"One of the social rights and duties most under threat today is the right
to work. The reason for this is that labour and the rightful recognition of
workers’ juridical status are increasingly undervalued, since economic
development is thought
to depend principally on completely free markets. Labour is thus regarded as a
variable dependent on economic and financial mechanisms. In this regard, I
would reaffirm that human dignity and economic, social and political factors,
demand that we
continue 'to prioritise the goal of access to steady employment for everyone'.
If this ambitious goal is to be realised, one prior condition is a fresh
outlook on work, based on ethical principles and spiritual values that
reinforce the notion of work
as a fundamental good for the individual, for the family and for society.
Corresponding to this good are a duty and a right that demand courageous new
policies of universal employment.
Building the good of peace through a new model of development and
economics
"5. In many quarters it is now recognized that a new model of development
is needed, as well as a new approach to the economy. Both integral,
sustainable development in solidarity and the common good require a correct
scale of goods and values which
can be structured with God as the ultimate point of reference. It is not
enough to have many different means and choices at one’s disposal,
however good these may be. Both the wide variety of goods fostering
development and the presence
Subject: VISnews121214
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
of a wide
range of choices must be employed against the horizon of a good life, an
upright conduct that acknowledges the primacy of the spiritual and the call to
work for the common good. Otherwise they lose their real value, and end up
becoming new idols.
"In order to emerge from the present financial and economic crisis –
which has engendered ever greater inequalities – we need people, groups
and institutions which will promote life by fostering human creativity, in
order to draw from the
crisis itself an opportunity for discernment and for a new economic model. The
predominant model of recent decades called for seeking maximum profit and
consumption, on the basis of an individualistic and selfish mindset, aimed at
considering
individuals solely in terms of their ability to meet the demands of
competitiveness. Yet, from another standpoint, true and lasting success is
attained through the gift of ourselves, our intellectual abilities and our
entrepreneurial skills, since a
'liveable' or truly human economic development requires the principle of
gratuitousness as an expression of fraternity and the logic of gift.
Concretely, in economic activity, peacemakers are those who establish bonds of
fairness and reciprocity with their colleagues, workers, clients and
consumers. They engage in economic activity for the sake of the common good
and they experience this commitment as something transcending their
self-interest, for the benefit of
present and future generations. Thus they work not only for themselves, but
also to ensure for others a future and a dignified employment.
"In the economic sector, states in particular need to articulate policies
of industrial and agricultural development concerned with social progress and
the growth everywhere of constitutional and democratic states. The creation of
ethical structures
for currency, financial and commercial markets is also fundamental and
indispensable; these must be stabilised and better coordinated and controlled
so as not to prove harmful to the very poor. With greater resolve than has
hitherto been the case, the
concern of peacemakers must also focus upon the food crisis, which is graver
than the financial crisis. The issue of food security is once more central to
the international political agenda, as a result of inter- related crises,
including sudden shifts
in the price of basic foodstuffs, irresponsible behaviour by some economic
actors and insufficient control on the part of governments and the
international community. To face this crisis, peacemakers are called to work
together
in a spirit of solidarity, from the local to the international level, with the
aim of enabling farmers, especially in small rural holdings, to carry out
their activity in a dignified and sustainable way from the social,
environmental and economic points
of view.
Education for a culture of peace: the role of the family and
nstitutions
"6. I wish to reaffirm forcefully that the various peacemakers are called
to cultivate a passion for the common good of the family and for social
justice, and a commitment to effective social education.
"No one should ignore or underestimate the decisive role of the family,
which is the basic cell of society from the demographic, ethical, pedagogical,
economic and political standpoints. The family has a natural vocation to
promote life: it
accompanies individuals as they mature and it encourages mutual growth and
enrichment through caring and sharing. The Christian family in particular
serves as a seedbed for personal maturation according to the standards of
divine love. The family is one
of the indispensable social subjects for the achievement of a culture of
peace. The rights of parents and their primary role in the education of their
children in the area of morality and religion must be safeguarded. It is in
the family that
peacemakers, tomorrow’s promoters of a culture of life and love, are
born and nurtured.
"Religious communities are involved in a special way in this immense task
of education for peace. The Church believes that she shares in this great
responsibility as part of the new evangelisation, which is centred on
conversion to the truth and love
of Christ and, consequently, the spiritual and moral rebirth of individuals
and societies. Encountering Jesus Christ shapes peacemakers, committing them
to fellowship and to overcoming injustice.
"Cultural institutions, schools and universities have a special mission of
peace. They are called to make a notable contribution not only to the
formation of new generations of leaders, but also to the renewal of public
institutions, both national
and international. They can also contribute to a scientific reflection which
will ground economic and financial activities on a solid anthropological and
ethical basis. Today’s world, especially the world of politics, needs to
be sustained by
fresh thinking and a new cultural synthesis so as to overcome purely technical
approaches and to harmonise the various political currents with a view to the
common good. The latter, seen as an ensemble of positive interpersonal and
institutional
relationships at the service of the integral growth of individuals and groups,
is at the basis of all true education for peace.
A pedagogy for peacemakers
"7. In the end, we see clearly the need to propose and promote a pedagogy
of peace. This calls for a rich interior life, clear and valid moral points of
reference, and appropriate attitudes and lifestyles. Acts of peacemaking
converge for the
achievement of the common good; they create interest in peace and cultivate
peace. Thoughts, words and gestures of peace create a mentality and a culture
of peace, and a respectful, honest and cordial atmosphere. There is a need,
then, to teach people
to love one another, to cultivate peace and to live with good will rather than
mere tolerance. A fundamental encouragement to this is 'to say no to revenge,
to recognize injustices, to accept apologies without looking for them, and
finally, to forgive',
in such a way that mistakes and offences can be acknowledged in truth, so as
to move forward together towards reconciliation. This requires the growth of a
pedagogy of pardon. Evil is in fact overcome by good, and justice
is to be sought in imitating God the Father Who loves all His children. This
is a slow process, for it presupposes a spiritual evolution, an education in
lofty values, a new vision of human history. There is a need to renounce that
false peace promised
by the idols of this world along with the dangers which accompany it, that
false peace which dulls consciences, which leads to self-absorption, to a
withered existence lived in indifference. The pedagogy of peace, on the other
hand, implies activity,
compassion, solidarity, courage and perseverance.
"Jesus embodied all these attitudes in His own life, even to the complete
gift of Himself, even to 'losing His life'. He promises His disciples that
sooner or later they will make the extraordinary discovery to which I
originally alluded, namely that
God is in the world, the God of Jesus, fully on the side of man. Here I would
recall the prayer asking God to make us instruments of His peace, to be able
to bring His love wherever there is hatred, His mercy wherever there is hurt,
and true faith
wherever there is doubt. For our part, let us join Blessed John XXIII in
asking God to enlighten all leaders so that, besides caring for the proper
material welfare of their peoples, they may secure for them the precious gift
of peace, break down the
walls which divide them, strengthen the bonds of mutual love, grow in
understanding, and pardon those who have done them wrong; in this way, by His
power and inspiration all the peoples of the earth will experience
fraternity, and the peace for which they long will ever flourish and reign
among them.
"With this prayer I express my hope that all will be true peacemakers, so
that the city of man may grow in fraternal harmony, prosperity and peace."
___________________________________________________________
CHRISTMAS TREE: A SIGN AND REMINDER OF DIVINE LIGHT
Vatican City, 14 December 2012 (VIS) - This morning Benedict XVI received
in audience a delegation from the Italian region of Molise, which this year
has donated the fir tree raised next to the Nativity scene in St. Peter's
Square. The lighting
ceremony will take place later on today.
The Pope thanked the delegation for the silver fir - which was accompanied
by eight other smaller trees destined for the Apostolic Palace and various
other locations around the Vatican - and greeted them following a brief
address.
"God became man and came among us to dispel the shadows of sin, bringing
His divine light to humanity. This highest of lights, symbolised and recalled
by the Christmas tree, has not only shown no sign of dimming through the
passing of the centuries
and the millennia, but rather continues to shine upon us and to illuminate
every person who comes into the world, especially in moments of uncertainty
and difficulty. Jesus Himself declared, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never
walk in darkness but will have the light of life'. ... And, the attempts made
through the ages to extinguish the light of God, to replace it with the glare
of illusion and deceit, have heralded episodes of tragic violence against
mankind. This is
because the attempt to cancel the name of God from the pages of history
results in distortion, in which even the most beautiful and noble words lose
their true meaning".
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 14 December 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in
audience Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for
Bishops.
___________________________________________________________
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