In agreement on the matter

adminonDecember 3, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

At the United Nations, 66 of the 192 member states signed a declaration against prosecution of homosexuals on Thursday. The document, which was created on the initiative of France and the Netherlands, among others, opposes the fact that homosexuality is classified as a criminal offence in many countries of the world.

Above all, the declaration condemns violence and death sentences against homosexuals. In more than 70 countries of the world homosexuality is punishable, in some even under death penalty. The legally non-binding "Declaration on Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" has been signed by all 27 EU member states, as well as by Japan, Brazil and Israel. The great powers USA, Russia and China as well as most of the states of Asia and Africa have not joined in. Reservations or opposition to the paper were expressed by the Holy See and several Arab states. The Vatican on Friday again condemned any form of discrimination against homosexuals and called for an end to prosecutions. At the same time, the Vatican's UN representation criticized the New York Declaration of 66 states. It is misleading and clearly goes beyond its actual goal, it says. Internationally, it leads to legal uncertainty and calls into question previous declarations of human rights. In particular, the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" are misleading, the Vatican statement says. They would find no recognition and no clear definition in international legislation; their translation and use would lead to a series of legal uncertainties. It would also hinder the ability of states to implement existing or formulate new human rights standards, according to the Vatican's assessment. The U.S. government said it could not fix things nationwide that were the responsibility of U.S. states. Civil rights activists criticized this attitude, which I hope the future Obama administration will reconsider. The Vatican representative to the UN, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, had already objected in advance that such a regulation could pillory or put prere on states that do not recognize a union between persons of the same sex as a marriage. The attitude of the Vatican had provoked protests among others of the European Parliament.

Caritas President Peter Neher sees room for reform in church labor law. He says it's about striking a balance between the Catholic Church's non-negotiable esteem for the sacrament of marriage and the reality of people's lives.

"We are, after all, working on a further development of church labor law that tries to do equal justice to the proprium of the church's mission and the individual life courses of employees," Neher said.

Church must remain credible

The head of the Catholic welfare association stressed that the church must remain credible. However, the ecclesiastical profile of an institution is not only reflected in the affiliation of the employees to the church and in their personal way of life. "It shows in the devotion to the people who need help and support, in the professionalism of the work."

Also important, he says, are the spiritual offerings for employees and the Christian rituals that characterize the routine in church facilities. "We deal very intensively with the question of what facilities and what employees need in order to experience the ecclesiality of a ministry and its spiritual foundations."

Bishops to discuss reforms to church labor law on Monday

At their Permanent Council in Wurzburg on Monday, the Catholic bishops will discuss reforms in church labor law, which differs significantly from the Works Custody Act. Thus, church employees are expected to conform to church beliefs and morals in their private lives as well. A violation of these obligations of loyalty – such as leaving the church, second civil marriage after divorce or homosexual cohabitation – can result in consequences under labor law, up to and including dismissal.

The bishops discuss, among other things, whether there can be a gradation of loyalty obligations depending on proximity to the church's proclamation mission. The Catholic Church is at 650.000 full-time employees one of the largest employers in Germany. Around 500.000 of them work for a Caritas company, i.e. in counseling services, care facilities, kindergartens or church hospitals.

Pope Francis has held Internet companies accountable for fighting child pornography. The latter cannot pretend that they are not responsible for the tools they put into the hands of their customers.

The pope told participants at an international conference on child protection Thursday at the Vatican. With the new technology, he said, they had already amassed vast sums of money.

Mandatory age assessment for mobile surfing

Internet operators are not only obliged to comply with the law, but are also responsible for the technological and social development that they themselves are advancing, Francis said. Among other things, the pope spoke out in favor of introducing mandatory age verification by law for browsing on mobile devices.

The head of the church justified this by pointing out that minors primarily use smartphones to access the Internet; thus, filter functions on computers remain ineffective in protecting children and young people from harmful content. According to studies, children on average first have access to pornographic content at age eleven. This is unacceptable under any circumstances.

There are "enormous economic interests" behind the digital development. It is necessary to work towards more responsibility from investors and operators, he said. The welfare of minors and society should not be sacrificed for profit, the pope said.

Weighing freedom of expression against societal interest

Francis went on to call for a balance between freedom of expression and society's interest in ensuring that the Internet is not used for criminal activities and activities harmful to minors. The positive potential of the new technology would be countered by possible negative consequences.

Specifically, he mentioned human trafficking, the organization of terrorist activities, the spread of hatred and extremism, as well as disinformation and abuse of minors. The authorities must be given the legal and operational means to act against it within the framework of the rule of law, the pope said.

Francis spoke at a congress on the protection of children's dignity in digital media. According to Vatican sources, the two-day event was attended by some 80 representatives of international organizations, media and protection associations, as well as politicians and religious leaders.

Among the guests, according to the program, were the interior minister of the United Arab Emirates, Saif Bin Zayed al Nahyan, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyeb of Cairo and the representative of the UN Secretary-General against violence against children, Najat Maalla M'jid.

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