In an interview with Vatican Radio on the anniversary of formal diplomatic relations with the US, Ambassador Miguel Diaz responds to the Pope's call for increased religious freedom and his criticism of the "radical secularism" of the West.
“[T]his is a great opportunity to underscore that the US had been a steady defender of the right to religious freedom. President Obama has strongly condemned the attacks against Christians in Iraq, Egypt and Nigeria and has offered any necessary assistance to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
He also reflected on the Pope’s words of warning against the marginalisation of religion in Western society in the name of a false pluralism; “One of the great treasures of American society has been religious tolerance, its at the heart of what it is to be American. We do not have this kind of radical secularism that dismisses the positive contribution of religious figures to society”.
