Declaration in Support
of the Holy See
at the United Nations

Today, in many international arenas, the values and virtues upon which the greatest achievements of civilization were built are under attack. Certain organizations, in the name of a false “liberation,” seek to undermine central truths regarding the nature of the human person and of the family. In the name of a false doctrine of human rights, they deny what makes men truly human and violate true human rights.

These groups have made the Holy See at the United Nations a particular target. They attack the Holy See’s credentials, ignoring the fact that the Holy See has engaged in diplomatic relations since the 4th Century and currently exchanges diplomats with 177 nations. The true ground of their animus, however, is the Holy See’s steadfast defense of the sanctity of human life and the inviolable dignity of the family.

In some ways, the Holy See is, indeed, unique: but this very uniqueness accounts for its decision to join the United Nations as a Permanent Observer. The Holy See’s special status enables it to encourage genuine dialogue, promote peaceful resolution of conflicts, and appeal beyond the mere territorial interests of states to the consciences of their leaders. Its disinterested, non-partisan service has always been appreciated by the Member States at the United Nations.

If those organizations who find the Holy See an obstacle to their goals of re-engineering humanity and revising basic moral understandings succeed in depriving the Holy See of its Permanent Observer status, they will have seriously damaged the United Nations. The United Nations operates by consensus, and these organizations seek to circumvent that process by stilling a voice they oppose.

We deplore their aims. While many of us do not share or endorse the claims of the Catholic Church, we are united in supporting the Holy See’s continued role as Permanent Observer at the United Nations.

We join with the Member States in gratitude for the spiritual and moral witness of the Holy See at the United Nations. The world would be far poorer if the voice of the Holy See within the United Nations were ever silenced. May that day never come.