A leading Vatican diplomat said that the rights of indigenous peoples “must be respected, protected, and promoted as a matter of justice and of the common good.”
Addressing a UN committee session devoted to the rights of indigenous peoples, Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, called for “recognition of past wounds, commitment to reconciliation, and firm defense of the fundamental human rights and the God-given dignity of every human being.”
“Indigenous peoples are not objects of development policies, but subjects and protagonists of their own destinies,” the prelate added in his October 7 statement. “Their wisdom in living in harmony with creation offers vital lessons for the culture of care and for building a more just and fraternal world.”