the Church intend to encourage integrationist, multiracial organizations and movements?
31. Mr. BANTON said that while he supported most of what had been said by other members of the Committee, he was not sure that the issue of the death penalty was relevant. It was true that, in certain countries, members of particular racial groups were more subject to particular penalties than others, but that was not in itself evident of racial discrimination. The Committee might ask itself whether such a disparity had been influenced to any extent by racial discrimination, but if it wished to pursue the question further, it should do so in the context of a report from the State party responsible.
32. Paragraph 4 of the report under discussion stated that the action of the Holy See in combating racism chiefly took the form of the education of consciences, since it was in man's heart that that form of hatred took root. The metaphor likening racism to a plant with roots was a common one, but it greatly oversimplified the problem. He hoped that in the next periodic report the Holy See would state what it had found to be the most effective ways of educating consciences, and what other action it was taking in that regard. Another commonly used metaphor compared racism to a sickness, another to a crime. His own view was that racism was closest to a crime, and he hoped that the Holy See shared that view.
33. He noted that when the first Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination had been announced, the Pope had immediately expressed his "lively interest". Now that a third Decade was planned, he trusted that the Church was giving thought to how that interest could be given more practical expression.
34. Although all States parties to the Convention had accepted an obligation to express opinions as to whether fellow States parties were fulfilling their obligations, few in fact did so in practice. The Holy See might find of interest the twelfth periodic report of Poland, which the Committee had considered at its last session. The Polish representative had then stated that anti-Semitism existed in his country despite the fact that, for nearly 50 years there had been no significant Jewish population. For example, anti-Semitic pamphlets, warning of a Jewish conspiracy against Poland, were reported to be available in some Catholic churches. He would be glad to know whether the Holy See considered that, as a State party, it was under an obligation to act in that regard.
35. During the current session, the Committee would be considering implementation of the Convention in Burundi and Rwanda, two countries in which the Catholic Church was influential. In one case in Rwanda, ethnic conflicts had led to the shooting of a Catholic missionary who had been responsible for sheltering refugees: there, the Holy See might have taken preventive action by invoking article 11 of the Convention to bring to the Committee's attention information of a kind unlikely to be supplied by the State itself. If there were any recurrence of such incidents in Rwanda or elsewhere, the Holy See might consider taking such action.
36. While the Holy See, as a State party, was subject to certain constraints, it was also free to use its special position to draw attention to matters which other States neglected. For example, it could serve as the conscience of States parties which had failed to submit initial reports by reminding them of their obligations, and could express support for United Nations action in more practical ways than those described in the report.
37. Mr. de GOUTTES thanked the representative of the Holy See for his introduction to the report. Discourse of such a high spiritual and philosophical content was unusual in a forum generally dominated by political considerations and was of special value in that it highlighted the special nature of the Holy See and the unique character of its response to its obligations under the Convention. The Holy See was not a State as others were; its vocation was essentially religious and its dimension universal. Thus its importance lay in its role as a teacher of the value of human dignity and brotherhood and as an inspiration to its faithful everywhere. It was therefore appropriate that the report should cite papal and other texts affirming the Church's stance against discrimination and racism. The work done by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world could not be called into question.
38. He applauded the clear stance the Church had taken against racism and discrimination, but regretted that in some Roman Catholic countries a minority of fundamentalist elements neglected that teaching and continued to hold fast to quasi-racist ideologies.
39. He asked whether in some areas of the Roman Catholic Church traditional practices and prejudices with an unworthy flavour of discrimination still persisted. He would not dwell on the place of women in the Church or their exclusion from the priesthood nor on certain lingering attitudes of mistrust and prejudice towards Judaism, since the Committee was not an appropriate forum for such a discussion. However, on the question of mixed marriages, where the spouses, often as a result of ethnic or racial differences, professed different faiths, he asked whether the Roman Catholic Church still continued its former practice of insisting that if one partner was a Roman Catholic, the children of the marriage should be brought up as Roman Catholics.
40. There was, as Mr. van Boven had said, a need for greater understanding, openness and tolerance between all religions. That alone would stem the rise of fanatical religious fundamentalism throughout the world, a source of frequently violent conflict. He knew that in France dialogue between the Church and other faiths existed; it was evident in the work of the National Consultative Committee on Human Rights. However, like Mr. Diaconu, he felt it would be useful for the Committee to know what the Church was doing throughout the world to develop such dialogue, especially with the Orthodox Church and Islam.
41. Mr. LECHUGA HEVIA, welcoming the introduction of the report by the representative of the Holy See, said that virtually all questions he wished to ask had been raised by previous speakers. Given the nature of the Holy See, all the means of action envisaged in the Convention were not always open to it; on the other hand, it was supremely competent to fulfil the obligations in the fields of education, culture and information set out in article 7. What practical steps in terms of curricula, teaching methods and other means was the Church taking to apply those provisions in its many schools throughout the world, and in general in its religious teaching, for example, through sermons read in churches.
42. Other speakers had referred to areas of religious conflict in the world. To those mentioned he would add the present conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in southern Lebanon and he asked whether the Roman Catholic Church was already playing or was considering playing a role in that area.
43. Mr. GARVALOV said he joined in the commendation of the Holy See's position with respect to international efforts to eliminate racial discrimination throughout the world and welcomed the additional information that had been provided in the oral introduction to the report. He endorsed the comments made and questions put by other speakers, in particular, by Mr. Wolfrum, the Country Rapporteur. The questions he was about to pose himself might appear to be somewhat narrow and pedantic, but he was persuaded that the representatives of the Holy See would understand his genuine concern.
44. Paragraph 4 of the report made it clear that the principal means open to the Roman Catholic Church to combat racial discrimination was the education of conscience, in which case he felt that paragraph 2 might have been more carefully drafted; it postulated equal dignity without distinction as to race, but surely there should also have been a reference to ethnic origin or characteristics, sex, nationality or social standing? Similarly, he wondered why the word "genuine" had been used to qualify "equality" towards the end of paragraph 5 of the report. Surely dignity and equality were absolutes; they were not qualified in any way in the Charter of the United Nations.
45. Paragraph 7 of the report referred to the equal dignity of all peoples in the context of Israel and Palestine. He would like to hear details of the position the Roman Catholic Church was taking on that fundamental conflict, not forgetting the fact that there were other conflicts between other peoples in other parts of the world.
46. He had recently read the document, The Church confronted with racism -For a more brotherly society, to which the representative of the Holy See had referred in his introductory statement. It categorically denounced discrimination against minorities in general and religious minorities in particular. He asked what agents of discrimination the document had in mind -the public authorities, officials of the predominant religion or other denominations or other agents? Could the Holy See make plain whether the Roman Catholic Church differed in any way from other denominations or religions in its approach to racism and racial inequity among nations, peoples, ethnic groups or minorities? With respect to minorities, the document in question referred to ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities. Was there any reason why national minorities had not been mentioned? He drew attention to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.
47. The maxim of the Roman Catholic Church that every human being was born possessed of inalienable dignity, since man had been created in the image of God, was shared by many religions; it was therefore difficult to explain the existence of so much religious enmity throughout the world and the presence of armed conflicts in which ethnic and religious impulses were inextricably mixed. Perhaps the reason might be incompatibilities between religions. He drew attention to a report in an English language newspaper that morning to the effect that a country bordering his own had issued an official document stating that only a follower of the predominant religion could be considered a true citizen of that country. Such sentiments were not unique. There were influential circles in central and eastern Europe that considered the members of minority groups a potential danger not only to persons belonging to the predominant religion but also to the integrity of the State. Such attitudes were not only harmful; they did not disappear when conflicts were brought to an end.
48. Mrs. SADIQ ALI said that the Roman Catholic Church ran excellent schools in India providing education for children of all religions. Many such schools were fee-paying, however, and so tended to be elitist; separate schools were provided for poorer children. She paid a tribute to Mother Theresa, who had done so much for India, treating the sick and suffering without discrimination as to race and making no attempt to convert them from their own beliefs. She asked the same question as Mr. de Gouttes with respect to mixed marriages; it seemed to her that the insistence that children be brought up as Roman Catholic where one parent was Roman Catholic and the other Hindu was a form of racial discrimination, since both religions were equal in status.
49. An inter-faith conference was scheduled to be held in Madras in January 1994, at which the Holy See would be represented together with other faiths.
50. She asked for an explanation of press reports, prevalent in southern India in particular, that girls entering religious orders, sometimes as a result of pressure on parents, were put to work as domestic servants on reaching Europe.
51. She shared Mr. Banton's concern over the situation in Burundi and Rwanda and asked whether the Holy See could find a way to mediate between the two parties and bring the long-running ethnic and racial conflicts there to an end. The Holy See might also perhaps be in a position to play a useful role in Zaire where many were Roman Catholics and there was much starvation. Those were among the areas of conflict where practical action could give force to the lofty aims and aspirations of the Church.
52. Mr. FERRERO COSTA said it was universally recognized that the Holy See was in a special position with regard to the Convention. Although it was legally a State, its actions were principally of moral import and directed towards individuals, not other States. Much time could be spent in probing the ramifications of the subject; for instance, there was a need to distinguish between the Holy See and the Roman Catholic Church itself, which was a far broader entity of which the Holy See was the representative. The report helped to provide a picture of the Holy See, its role and the sphere of action in which it could give practical implementation to the Convention, the most important being through its message, doctrine and teaching. It was also relevant to consider the internal workings and structure of the Holy See to see whether any racial discrimination might be involved.
53. However, he felt it was a mistake to ask the Holy See to play a more active role with other States parties - in some sort to be their conscience. That would raise the question why it should be expected to act in some conflicts and not in others. Such action would be an exaggeration of the obligations of the Holy See under the Convention and of its powers. Many problems in current conflicts were of a political nature, whereas the Holy See's mission was a spiritual one. Encouragement of the Holy See to engage in dialogue with other religions was praiseworthy but perhaps an area outside the competence of the Committee. Nevertheless, cooperation and dialogue between the Holy See and the Committee under the Convention were useful and productive.
54. Mr. SONG SHUHUA, welcoming the report, said that its paragraph 4 appeared to be of particular importance in describing the specific functions of the Holy See and its special role in the field of education. Other parts of the report mentioned the Holy See's role in various areas of conflict. However, he felt that perhaps contacts alone were insufficient in such circumstances and, as other speakers had also suggested, more active intervention could be fruitful. He hoped to be given further information on that aspect.
55. He referred to reports that some Roman Catholic bishops in Latin America had been very active in defending the interests of various indigenous groups. Did the Holy See favour such radical action on the part of its bishops or did it have reservations on the subject?
56. In a number of countries where Roman Catholicism was the predominant religion there appeared to be a tendency to educate indigenous groups in that religion regardless of the fact that such groups might have their own religious beliefs. Was that because the indigenous beliefs were considered backward? If so, was not that a form of racial discrimination? How was it intended to reconcile the conflict between advancement of the Roman Catholic faith and respect for indigenous beliefs?
57. Mr. SHAHI stressed the substantial role that the Holy See could play in combating racial discrimination, particularly xenophobia and new forms of racism, including the antagonism of populations to refugees, through the Catholic churches throughout the world by means of teaching and education, and commended the genuine commitment of the Holy See to the purposes and aims of the Convention. He fully endorsed the comments by Mrs. Sadiq Ali on the excellence of the education provided in Church schools, having himself benefited from such education. He was also highly appreciative of the initiative taken by the Holy See in engaging in a dialogue with representatives of other religions. Despite the differences between Roman Catholicism and Islam, they shared a fundamental unity of doctrine and faced common challenges in today's world.
58. The efforts of the Holy See in exerting an influence over the minds of Christians through teaching would need to be intensified in the light of certain writings representing the Western intellectual establishment, which militated against endeavours to build peace and harmony among nations and peoples of different faiths. He referred in that connection to a recent International Herald Tribune article quoting the Director of the Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University as advocating divisive policies and the promotion of Western values to contend with the "clash of civilizations" and the "unsecularization of the world" that would allegedly dominate the generations to come.
59. Mr. RECHETOV expressed appreciation of the report, particularly its description of the ways in which the Holy See could influence Catholics throughout the world. The statement in paragraph 4 concerning the "education of consciences" was particularly apt. Because of the very special status and scope of action of the Holy See in spreading ideas, its messages were more readily accepted than those of another State which might be perceived as being coercive. History provided many examples of entire peoples bearing the moral responsibility in the eyes of others for the actions of individuals holding key positions of authority in States, resulting in stereotyped perceptions of groups or nations as "good" or "bad". The Second World War was a case in point, as was, more latterly, the situation in Afghanistan. The mass media, too, were instrumental in fostering such attitudes when, for instance, they associated war crimes or crimes against humanity with actions by a particular ethnic or national group, as had been witnessed recently. In that connection, the international community must take the necessary steps to establish machinery, i.e. courts, to prosecute those guilty of crimes against humanity irrespective of the ethnic group to which they belonged.
60. It was his impression that the Catholic Church, through its clergy, could exert a very strong influence on the attitudes of the rising generations. With specific reference to the turmoil in Europe, such influence and the spiritual mission of the Holy See should be used to dispel certain myths about good and evil nations.
61. Mr. YUTZIS said that, from a strictly empirical point of view, the action of the Holy See through the Catholic Church should be viewed in terms of four factors: its universal character; its role in the formation of values; its consequent links with culture; and the undeniably and necessarily different interpretations of social, political and cultural phenomena and developments. Given that background, the action or positions of the Holy See and the Catholic Church were inextricably bound up with existing social and cultural "models", and the Holy See could and should take them into account in fulfilling its special spiritual mission.
62. Those considerations prompted certain comments. The end of the cold war had ushered in what had been dubbed a "new international order", to his mind a very dangerous one, since it was based on a single economic model that was being applied almost universally. One of the consequences of that model, which had a substantial impact on cultural attitudes, was the emergence of certain confused perceptions of nationality, ethnicity, language and religion that had led to dangerous nationalistic attitudes and to situations in which it became impossible to ensure a balance between the desire of some States to impose their identity and the degeneration of the struggle to maintain such identity into an unfortunate situation such as that now being witnessed in the former Yugoslavia - although that was an extreme case and other examples could be cited.
63. Another consequence of the imposition of that model was the existence of what he termed "poor democracies" faced with the triple problem of debt, development and conditionality, and of inequalities between the North and the South which could be described as racial, since they were associated with skin colour and language differences, for example. The creation of "mega" economic systems without regard for individual situations and circumstances was relevant to the concerns of the Committee and also of the Holy See in the light of its universal character.
64. Another relevant point, which concerned his country among others, was the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the State. The constitutional provision in Argentina that the President and Vice-President of the State were required to be Catholic had implications of political power and privilege which directly or indirectly created second-class citizens.
65. He took the point made by Mr. Ferrero Costa that the levels of intervention of the Catholic Church should not be confused. His own position was that, in the new international order, especially the economic order, the Holy See could take action by proposing, in all forums, ethical limits to the models imposed by the industrialized nations on the developing countries. The question of subsidies to exports in the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations, for instance, was crucial to the very survival of the countries of the South. The Holy See could, furthermore, exert an influence on those who were actually engaged in the negotiating process. In conclusion, pending the replies of the Holy See at the current session, he hoped that a full response to the questions raised would be forthcoming in the next report.