Statement by the Permanent Observer Mission
of the Holy See to the United Nations
UNGA 78 – Third Committee
Agenda Item 107: Crime prevention and criminal justice
New York, 2 October 2023
Mr. Chair,
The Holy See notes with concern that, during times of crises and emergencies, there are attempts to undermine the Rule of Law, “in which the law is the Sovereign, and not the arbitrary will of individuals,”[1] in a misguided effort to find easy and immediate solutions. However, the Rule of Law and the observance of due process cannot be subject to any exceptions,[2] as they are vital for the protection of the dignity of each human being.
The dignity of the human person should in fact be placed at the core of all efforts to improve criminal justice. As Pope Francis noted, “true justice is not satisfied by simply punishing criminals. It is essential to go further and do everything possible to reform, improve and educate the person.”[3] Thus, lawful public authorities have the right and the duty to inflict punishments according to the seriousness of the crimes committed, but in doing so, they must limit themselves to applying only those measures that protect the common good and respect God given human dignity. This must lead necessarily to a new understanding of the significance of penal sanctions in which the dignity of the person is never lost, not even after the commission of the most serious crimes.[4]
For these reasons, the Holy See maintains that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”.[5] Moreover, the Holy See welcomes the development of more effective systems of detention, which ensure the due protection of citizens, but which do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.
Furthermore, the Holy See expresses concern over the conditions endured by inmates within many criminal justice systems. The situation in the prisons and detention centers is a reflection of our social reality of indifference and a clear example of a throwaway culture, in which the inmates are simply discarded and expelled from society. When prisons offer inhuman conditions to the detainees, the criminal justice system fails in its objective of promoting reintegration. True social reintegration begins by guaranteeing opportunities for integral human development, including through pastoral care, education, and health care, during detention.[6]
Mr. Chair,
The imprisoned are serving a sentence for the crimes they have committed. However, for the punishment to be fruitful, there must be a horizon of hope. Indeed, the punishment must work towards the reintegration of the perpetrator into society. In parallel, broader society should overcome the stigmatization of those who have already served their sentences. They should not be subject to a new social punishment with rejection and indifference.
Thank you.
[1] Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 408.
[2] Cfr. Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to a delegation of lawyers from Council of Europe Member Countries, Signatories of the Vienna Declaration, 21 August 2023.
[3] Pope Francis, Letter to Participants in the 19th International Congress of the International Association of Penal Law and of the 3rd Congress of the Latin-American Association of Penal Law and Criminology, 30 May 2014.
[4] Cfr. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2267.
[5] Pope Francis, Address to Participants in the Meeting organized by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, 11 October 2017.
[6] Cfr. Discorso del Santo Padre Francesco ai partecipanti all'incontro internazionale per i responsabili regionali e nazionali della pastorale carceraria, Roma, 8 Novembre 2019. - Not available in English.
Statement by the Permanent Observer Mission
of the Holy See to the United Nations
UNGA 78 – Third Committee
Agenda Item 108: Countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes
New York, 2 October 2023
Mr. Chair,
The rapid and overall positive development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the last few years offers new possibilities, inter alia, for education and lifelong learning opportunities, health care and personal growth. At the same time, we must not ignore the fact that the criminal use of ICTs may hinder the attainment of integral human development, threaten international peace and security, and violate human dignity and rights. While we must address the emergence of new forms of crimes dependent on the use of ICTs, we must also wrestle with the conventional crimes being committed through digital technologies.
The Holy See condemns in the strongest possible terms the production, distribution and use of child pornography, facilitated and accelerated by ICTs. Naturally, our first concern is for the children that are directly victimized in the production of such materials. However, my delegation also notes with concern that, as technology advances, generative software allows the creation of simulated images of child sex abuse, which further drive the demand for such materials. The Holy See also notes with concern the dramatic growth of adult pornography in the digital world, which is increasingly accessible to children. This phenomenon sexualizes children at a young age, imprinting in them an improper conception of loving human relations and a general loss of the sense of human dignity.[1] For this reason, Pope Francis has urged those involved “to assume their responsibility towards minors, their integrity and their future as […] it would not be possible to guarantee their safety […] in the digital world without the full involvement of companies in this sector.”[2]
The Holy See is also concerned about the use of ICTs by human traffickers. As underscored by Pope Francis, the fight against human trafficking must take into greater consideration a number of broader realities, including the responsible use of technology and social media.[3] Traffickers resort to ICTs to profile, recruit, control and exploit their victims, as well as to launder their ill-gotten profits. This complex reality requires a mobilization proportional to that of the phenomenon itself, with a dedicated attention to victims’ assistance and protection.
The Holy See further stresses that the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) “will be realized only if there is a constant and consistent commitment on the part of those developing these technologies to act ethically and responsibly.”[4] Hence, it is necessary to extend the ethical reflection on the use of artificial intelligence to the spheres of education and law.[5] In this regard, the Holy See “welcomes the efforts of international organizations to regulate these technologies so that they promote genuine progress.”[6]
Mr. Chair,
Information and communication technologies offer numerous opportunities but can also be exploited for criminal purposes. The Holy See is therefore firmly convinced that “the progress of science and technology [must be] at the service of the dignity of the person and for an integral and integrating human development.”[7]
Thank you.
[1] Cf. Pope Francis, Address to Participants in the Congress on “Child Dignity in the Digital World,” Rome, 14 November 2019.
[2] Ibidem.
[3] Cfr. Pope Francis, Audience with members of the Santa Marta Group, Rome, 19 May 2022.
[4] Pope Francis, Address to Participants in the “Minerva Dialogues,” Rome, 27 March 2023.
[5] Cfr. Communiqué of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development on the Theme of the Message for World Peace Day 2024, 8 August 2023.
[6] Pope Francis, Address to Participants in the “Minerva Dialogues,” Rome, 27 March 2023.
[7] Pope Francis, Address to the Members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Rome, 20 February 2023.