New York: Archbishop Christophe Z. El Kassis, the new Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, has called for stronger efforts to reject hate speech, warning that it can deepen divisions and contribute to violence and persecution.
Archbishop El Kassis made the remarks in his first address at the Global Conference on Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech in New York on 17 September.
The Archbishop had presented his letter of appointment to UN Secretary General António Guterres a day earlier, on 16 September.
Addressing the conference, Archbishop El Kassis reaffirmed the Holy See’s position that every person is made in the image and likeness of God and possesses an inalienable dignity. He said this dignity cannot be reduced by expressions or ideologies based on hatred.
He said this understanding creates a moral responsibility to reject intolerance, discrimination and hate speech because they harm human relationships and weaken the foundations needed for peaceful coexistence.
The Archbishop said hate speech aimed at people or communities because of their religion, race, nationality or other characteristics conflicts with the call to love one’s neighbour. He warned that such speech can poison public discussion, increase division and create conditions for violence and persecution.
Referring to Pope Leo XIV’s Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, Archbishop El Kassis highlighted the importance of being careful with words. He said language has significant power and that peaceful communication begins when people remove prejudice, resentment and hostility from their words.
He also stressed that words alone cannot build peace. He said genuine tolerance does not mean indifference or relativism, but requires recognition of the dignity of every person and respect for freedom of conscience. Patience, dialogue, mutual understanding and the rejection of stereotypes are also necessary for meaningful tolerance.
The Archbishop said the Holy See supports interreligious and intercultural dialogue as an important way to overcome prejudice and promote a better future for all.
At the same time, he underlined that freedom of expression remains a fundamental right that must be protected. However, he said that freedom also carries responsibilities.
Speech deliberately intended to provoke violence or hatred, he argued, should not claim the protection of liberty because it damages the conditions necessary for genuine freedom. He called for communication that listens to people, particularly those whose voices are often not heard, rather than communication driven by aggression or force.
Archbishop El Kassis was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on 24 August 1968. He was ordained a priest of the Archeparchy of Beirut of the Maronites on 21 May 1994 and joined the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See in 2000. He subsequently served at Pontifical Representations in Indonesia, Sudan and Türkiye.
In 2018, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan. He received episcopal consecration from Cardinal Pietro Parolin in St Peter’s Basilica on 19 January 2019.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop El Kassis Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York on 25 July 2026.