Ruadhán Jones
Bishop Noel Treanor. The bishop of Down and Connor’s statement came after a representative from the Holy See warned the EU’s security organisation that ‘hate speech’ laws are often used to “frighten or intimidate Christians”.
Intolerance for public, faith-based opinions is “often advanced through accusations of ‘hatred’ or ‘hate speech’, equating religious beliefs to hate and thus depicting religion as a problem,” Msgr Janusz Urbanczyk, permanent representative of the Holy See to international organisations, told the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Commenting on the monsignor’s statement, Bishop Noel Treanor said religious illiteracy is “one of the challenges of our of times”.
“Where faith and religion are either eroded in the public square or banished from it, they can sometimes be banished by what is effectively hate speech, total misrepresentation of religion and faith,” Bishop Treanor told The Irish Catholic.
He continued, adding that the equation of religious language with intolerance is problematic.
“We must be attentive lest the limitations of freedom of speech are used in a way that would erode the proper and appropriate place of religious faith or the expression of a religious voice from the public square,” the bishop said.
He warned that the freedom to express authentic religious views is important “for the vitality of society” and that the media in particular must “play their proper role” in this regard.
“Clearly faith communities who are rooted in society to its very depths, these communities are communities of faith, of care and of civic action,” Bishop Treanor said. “It’s very important in today’s society to recognise that the press and the media have a particular responsibility with regard to matters pertaining to faith, religion and moral issues, to present accurately – not prejudicial or confrontational – such ideas.”