IRELAND
Irish Independent
Mary McAleese
PUBLISHED 07/02/2015
The Holy See is a Signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). The Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors the implementation of the Convention, advocates the universal abolition of corporal punishment of children in all circumstances believing it to be a violation of their rights under the Convention (and natural law) to bodily integrity, human dignity and freedom from violence.
In 2014, the Holy See made both written and oral submissions to the Committee on this subject.
Here are the words of the Holy See’s official report to the Committee: “On the international level, the Holy See does not promote corporal punishment.[…] the overall message, which the New Testament will bring to perfection, is a forceful appeal for respect for the inviolability of physical life and the integrity of the person.[…] The 1987 Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC, 2221‑2223) recognises that parents are obliged in the first instance to educate, guide, correct, instruct and discipline their child; the terms ‘corporal punishment’ or ‘punishment’ are not used.”
On the strength of those assurances, the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child said: “The Committee welcomes the statement during the interactive dialogue that the delegation of the Holy See will take the proposal of banning corporal punishment of children in all settings back for consideration.
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