Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, addressed the United Nations “Future Summit” in New York, emphasizing the need to promote human dignity and expressing the Vatican’s rejection of the assembly’s promotion of abortion and gender ideology. He praised the attendees for participating in the dialogue but noted that there’s a “need to rethink actions in several areas”.
The Vatican has concerns about the “Pact for the Future” document, which aims to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. Although these terms don’t explicitly mention abortion, they often include access to abortion services. Cardinal Parolin clarified that the Holy See considers these terms to refer to a holistic concept of health, excluding abortion and emphasizing personal maturity in sexuality and conjugal relationships.
Cardinal Parolin stressed the importance of promoting human dignity worldwide and eradicating poverty. He also highlighted the need for disarmament and the elimination of nuclear weapons to ensure world peace. Additionally, he emphasized the urgent need to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) development, addressing data protection, accountability, bias, and employment impact.
The cardinal emphasized that the future should be constructed on principles, including inherent dignity, integral human development, equality, and sovereign dignity of all nations. He quoted Pope Francis, saying that hope doesn’t mean being optimistically naive but seeing a tomorrow. Cardinal Parolin stressed the importance of considering future generations’ needs and interests and ensuring a dignified future for all.