At the UN, the Holy See condemns racism, warns of digital bias, and urges policies founded on every person’s equal dignity.
Newsroom (25/03/2026 Gaudium Press)At a United Nations commemorative meeting marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Holy See reiterated its “full and firm condemnation of racism and racial discrimination in all their forms,” urging nations to anchor their policies in the inherent dignity of every human person.
The delegation reminded attendees that the UN General Assembly established this international observance in 1966, recognizing racial discrimination as “an offence against human dignity, a denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms and grave injustice.” Yet, six decades later, the Holy See lamented that the problem persists, largely because societies continue to overlook that “the inherent dignity of each individual is not contingent upon utility or circumstance.”
While overt acts of racism remain visible in many parts of the world, the statement emphasized that modern discrimination increasingly manifests in complex and less perceptible ways. The Holy See warned that the “pervasive scourge is operating through more subtle and complex mechanisms that often evade immediate recognition.”
Among these emerging threats, the Holy See singled out the digital realm as a critical area of concern. It pointed to artificial intelligence as both a transformative technology and a potential amplifier of inequality, noting that “a major challenge posed by these emerging systems is that of bias, which leads to acquiring and transmitting an altered perception of reality.”
“AI models are shaped by the worldview of those who build them,” the delegation cautioned, “and can, in turn, impose these ways of thinking by reproducing stereotypes and prejudices present in the data they draw on.” This statement underscores the growing awareness among faith-based and ethical institutions that digital technologies can perpetuate discrimination if left unchecked.
To counter such risks, the Holy See called for expanded educational initiatives, especially in digital literacy. It encouraged governments and civil society groups to raise awareness about how algorithms influence public perception and social attitudes, often imperceptibly affecting how human dignity is understood and valued in the digital age.
The statement further stressed that fighting racism requires more than political will or institutional reform. “Mobilising political will alone is insufficient,” the Holy See delegation affirmed, “if it is not accompanied by a genuine commitment to recognising the equal dignity and rights of every person.”
Concluding its address, the Holy See drew on the words of Pope Leo XIV, who taught that “human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, who, by calling them into existence out of love, has at the same time called them to love.” Translating this principle into concrete action, the delegation said, remains essential to tackling the root causes of racism and strengthening “the bonds of our global family.”
By linking faith-based ethics with contemporary challenges such as digital discrimination, the Holy See’s intervention at the UN adds a moral dimension to global discussions on equality—reminding the international community that the path toward justice begins with the recognition of every person’s shared humanity.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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