COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION DISCUSSES THE HOLY SEE WITH CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this morning heard from civil society representatives about the Holy See, ahead of the Committee’s review of the report of the Holy See this afternoon and tomorrow morning.

A representative of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta brought up the issue of the status of Catholic schools in the United States, which had helped educate numerous underprivileged children, but were negatively affected by various laws in line with the so-called Blaine Amendment. Speakers for the Apaché-Ndé-Nneé Working Group discussed the historical injustices committed against native American tribes by the missionaries of the Holy See, and the need for historical justice and redress. The legacy of the Inter caetera, a papal bull issued in 1493, was addressed at length. Alliance Defending Freedom said that the differences in jurisdiction between the Vatican State and the Holy See had to be taken into account and the unique status of the Holy See ought to be considered.

In the interactive discussion, Committee Experts asked about the worldwide ethnic composition of the Catholic clergy, tax exemptions for Catholic schools and other religious educational institutions, as well as the nature of the link between misdeeds committed by the missionaries centuries ago and the current-day Vatican State. Ways to best address historical grievances were discussed.

The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. this afternoon to start its consideration of the combined sixteenth to twenty-third periodic report of the Holy See (CERD/C/VAT/16-23).

Statements on the Holy See

WILTON DANIEL GREGORY, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Atlanta, stated that Catholic schools in the United States had a long and cherished history of serving the poor, and particularly people from ethnic minorities. At the end of the nineteenth century, such schools had been established to provide a vehicle for enculturation of the arriving immigrants. Nonetheless, initiatives had been undertaken by the highest level of the Federal and State Governments to cut assistance to the Catholic schools, which had come to be known as the Blaine Amendment. Those schools which had provided a vehicle for an upward social mobility for decades were now being closed down because of the lack of State assistance. Those schools were vital in erasing racism as they provided a bridge for minority students to start successful careers. It was a matter of justice and racial discrimination because the children most impacted by the closure of Catholic schools came from underprivileged backgrounds, mostly African-American and Hispanic students. The Committee was asked to look into what the Blaine Amendment had done to curtail opportunities of poor and minority students in the United States.

A representative of the Apaché-Ndé-Nneé Working Group said that the slavery for the Apaché had not ended in the nineteenth century, as the war against them still continued in the reservations across the United States. The Holy See’s legacy and the doctrine of “discovery” in the United States still had negative repercussions on the Apaché people. The cultural war was continuous and stuck in the historical context. The United States would need to admit that the practices of genocide and ethnocide were still taking place. There were high levels of suicide in numerous reservations. Apachés were not allowed to be true owners of their ancestral lands. Marriage of Apaché women to men of other races often served as another way of inservitude, and indigenous women today strived hard to regain their status, but were frequently delegated to the second-class citizenship category. There was a need for the creation of a truth commission in order to look into the tortuous history between the Holy See and the native American communities.

A counselor for the Apaché people said that the report of the Holy See contained no mention of the indigenous people. There was a need for a truth commission to be established. Past and ongoing effects of the Holy See’s actions against native American tribes should be addressed in a thorough way and lead to a redress and remedy. The legacy of the Inter caetera, which described indigenous peoples as “barbarous”, continued to affect societal and judicial processes today. The Apaché today did not enjoy equal status as the Holy See and other Member States of the United Nations. Their right to self-determination was not recognized; State borders continued to divide indigenous peoples; decisions were made on their territorial integrity according to today’s international law system to which they were not a part of. The Holy See’s Inter caetera had blessed the policy of colonialism and led to genocide. That work continued through the work of missionary networks, while the indigenous worldview had been replaced by Catholic proselytization. The recent canonization of Junípero Serra was another example of disregard for the historical suffering caused by the Catholic Church.

Another representative of the Apaché-Ndé-Nneé Working Group said that the Catholic Church had used Jesuit missionaries, under the pretext of the “moral authority of the universe”, to steal the property and ruin the spirituality of the native tribes in the Americas. The sense of superiority and racism in the Holy See was still widely present. The titles of true owners of the land in North America had never been returned. The Holy See should widely publicize the rescinding of the Inter caetera, and should accept its historic, moral and legal responsibility for its actions over the centuries.

Alliance Defending Freedom said that the differences in jurisdiction between the Vatican State and the Holy See had to be taken into account. The Vatican State’s legal powers were different from those of the Holy See and the Pope. The unique circumstances of the Holy See ought to be considered, as well as the many different agreements it had with various international organizations. African cardinals, for example, played a prominent role in the worldwide Catholic Church, and there was good representation of cardinals from all the continents, with only Europe being overrepresented. Popes were also selected from different countries and continents. The Holy See had always borne in mind the intrinsic nature of human beings, who were all made in the image of God. When Pope Francis had spoken in Washington, DC, earlier this year, he had strongly condemned worldwide atrocities and discrimination against various kinds of minorities.

Discussion

An Expert noted that the comments on the role and the status of the Catholic schools in the United States were primarily directed towards States parties other than the Holy See. Were the remarks made by the Archbishop of Atlanta applicable to other religious schools?

Abominable acts had been performed throughout history in the name of religion, and that continued to be the case today. To which extent was the Inter caetera a source of the doctrine of discovery?

Information was sought on the ethnic make-up of the Catholic clergy worldwide.

The availability of compensation for past misdeeds by the Catholic Church was only in the context of penal actions, it seemed, where the burden of proof was much heavier.

Questions were also asked about tax exemptions for Catholic schools or donors, and the procedures for the hiring of teachers.

To what extent could the Holy See today repair the damages made to the native peoples of North America? What tools were available for the redress?

Experts asked about the nature of the link between all the consequences described by the civil society representatives and the Vatican State, so that it could be used in the upcoming interactive dialogue with the Holy See.

WILTON DANIEL GREGORY, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Atlanta, responded that the concern was over the State prohibiting funds for parents to choose a school to which to send their children. The Catholic Church was looking for parental choice, which was currently prohibited by the Blaine Amendment. Tax exemptions and scholarship contributions were available in the State of Georgia. The Committee was seen as the most accessible treaty body for addressing discriminative practices in education and combatting prejudices which led to racial discrimination.

A representative of the Apaché-Ndé-Nneé Working Group explained that all aboriginal titles and claims to the land had been taken away based on the culture of superiority of the European proselytizers. The native peoples had been perceived as child-like and unable to take care of themselves and their lands. How could one represent moral authority if one was raping, killing and ravaging native peoples?

A speaker for Alliance Defending Freedom explained that, while the data on the bishops was available, it was difficult to amass data on the thousands of Catholic clergy at all levels. Historical actions ought to be perceived in the context of the time when the discussed events had taken place.

An Expert said that the Committee was not interested so much in the assessment of the historical acts, but rather its consequences in today’s world, especially on vulnerable peoples and minorities. Another Expert stated that the Committee had already addressed numerous historical grievances.

A civil society representative explained that victim-participatory truth commissions could be a way of addressing historical wrongs. It was not up to the Holy See to decide on possible redress, but instead the indigenous peoples needed to play a central role. Due time was needed for proper redress.

Some Apaché lands had been taken away and considered dominions of the Holy See, to be passed on the United States later on, which was now an established legacy. As a result, the native Americans were now considered as no more than trustees of their ancestral lands.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CERD15/028E