From Leonardo Raznovich

As part of the ongoing research that the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights is undertaking in the Caribbean, along with the IBA and the ILANUD, a group of almost 50 people which includes CEOs of top companies in the world, members of the judiciary, politicians, academics, members of the United Nations, the Organisation of American States and NGOs (such as ILGA) we were received this morning, in private audience, by the Secretary of State of the Holy See, His Eminence, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.   This has been a historical day, it is the first time that the Vatican has discussed formally criminalisation of LGBTI people in the world and that it has received formally LGBTI organisations and representatives.  We hope this was mark the beginning of a constructive dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church.

Inter-American
Institute of Human Rights

United
Nations Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the
Treatment of Offenders

International
Bar Association

5
April 2019

Meeting with the Secretary of
State of the Holy See

His Eminence, Cardinal Pietro
Parolin

Press Release

We
should like to take this opportunity to extend to His Eminence, the
Secretary of State, our gratitude for this audience.

1. The
   preliminary results of our research evidence the likelihood of
   serious violations of international human rights law and failures to
   secure basic protections to vulnerable minorities in the 10
   researched jurisdictions in the Caribbean. 
   
   
2. In
   light of the gravity of the findings shared publicly with the
   Secretary of State, we humbly request the Vatican to consider
   issuing a public statement in which the
   official policy of the Holy See is clarified,
   noting the active steps taken by Pope Francis to resolve the matter
   in Belize and the opinion of the UN Independent Expert on SOGI sent
   to us for the purpose of this meeting: “I
   am convinced that a pronouncement of His Holiness would have been of
   fundamental importance in the work of fighting violence and
   discrimination that affects hundreds of millions of people every
   day”.
   
   
3. We
   therefore humbly request the Church to declare that:
   
   
   

Human
dignity implies the respect of every person as created by God, hence
criminalisation of LGBT people is today, as in the darkest times in
the history of humanity, a manifestation of irrational hatred for
that which is different from the norm and that homophobia is, in
effect, a feeling of hatred and rejection which the Church condemns,
wherever it takes place.

1. And
   further that:
   
2. the
   Church calls
   upon the international community to recognise that criminalisation
   of homosexuality and any form of consented intimate acts, sexual
   or not, between adults is an intolerable affront to human dignity;
   
   
   
3. the
   Church calls
   upon all states to commit to the promotion and protection of human
   rights for all people, independently of their sexual orientation
   or gender identity by introducing legislative and administrative
   measures that assure that no person may suffer penal sanctions,
   executions, arrest or detention, as well as no form of
   discrimination, on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender
   identity;
   
   
4. the
   Church calls upon all Christians and also instructs all national
   and regional episcopal conferences, without exception, to work for
   the decriminalisation of homosexuality and for the abolition of
   all forms of punishment for consented intimate sexual acts between
   adults, wherever they are still being criminally persecuted,
   without “buts” or conditions; and
   
5. the
   Church calls upon all states to declare illegal the
   application of the so-called conversion ‘cure’ therapies as
   degrading or cruel treatment and requests health professionals to
   refrain from taking part in any way in such therapies.
   
   
   

The
preliminary results of the research were presented by Dr Leonardo
Raznovich, Coordinator of the Caribbean research. His presentation
was preceded by speeches by Baroness Kennedy and Michael Kirby on
behalf of the International Bar Association and the Human Rights
Institute of the International Bar Association.

His
Eminence, Cardinal Pietro Parolin
thanked the presentation of the report to Dr Raznovich and the words
of the Baroness Kennedy and Michael Kirby. Cardinal Parolin assured
that the report will be studied carefully and the Holy See will act
accordingly. He said that the dignity of the human person concerns
especially the Church, for its doctrine and the Gospel. It is the
church’s mission to accompany those who suffer. He stressed that
the Catechism points out the need to avoid all forms of violence
against all people.

He
indicated that these issues will be taken into account within the
doctrine of the Church.

He
indicated that he will inform the Holy Father about the report
presented and will evaluate ways to continue working together in the
future.