Tehran, Iran, Dec 11, 2018 / 14:20 pm
While religious leaders marked the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this week by saying that more should be done to preserve human rights, both Iran and China detained upwards of 100 Christians.
The United Nations declaration, which was proclaimed Dec. 10, 1948, affirms that "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom … to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."
Pope Francis told a conference meeting on human rights Monday that everyone is "called to contribute with courage and determination, in the specificity of their role, to the respect of the fundamental rights of every person."
And ahead of the declaration's anniversary, the Holy See's representative to the United Nations said the occasion presented an opportunity to "reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights," while also warning that parts of the world are experiencing the consequences of failing to uphold those rights.