By Charles Igwe
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, addressed the United Nations’ “Summit of the Future” in New York, where he emphasized the importance of promoting the dignity of the human person and expressed the Holy See’s disapproval of the U.N.’s promotion of abortion and gender ideology.
While praising the summit attendees for fostering dialogue, Parolin raised concerns about a document titled Pact for the Future, which was approved by the assembly. He voiced the Vatican’s reservations about the promotion of abortion and gender ideology, stating that the Holy See “does not consider abortion or access to abortion or abortifacients as a dimension” of human rights and gender issues.
Cardinal Parolin highlighted the need to prioritize the dignity of the human person and called for genuine dialogue to address global crises, lamenting the erosion of trust between nations and the fading sense of belonging to a single human family. He stressed that while these challenges exist, cooperation for justice and peace is still possible.
Regarding gender, Parolin clarified that the Holy See understands the term based on biological sexual identity, emphasizing a traditional view of male and female roles. He expressed concern over the use of terms such as “sexual and reproductive health” and “reproductive rights,” which often include access to abortion. Parolin stated that the Vatican views these terms as embracing a holistic approach to health that fosters personal maturity in sexuality and mutual love within marriage, in accordance with moral norms.
Despite these concerns, Parolin concluded that the summit provided hope, stressing that promoting human dignity and integral development must be central to addressing global challenges.
