Child's 1st Right Is to Be Born, Insists Holy See

Address Made at Council in Geneva

GENEVA, MARCH 29, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See has told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that "the first right of the child is to be born."

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer to the U.N. offices and agencies in Geneva, made that point during a recent address to the watchdog council.

Speaking to the fourth session of the recently established council, the papal representative recalled that "The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child attributes to the child the fundamental rights of a person; it recognizes the child to have the same equality and dignity as any adult person."

"In many cases, due to lack of will and of resources, good legal provisions and public policies are not implemented, with grave consequences for children," the prelate affirmed, according to the Vatican Information Service. "They often become the first victims of famines and wars."

On the other hand, the nuncio added, "To many children the right to life is denied; prenatal selection eliminates both babies suspected of having disabilities and female children simply because of their sex, and thus denies the equal and intrinsic value of disabled persons and of girls for their families and for society."

Archbishop Tomasi last Friday underlined that "the first right of children is that of being born and educated in a welcoming and secure family environment where their physical, psychological and spiritual growth is guaranteed, their potential is developed, and where the awareness of personal dignity becomes the base for relating to others and for confronting the future."

The permanent observer recalled: "The Catholic Church's over 300,000 social, caring and educational institutions work daily to ensure both a peace-oriented and creative education for children, and the development of their talents, and to provide the reintegration of abused and neglected children into their families, if possible, and into society.

"To pursue the defense of their rights and the elimination of all forms of violence against them remains an institutional challenge for the international community.

"Success will be reached if priority is given to the natural role of the family and to the public culture that recognizes that children too are full human persons."

ZE07032925