Vatican
Vatican Meeting with Catholic NGOs
26/12/07 20:26 Filed in: Information
Earlier this month the Vatican
Secretariat of State convened a meeting of Catholic NGOs.
Throughout the NGOs were referred to as "Catholic Inspired" rather
than merely "Catholic". About one hundred NGOs attended the
meeting. Edmund Rice International was represented by Brother Donal
Leader cfc from Geneva. The purpose of the meeting was to explore
new ways of collaborating among Catholic NGOs.
There were a recognition that the Catholic Church represents a major presence in the world of NGOs and human rights. More than one speaker referred to the fact that the Catholic Church through its institutions, schools, hospitals and global network of priests, religious and lay people is the largest faith-based organised presence in the developing world. Indeed, many UN agencies are beginning to acknowledge that faith-based NGOs and Churches have a role to play in promoting development and defending human rights.
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI spoke to the group in a private audience. While the media mis-represented the Pope's speech as critical of, even hostile to, the United Nations, this was not the case. He did refer to the moral relativism that he believes is the over-arching ethical framework for some agencies operating in the promotion of human development.
A recent op-piece in the New York Times by John Allen drew attention to the significance of the Pope's remarks. In a context where the universality of human rights and the consequent universality of their applicability are being questioned by those who make the claim that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents a Western world view and is therefore not relevant for other regions of the world, the Pope's rejection of a relativist constructivist reading of human rights is very timely. His forthcoming visit and address to the United Nations in New York will now take on an added significance.
There were a recognition that the Catholic Church represents a major presence in the world of NGOs and human rights. More than one speaker referred to the fact that the Catholic Church through its institutions, schools, hospitals and global network of priests, religious and lay people is the largest faith-based organised presence in the developing world. Indeed, many UN agencies are beginning to acknowledge that faith-based NGOs and Churches have a role to play in promoting development and defending human rights.
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI spoke to the group in a private audience. While the media mis-represented the Pope's speech as critical of, even hostile to, the United Nations, this was not the case. He did refer to the moral relativism that he believes is the over-arching ethical framework for some agencies operating in the promotion of human development.
A recent op-piece in the New York Times by John Allen drew attention to the significance of the Pope's remarks. In a context where the universality of human rights and the consequent universality of their applicability are being questioned by those who make the claim that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents a Western world view and is therefore not relevant for other regions of the world, the Pope's rejection of a relativist constructivist reading of human rights is very timely. His forthcoming visit and address to the United Nations in New York will now take on an added significance.