Volume 4, Number 47

November 16, 2001

Vatican Criticizes Three-Year-Old UN Refugee Manual

By Austin Ruse

     (NEW YORK - C-FAM) The Vatican last week strongly condemned a three-year-old UN field manual on refugees for promoting "anti-values that offend the dignity of the poorest and most vulnerable populations." According to the Vatican, "Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations: An Inter Agency Field Manual," promotes contraception, abortion and irresponsible sexual behavior.

     The Holy See Mission to the UN first objected to the manual when it was in the drafting stage in 1997. One of their objections at the time was that the Rwandan refugee crisis involved thousands being killed by machetes and in desperate need of basics like water, yet this UN manual dealt mostly with non-essentials like abortifacient emergency contraception. It took another four years for the Vatican to issue its condemnation.

     The manual, released in 1999 by the UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNCHR) in collaboration with other UN agencies and non-governmental organizations, calls for the unrestricted use of the morning after pill, which it describes as an "emergency contraceptive" and which the Vatican deems an abortifacient, since it stops a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. The manual also promotes sterilization as a form of contraception. The Vatican asserts sterilization is "a radical suppression of the procreative function," a procedure often performed without informed consent or knowledge of long-term health consequences.

     The Vatican voiced concern over the message imparted to youth: "Rather than being educated for real love, within the prospect of marriage and a future family, these boys and girls are introduced into the world of individualistic and irresponsible sexual pleasure, which increases the risk of extending the HIV/AIDS epidemic." The manual suggests that peer counselors - other children - promote contraceptive use, without parental consent.

     According to the Vatican, the manual "accepts the separation between sexuality and procreation through the promotion of a'nonjudgmental' attitude on extramarital as well as homosexual relations." For example, the manual asserts that Adolescent boys engaging in homosexual intercourse should be taught how to prevent STDs/HIV. However.messages related to STDs should not label this behavior in a way that may stigmatise the boy (e.g., as homosexual), but should refer to the behaviour as 'men having sex with men' or 'same-gender sex.'"

     Kris Janowski, a spokesman for UNHCR, denied the Vatican's charges, claiming, "We are not advocating the morning-after pill. We are not advocating contraception as such. Basically we are telling our people in the field they need to give options to those exposed to rape and AIDS. We cannot impose a moral solution." Janowski's denial is contradicted by the fact that an entire chapter labeled "Information, Education, Communication" is devoted to advocacy, and that the manual is replete with injunctions such as "Take every opportunity to raise awareness and promote condoms."

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