"The energy needed to build and consolidate peace also demands that we
constantly return to the wellsprings of our humanity. Our human dignity is
inseparable from the sacredness of life as the gift of the Creator. ... To
build peace, we need to look
to the family, supporting it and facilitating its task, and in this way
promoting an overall culture of life. The effectiveness of our commitment to
peace depends on our understanding of human life. If we want peace, let us
defend life! This approach
leads us to reject not only war and terrorism, but every assault on innocent
human life, on men and women as creatures willed by God. Wherever the truth of
human nature is ignored or denied, it becomes impossible to respect that
grammar which is the
natural law inscribed in the human heart. ... We must combine our efforts,
then, to develop a sound vision of man, respectful of the unity and integrity
of the human person. Without this, it is impossible to build true
peace.
"While more evident in countries which are experiencing armed conflict,
there are assaults on the integrity and the lives of individuals taking place
in other countries too. Unemployment, poverty, corruption, a variety of
addictions, exploitation,
different forms of trafficking, and terrorism not only cause unacceptable
suffering to their victims but also a great impoverishment of human potential.
We run the risk of being enslaved by an economic and financial mindset which
would subordinate
“being” to “having”! The destruction of a single human
life is a loss for humanity as a whole. ... By questioning, directly or
indirectly, or even before the law, the inalienable value of each person and
the natural
Subject: VISnews120915
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
foundation of
the family, some ideologies undermine the foundations of society. ... Only
effective solidarity can act as an antidote, solidarity that rejects whatever
obstructs respect for each human being, solidarity that supports policies and
initiatives aimed at bringing peoples together in an honest and just manner.
... A better quality of life and integral development are only possible when
wealth and competences are shared in a spirit of respect for the identity of
each individual. ...
Nowadays, our cultural, social and religious differences should lead us to a
new kind of fraternity wherein what rightly unites us is a shared sense of the
greatness of each person and the gift which others are to themselves, to those
around them and to
all humanity. This is the path to peace! ... This is the approach which ought
to guide political and economic decisions at every level and on a global
scale!
"In order to make possible a future of peace for coming generations, our
first task is to educate for peace in order to build a culture of peace.
Education, whether it takes place in the family or at school, must be
primarily an education in those
spiritual values which give the wisdom and traditions of each culture their
ultimate meaning and power. ... The goal of education is to guide and support
the development of the freedom to make right decisions, which may run counter
to widespread
opinions, the fashions of the moment, or forms of political and religious
ideology. This is the price of building a culture of peace! Evidently, verbal
and physical violence must be rejected, for these are always an assault on
human dignity, both of the
perpetrator and the victim. Emphasising peacemaking and its positive effect
for the common good also creates interest in peace. ... Thoughts of peace,
words of peace and acts of peace create an atmosphere of respect, honesty and
cordiality, where faults and offences can be truthfully acknowledged as a
means of advancing together on the path of reconciliation. May political and
religious leaders reflect on this!
"We need to be very conscious that evil is not some nameless, impersonal
and deterministic force at work in the world. Evil, the devil, works in and
through human freedom. ... It seeks an ally in man. Evil needs man in order to
act. Having broken the
first commandment, love of God, it then goes on to distort the second, love of
neighbour. Love of neighbour disappears, yielding to falsehood, envy, hatred
and death. But it is possible for us not to be overcome by evil but to
overcome evil with good.
... A profound transformation of mind and heart is needed to recover a degree
of clarity of vision and impartiality, and the profound meaning of the
concepts of justice and the common good. A new and freer way of looking at
these realities will enable
us to evaluate and challenge those human systems which lead to impasses, and
to move forward with due care not to repeat past mistakes with their
devastating consequences. The conversion demanded of us can also be
exhilarating,
... (but) it is quite demanding: it involves rejecting revenge, acknowledging
one’s faults, accepting apologies without demanding them, and, not
least, forgiveness. Only forgiveness, given and received, can lay lasting
foundations for
reconciliation and universal peace.
"Only in this way can there be growth in understanding and harmony between
cultures and religions, and in genuine mutual esteem and respect for the
rights of all. In Lebanon, Christianity and Islam have lived side by side for
centuries. It is not
uncommon to see the two religions within the same family. If this is possible
within the same family, why should it not be possible at the level of the
whole of society? The particular character of the Middle East consists in the
centuries-old mix of
diverse elements. Admittedly, they have fought one another, sadly that is also
true. A pluralistic society can only exist on the basis of mutual respect, the
desire to know the other, and continuous dialogue. Such dialogue is only
possible when the
parties are conscious of the existence of values which are common to all great
cultures because they are rooted in the nature of the human person. ... These
values are inseparable from the rights of each and every human being. By
upholding their existence, the different religions make a decisive
contribution. It cannot be forgotten that religious freedom is the basic right
on which many other rights depend. The freedom to profess and practise
one’s religion without danger
to life and liberty must be possible to everyone. The loss or attenuation of
this freedom deprives the person of his or her sacred right to a spiritually
integrated life. ... Religious freedom has a social and political dimension
which is indispensable
for peace! It promotes a harmonious life for individuals and communities by a
shared commitment to noble causes and by the pursuit of truth, which does not
impose itself by violence but rather “by the force of its own
truth”: the Truth which
is in God. ... Authentic faith does not lead to death. The peacemaker is
humble and just. Thus believers today have an essential role, that of bearing
witness to the peace which comes from God and is a gift bestowed on all of us i
n our
personal, family, social, political and economic life. The failure of upright
men and women to act must not permit evil to triumph. It is worse still to do
nothing.
"These few reflections on peace, society, the dignity of the person, the
values of family life, dialogue and solidarity, must not remain a simple
statement of ideals. They can and must be lived out. We are in Lebanon, and it
is here that they must be
lived out. Lebanon is called, now more than ever, to be an example. And so I
invite you, politicians, diplomats, religious leaders, men and women of the
world of culture, to testify with courage, in season and out of season,
wherever you find
yourselves, that God wants peace, that God entrusts peace to us".
Following the meeting at the presidential palace, the Pope travelled to the
headquarters of the Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenians where he
was welcomed by the Patriarch, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni. There
Benedict XVI
blessed a statue of the monk Hagop who compiled the first book to be printed
in Armenian, the "Book of Friday" published in Venice in 1512. Pope Benedict
then had lunch in the community's refectory with patriarchs and bishops of
Lebanon.
___________________________________________________________
THE ESSENTIAL MESSAGE OF RELIGION IS AGAINST VIOLENCE
Vatican City, 15 September 2012 (VIS) - As is traditional during the course
of his apostolic trips, Benedict XVI granted a brief interview to the
journalists accompanying him on his flight to Lebanon, in which he turned his
attention to various
issues associated with the situation in the Middle East.
Question: "Your Holiness, many terrible anniversaries are occurring at this
time, for example that of the 11 September attacks, and the massacre at the
Sabra and Chatila refugee camps. On the borders of Lebanon a civil war is
being fought, amid much
bloodshed, and in other countries too we see an ever-present risk of violence.
Holy Father, ... have you been tempted to cancel your trip for security
reasons, or has anyone suggested that you should cancel it?"
Holy Father: "Dear friends, ... I can tell you that no one advised me to
cancel this journey, and for my part I never considered doing so, because I
know that as the situation becomes more complex, it is all the more necessary
to offer this sign of
fraternal encouragement and solidarity. That is the aim of my visit: to issue
an invitation to dialogue, to peace and against violence, to go forward
together to find solutions to the problems".
Q: "Many Catholics are expressing concern about increasing forms of
fundamentalism in various parts of the world and about attacks that claim
large numbers of Christians as victims. In this difficult and often violent
context, how can the Church
respond to the imperative of dialogue with Islam, on which you have often
insisted?"
Holy Father: "Fundamentalism is always a falsification of religion. It goes
against the essence of religion, which seeks to reconcile and to create
God’s peace throughout the world. ... The essential message of religion
must be against violence
- which is a falsification of that message, like fundamentalism - and it must
educate, illuminate and purify consciences so as to make them capable of
dialogue, reconciliation and peace".
Q: "In the context of the surging clamour for democracy that has begun to
spread in many countries of the Middle East through the so-called 'Arab
Spring', and in view of the social conditions in most of these countries,
where Christians are a
minority, is there not a risk of an inevitable tension between the dominant
majority and the survival of Christianity?"
Holy Father: "I would say that in itself, the Arab spring is a positive
thing: it is a desire for greater democracy, greater freedom, greater
cooperation and a revived Arab identity. This cry for freedom, which comes
from a young generation with more
cultural and professional formation, who seek greater participation in
political and social life, is a mark of progress, a truly positive development
that has been hailed by Christians too. Of course, bearing in mind the history
of revolutions, we know
that this important and positive cry for freedom is always in danger of
overlooking one aspect - one fundamental dimension of freedom - namely
tolerance of the other, the fact that human freedom is always a shared
freedom, which can only grow through
sharing, solidarity and living side by side according to certain rules. ... We
must do all we can to ensure that the concept of freedom, the desire for
freedom, goes in the right direction and does not overlook tolerance, the
overall social fabric, and reconciliation, which are essential elements of
freedom. Hence the renewed Arab identity seems to me to imply also a renewal
of the centuries-old, millennia-old, coexistence of Christians and Arabs, who
side by side, in mutual
tolerance of majority and minority, built these lands and cannot do other than
live side by side. I therefore think it important to recognise the positive
elements in these movements and to do all we can to ensure that freedom is
correctly conceived and
corresponds to growth in dialogue rather than domination of one group over
others".
Q: "In Syria today, as in Iraq a while ago, many Christians have felt
obliged, reluctantly, to leave their homeland. What does the Catholic Church
intend to do or say in order to help in this situation and to stem the flow of
Christians from Syria
and other Middle Eastern countries?"
Holy Father: "First of all I must say that it is not only Christians who
are leaving, but also Muslims. Naturally, there is a great danger of
Christians leaving these lands and their presence there being lost, and we
must do all we can to help them
to stay. The essential way to help would be to put an end to the war and
violence which is causing this exodus. Therefore the first priority is to do
all we can to halt the violence and to open up a real possibility of staying
together for the future.
What can we do against war? Of course we can always spread the message of
peace, we can make it clear that violence never solves problems and we can
build up the forces of peace. ... Christian gestures may also be of help: days
of prayer for the Middle
East, for Christians and Muslims, to demonstrate the possibilities for
dialogue and for solutions. I also believe that there must be an end to the
importation of arms: without which, war could not continue. Instead of
importing
weapons, which is a grave sin, we should import ideas of peace and creativity,
we should find ways of accepting each person in his otherness, we should
therefore make visible before the world the respect that religions have for
one another, respect for
man as God’s creation and love of neighbour as fundamental to all
religions. In this way, using all possible means, including material
assistance, we must help to bring an end to war and violence so that all can
help rebuild the country".
Q: "Besides prayer and sentiments of solidarity, do you see concrete steps
that the Churches and the Catholics of the West, especially in Europe and
America, can take in order to support their brethren in the Middle East?"
Holy Father: "I would say that we need to influence public opinion and
politicians to make a real commitment, using all their resources, all their
opportunities, with real creativity, in favour of peace and against violence.
No one should hope to
gain from violence, all must contribute positively. ... Moreover, our
charitable organisations should offer material help and do everything they
can. We have organisations like the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre,
specifically for the Holy Land, but other
similar organisations could also provide material, political and human
assistance in these lands. I would like to say once again that visible signs
of solidarity, days of public prayer, and other such gestures can catch the
attention of public opinion
and produce concrete results".
___________________________________________________________
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican City, 15 September 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of
Gniezno, Poland, presented by Bishop Bogdan Wojtus, upon having reached the
age limit.
- Appointed as members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the
Family, and Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv., regent emeritus of the
Apostolic Penitentiary.
___________________________________________________________
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