COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES ITS EXAMINATION OF HOLY SEE REPORT
Press Release
HR/4226
COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES ITS EXAMINATION OF HOLY SEE REPORT
19951116 GENEVA, 14 November (UN Information Service) -- The Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded its examination of the report of the Holy See this afternoon, hearing the preliminary conclusions of its members. The Committee's final observations and recommendations will be adopted in a private session, and made public on Friday when the session closes. The afternoon session began with responses by the delegation of the Holy See to questions by the Committee.Committee experts welcomed the Holy See's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the submission of its report, taking into account its specific nature.
They expressed their regret that reservations by the Holy See, particularly concerning the right of the child to participate in the decisions involving it directly, would not be withdrawn (as they were considered contrary to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church). The experts expressed concern that the child is not considered a full being with rights by the Holy See. Moreover, they said that in their view, the policies and activities of the Holy See did not fully reflect the principle of non-discrimination.
The Committee welcomed the efforts by the Holy See to make known some elements of the Convention, and expressed the hope that those efforts would reflect the Convention's central principles and objectives. They expressed their wish that the Holy See carry out its efforts in favour not only of Catholic children but all children.
Following the request from the Committee for additional information, the delegation headed by the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Monsignor Paul Tabet, declared that the theme accepted by the Holy See for the occasion of Peace Day on 1 January is "Give Children a Future of Peace".
A document will be published, stressing the problems of violence against children within the family, children in armed conflicts, and children in difficult situations. Father Raymond Roch declared that he would bring the Committee's recommendations on the utility of creating a "Charter of the Child" to the attention of authorities in the Holy See. Monsignor Tabet also indicated that the Holy See was about to open three centres for street children, in Brazil, the Philippines and Rwanda.
Concerning the jurisdiction applicable to Vatican territory, the delegation indicated the special arrangements between the Holy See and Italy, with Italian Tribunals considering penal questions, such as the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981.
Asked the Holy See's position concerning family planning, the delegation underlined that the Holy See is not opposed to it, in particular when a family "consults" when it wishes to bear children. The Holy See believed in natural fertility control. The delegation insisted that Church doctrine was not to encourage "having as many children as possible". Rather, it believed that poverty led to more births, not fewer. On this issue, a Committee member stressed that natural birth control did not always work. Moreover, even if breast-feeding resulted in wider "spacing" of births, it did not necessarily diminish the number of pregnancies.
Concerning the principle of non-discrimination against women, some Committee members pointed to the prohibition of women as ordained priests. Father Roch asked whether "girls can have a natural vocation for the priesthood". Stating that the priesthood is not a right to anyone, either women or men, he declared that it was a "gift from the Holy Spirit". Father Roch insisted on the importance of the vocation's spiritual dimension. He also stressed that women's mission, at all levels, was "a magnificent position of motherhood", while priesthood was a gift delegated only to certain men. It was a question of faith, concluded Father Roch. Consequently, the Holy See was not discriminating.
On the question of violence against children, Father Roch assured the Committee that the Holy See is conscious of the existence of this phenomenon within the family. He added that in the case of incest, the child could always resort to non-governmental organizations or to the appropriate State organs for the application of its rights. From then on, "parental rights are not taken into account any more and it is the child's interest which must be defended". The State is in charge of prosecuting and punishing sexual abuse.
Regarding corporal punishment, Father Roch stressed that the experts' opinions on this matter were divided: corporal punishment was not necessarily "against the rights of the child", because a reluctant child needed to be guided. The "climate" in which punishment was meted out was important. There can be a "punishment of love, educative, proportionate", in conformity with the Convention's elements requiring that education correspond to the child's development (Article. 5), declared Father Roch.
On whether charity should be given to a child beggar, the delegation answered that "this is required if its survival is at stake". But that should not be a way to alleviate one's conscience; the reasons for the problem must be stressed, and the Church wished to be a partner in the process of defining the problem and finding solutions, he said.
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