Vatican: Prejudice against one religion puts all faiths at risk

Published: 2006-10-16

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Whenever a religion is the subject of prejudice or discrimination, all religions are at risk, a Vatican official told the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Religious communities have tremendous power to promote respect and tolerance, but they are unable "to effectively work against stereotypes if they themselves are victims of them," said Msgr. Ettore Balestrero, an official of the Vatican Secretariat of State. The official spoke Oct. 12 during an annual meeting at which OSCE's 56 member nations review progress made on issues related to promoting democracy and human rights. "No partnership among cultures, religions and ethnic identities can be established without mutual knowledge," Msgr. Balestrero said. "Creating a partnership requires dialogue." The common ground must be built upon respect for religions and culture, not on excluding religious values and believers from public debates, he said.

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