The Guardian, Friday 27 February 2009
The Vatican has been accused of putting the lives of thousands at risk by attempting to influence UN drugs policy on the eve of a major international declaration.
The Vatican's objection to "harm reduction" strategies, such as needle exchange schemes, has ignited a fierce debate between the US and the EU over how drugs should be tackled.
A new UN declaration of intent is due to be signed in Vienna on 11 March. However, there are major disagreements between member countries over whether a commitment to "harm reduction" should be included in the document, which is published every 10 years.
Now the Vatican has issued a statement that claims that using drugs is "anti-life" and "so-called harm reduction leads to liberalisation of the use of drugs". The Vatican's last-minute intervention appears to have led to Italy withdrawing from the EU consensus on the issue and thrown the talks over the declaration into confusion.
In 1998, the declaration of intent was "a drug-free world - we can do it", which critics claimed was unrealistic and did not address the complex nature of drug treatment. In favour of including support for a harm reduction clause are most EU countries, Brazil and other Latin American countries, Australia and New Zealand. They argue that some commitment to tackling HIV and addiction through needle exchange programmes and methadone and other drugs should be included. Opposed to this are the US, Russia and Japan. The US position has been that such inclusion sends the wrong message, although there have been indications a more liberal policy might be adopted under Barack Obama.
"By making a statement against harm reduction, the Vatican has indicated that its moral objection to drug use is more important than its commitment to the sanctity of life," said Release, the UK-based drugs and legal advice charity.
"If the Vatican is allowed to influence the UN to adopt a naïve and ineffective drug policy, it will needlessly lead to the increased spread of blood-borne viruses and the death of thousands more people from HIV/Aids."
Release argues that drug treatment programmes are vital for people suffering from HIV/Aids and that not to accept this will put their lives at risk. "Needle and syringe exchange programmes have significantly contributed to the reduction of HIV transmission among people who use drugs," it said.
A spokesman for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) confirmed last night that "there are still differences of opinion" over the statement.
Other drug charities and foundations have also been critical of the Vatican's move. Mike Trace, chairman of the International Drug Policy Consortium, said: "Progressive
governments, including the UK, are now faced with the dilemma of trying to rescue reasonable support for harm reduction or not sign the declaration."Antonio Costa, the head of UNODC, has claimed harm reduction has been appropriated by "a vocal minority". He said in a speech last November: "This kind of harm reduction can prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases. But it does not solve the underlying problem, and can even perpetuate drug use."
bron
Description: Fr. Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legion of Christ, addresses Card. Angelo Sodano, Vatican Secretary of State, during the inauguration ceremony of the new campus of Regina Apostolorum University on Via degli Aldobrandeschi in Rome.
Latin America: Mexican Catholic Church in Narco-Dollar Embarrassment
Mexican bishops deny church accepts donations from drug lords
Apr-7-2008By Brigitte Schmitt and David Agrenhttp://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0801870.htm%22%3E
Catholic News Service
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Several Mexican bishops denied that the Catholic Church accepts donations from drug lords after the president of the Mexican bishops' conference said drug traffickers have been "very generous" to the church.
Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City said the church condemns drug trafficking as a social evil and that it never accepts drug money. "The money that comes from narcotics trafficking is ill-gotten and therefore can't be cleaned through charity projects," he said April 5 in a statement released by the archdiocese.
Auxiliary Bishop Marcelino Hernandez Rodriguez of Mexico City emphasized during his homily April 6 that money laundering carried out by making donations to the church is completely unacceptable.
Archbishop Jose Martin Rabago of Leon, former president of the Mexican bishops' conference, categorically denied that clergy in his region accept donations from drug traffickers. He rejected suggestions that the church would sanction contributions from traffickers for social projects.
On several occasions, church officials have made it clear the church preaches salvation and that everyone who honestly repents will be forgiven. But this does not mean the church approves of drug trafficking or would accept "dirty money," 
said Archbishop Martin.
Bishop Carlos Aguiar Retes of Texcoco, president of the Mexican bishops' conference, acknowledged that murderous narcotics trafficking gangs provide funding for the construction of churches in some of the country's most impoverished villages.
"They are generous and often they provide money for building a church or chapel," Bishop Aguiar said after the bishops' conference meeting April 1-4. He added that drug kingpins undertake other forms of "charity" by financing public works projects.
"In the communities where they work ... they will install electricity, establish communication links, highways (and) roads," he said in comments that received nationwide media attention.
The bishop emphasized that the church does not condone narcotics trafficking, but also that 
he was "saying how it is." He added that narcotics traffickers often come to prelates in search of spiritual guidance."There has been a rapprochement with them as it's known that discretion is going to be kept,"
Bishop Aguiar said. "What they want is to encounter peace in their consciences. What they're going to get from us is a sharp response: Change your life." 
Comments from Catholic officials on the subject of donations from narcotics trafficking have been less clear in past years.
The late Bishop Ramon Godinez Flores of Aguascalientes drew intense criticism in 2005 after he said in a television interview that the church had no responsibility for scrutinizing the sources of large donations and that "all money can be transformed just as a corrupted person can also be transformed."His statements were quickly disavowed.
The Mexican government has been waging an ongoing battle against well-armed narcotics trafficking gangs. The battle, which has been a priority for President Felipe Calderon, has already claimed more than 857 lives in 2008, according to the Grupo Reforma newspaper chain, and largely has been carried out by members of the Mexican military.
To paint picture of stability, government ignored guerrillas - Chiapas, Mexico uprising
Cover Story National Catholic Reporter
Jan14, 1994 by John Ross
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten