By Holy See Mission
Statement by H.E.
Archbishop Celestino MiglioreApostolic Nuncio,
Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United NationsBefore the
twenty-eighth special session of the General Assembly:Commemoration of the
sixtieth anniversaryof the liberation of
the Nazi concentration campsNew York, 24 January 2005Mr. President,
My delegation warmly
welcomes the initiative which has brought about this special session
of the General Assembly, commemorating the 60th
anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps by
Allied Forces.
It affords us another opportunity solemnly to recall
the victims of an inhuman political vision based upon an extreme
ideology. It reminds us too of the roots of this Organisation
itself, of its noble goals and of the political will still needed to
prevent such horrors ever happening again.
Today we contemplate the consequences of intolerance,
as we recall all those who were targeted by the political and social
engineering of the Nazis, elaborated on a tremendous scale and
employing deliberate and calculated brutality. Those considered
unfit for society – the Jews, the Slavonic peoples, the Roma people,
the disabled, homosexuals, among others – were marked for
extermination; those who dared oppose the regime by word and deed –
politicians, religious leaders, private citizens – often paid for
their opposition with their lives. Conditions were so designed as to
make human beings lose their essential dignity and divest themselves
of every human decency and sentiment.
The death camps are also witnesses to an
unprecedented plan for the deliberate, systematic extermination of a
whole people, the Jewish people. The Holy See has recalled on
numerous occasions with a sense of deep sorrow the sufferings of the
Jews in the crime now known as the Shoah. Taking place during
one of the darkest chapters of the twentieth century, it stands
alone, remaining a shameful stain on the history of humanity and
upon the conscience of all.
During his visit to Auschwitz in 1979, Pope John Paul
the Second stated that we must let the cry of the people martyred
there change the world for the better, by drawing the right
conclusions from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Mr President,
In a century marked by
man-made catastrophes, the Nazi death camps are a particularly
sobering reminder of “man’s inhumanity to man” and of his capacity
for evil. Nevertheless, we should remember that humankind is also
capable of great good, of self-sacrifice and altruism. When natural
or human calamities strike, as we have seen even in recent weeks,
people display the best side of human society, with solidarity and
brotherhood, and sometimes at personal cost. In the context of
today’s commemoration, we need only think of those courageous people
from all walks of society, many of whom have been recognised as
“Righteous among the Nations”. All peoples of the world are capable
of great good, a thing often achieved through education and moral
leadership. And to all this we should add a spiritual dimension
that, while it must not give false hope or glib explanations, will
help us maintain humility, perspective and resolve in the face of
terrible events.
For this reason my delegation welcomes this chance to
remember the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, so that
humanity not forget the terror of which man is capable; the evils of
arrogant political extremism and social engineering; and the need to
build a safer, saner world for every man, woman and child to live
in.
May all men and women of good will seize this solemn
occasion to say “Never again” to such crimes, no matter their
political inspiration, so that all nations, as well as this
Organisation, truly respect the life, liberty and dignity of every
human being. With serious political will, humankind’s moral and
spiritual resources will surely be able, once and for all, to
transform our respective cultures, so that all the world’s peoples
learn to treasure life and promote peace.
Thank you, Mr President.
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