Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, weighed in on a draft UN treaty on crimes against humanity.
“The Holy See has long called for renewed efforts to strengthen the international legal framework for the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity,” the prelate said at a recent UN meeting. Negotiations, he said, “must remain focused and constructive” and should focus “more on existing customary international law than on progressive development.”
“In this context, the Holy See supports maintaining the customary understanding of gender … which refers to the two sexes, male and female,” the prelate continued. “This language does not exclude any person or group from protection; rather, it affirms that every human being, regardless of status or characteristic, must be safeguarded from persecution and violence.”