SUMMARY:
-
PRESENTATION OF THE POPE'S MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PEACE
- BLESSED
ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
-
CHRISTMAS TREE: A SIGN AND REMINDER OF DIVINE LIGHT
-
AUDIENCES
______________________________________
PRESENTATION
OF THE POPE'S MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PEACE
Vatican
City, 14 December 2012 (VIS) - A press conference was held this
morning in the Holy See Press Office to present Benedict XVI's
Message for the 46th World Day of Peace, which will take place on 1
January with the theme "Blessed are the peacemakers".
Participating in today's conference were Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah
Turkson and Bishop Mario Toso S.D.B., respectively president and
secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
The
cardinal referred first to the "concrete" nature of the
document. "The title, drawn from the Gospel, would induce us to
think of the Message as having a rather spiritual or, so to speak,
theoretical nature", he said. "However, the Pope's message
is very closely linked to reality. It states a fact - the existence,
in the midst of conflicts, tension and violence, of numerous
peacemakers; in the explanation of the Gospel beatitude it explains
that this is a promise that is guaranteed, in that it is made by God
and does not refer merely to the future but already finds fulfilment
in this life. It clearly indicates the duties of peacemakers: they
must promote life in its fullest expression, in its entirety and
therefore in all the dimensions of the human person, and draws
attention to urgent problems issues such as the correct vision of
marriage, the right to conscientious objection, religious freedom,
the issues of work and unemployment, the food crisis, the financial
crisis, and the role of the family in education.
He then
went on to emphasise the "positivity" of the Message which,
"aside from opening the way to hope, reflects love for life and
life in its completeness. Alongside the theme of the defence of life,
the Pope highlights matters connected to justice, necessary for a
worthwhile life, lived fully, or rather in which all people have the
opportunity to develop their own potential".
A further
characteristic of the text is its "educational and pedagogical
perspective. ...This is an aspect which is always close to the heart
of the Church, one of whose tasks is to 'form consciences'", the
cardinal emphasised. "In this regard, the Pontiff calls for
responsibility on the part of the various educational institutions
who must form capable leaders and propose new economic and financial
models. This is necessary to overcome the particularly grave
situation the globalised world is currently facing, a phase of
profound spiritual and moral crisis in which there are still bloody
conflicts and numerous threats to peace".
Bishop
Mario Toso observed that Benedict XVI's message is "an
invitation to become peacemakers 'at three hundred and sixty
degrees', in our entirety, protecting and implementing all the rights
and duties of the individual and of communities".
He
continued, "Typical of the Pontiff's view is the part of the
Message in which he urges us not to erode social rights, foremost
among which he includes the right to work, which is a fundamental
rather than marginal right. This is in spite of the context of
economic recession, provoked in part by the financial crisis which
began in 2007, and ideologies of radical liberalism and technocracy
according to which development can be achieved without social and
democratic progress. Without the defence and promotion of social
rights - as recognised by liberals, communists, socialists and
Catholics during the last century - civil and political rights cannot
be adequately attained, and democracy itself - substantial, social
and participatory - would be undermined.
"In
summary, the Message promotes the growth of a human family that is
not divided into groups and peoples in favour of life, and those who
work for peace without equal passion for the defence of human life
from conception to natural end. Peace is a common goal to be pursued
as a community, to the full benefit of every human being and
population", concluded the secretary of the Pontifical Council
for Justice and Peace.
BLESSED
ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
Vatican
City, 14 December 2012 (VIS) - "Blessed are the Peacemakers"
is the title chosen by the Holy Father for his Message for the 46th
World Day of Peace, celebrated every year on 1 January. Given below
is the full text of the Message:
"1.
Each new year brings the expectation of a better world. In light of
this, I ask God, the Father of humanity, to grant us concord and
peace, so that the aspirations of all for a happy and prosperous life
may be achieved.
"Fifty
years after the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, which helped
to strengthen the Church’s mission in the world, it is heartening
to realise that Christians, as the People of God in fellowship with
Him and sojourning among mankind, are committed within history to
sharing humanity’s joys and hopes, grief and anguish, as they
proclaim the salvation of Christ and promote peace for all.
"In
effect, our times, marked by globalisation with its positive and
negative aspects, as well as the continuation of violent conflicts
and threats of war, demand a new, shared commitment in pursuit of the
common good and the development of all men, and of the whole man.
"It
is alarming to see hotbeds of tension and conflict caused by growing
instances of inequality between rich and poor, by the prevalence of a
selfish and individualistic mindset which also finds expression in an
unregulated financial capitalism. In addition to the varied forms of
terrorism and international crime, peace is also endangered by those
forms of fundamentalism and fanaticism which distort the true nature
of religion, which is called to foster fellowship and reconciliation
among people.
"All
the same, the many different efforts at peacemaking which abound in
our world testify to mankind’s innate vocation to peace. In every
person the desire for peace is an essential aspiration which
coincides in a certain way with the desire for a full, happy and
successful human life. In other words, the desire for peace
corresponds to a fundamental moral principle, namely, the duty and
right to an integral social and communitarian development, which is
part of God’s plan for mankind. Man is made for the peace which is
God’s gift.
"All
of this led me to draw inspiration for this Message from the words of
Jesus Christ: 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God'.
Gospel
beatitude
"2.
The beatitudes which Jesus proclaimed are promises. In the biblical
tradition, the beatitude is a literary genre which always involves
some good news, a 'gospel', which culminates in a promise. Therefore,
the beatitudes are not only moral exhortations whose observance
foresees in due time – ordinarily in the next life – a reward or
a situation of future happiness. Rather, the blessedness of which the
beatitudes speak consists in the fulfilment of a promise made to all
those who allow themselves to be guided by the requirements of truth,
justice and love. In the eyes of the world, those who trust in God
and His promises often appear naïve or far from reality. Yet Jesus
tells them that not only in the next life, but already in this life,
they will discover that they are children of God, and that God has
always been, and ever will be, completely on their side. They will
understand that they are not alone, because He is on the side of
those committed to truth, justice and love. Jesus, the revelation of
the Father’s love, does not hesitate to offer Himself in
self-sacrifice. Once we accept Jesus Christ, God and man, we have the
joyful experience of an immense gift: the sharing of God’s own
life, the life of grace, the pledge of a fully blessed existence.
Jesus Christ, in particular, grants us true peace, which is born of
the trusting encounter of man with God.
"Jesus’
beatitude tells us that peace is both a messianic gift and the fruit
of human effort. In effect, peace presupposes a humanism open to
transcendence. It is the fruit of the reciprocal gift, of a mutual
enrichment, thanks to the gift which has its source in God and
enables us to live with others and for others. The ethics of peace is
an ethics of fellowship and sharing. It is indispensable, then, that
the various cultures in our day overcome forms of anthropology and
ethics based on technical and practical suppositions which are merely
subjectivistic and pragmatic, in virtue of which relationships of
coexistence are inspired by criteria of power or profit, means become
ends and vice versa, and culture and education are centred on
instruments, technique and efficiency alone. The precondition for
peace is the dismantling of the dictatorship of relativism and of the
supposition of a completely autonomous morality which precludes
acknowledgement of the ineluctable natural moral law inscribed by God
upon the conscience of every man and woman. Peace is the building up
of coexistence in rational and moral terms, based on a foundation
whose measure is not created by man, but rather by God. As Psalm 29
puts it: 'May the Lord give strength to His people; may the Lord
bless His people with peace'.
Peace:
God’s gift and the fruit of human effort
"3.
Peace concerns the human person as a whole, and it involves complete
commitment. It is peace with God through a life lived according to
His will. It is interior peace with oneself, and exterior peace with
our neighbours and all creation. Above all, as Blessed John XXIII
wrote in his Encyclical Pacem in Terris, whose fiftieth anniversary
will fall in a few months, it entails the building up of a
coexistence based on truth, freedom, love and justice. The denial of
what makes up the true nature of human beings in its essential
dimensions, its intrinsic capacity to know the true and the good and,
ultimately, to know God Himself, jeopardises peacemaking. Without the
truth about man inscribed by the Creator in the human heart, freedom
and love become debased, and justice loses the ground of its
exercise.
"To
become authentic peacemakers, it is fundamental to keep in mind our
transcendent dimension and to enter into constant dialogue with God,
the Father of mercy, whereby we implore the redemption achieved for
us by His only-begotten Son. In this way mankind can overcome that
progressive dimming and rejection of peace which is sin in all its
forms: selfishness and violence, greed and the will to power and
dominion, intolerance, hatred and unjust structures.
"The
attainment of peace depends above all on recognizing that we are, in
God, one human family. This family is structured, as the Encyclical
Pacem in Terris taught, by interpersonal relations and institutions
supported and animated by a communitarian 'we', which entails an
internal and external moral order in which, in accordance with truth
and justice, reciprocal rights and mutual duties are sincerely
recognized. Peace is an order enlivened and integrated by love, in
such a way that we feel the needs of others as our own, share our
goods with others and work throughout the world for greater communion
in spiritual values. It is an order achieved in freedom, that is, in
a way consistent with the dignity of persons who, by their very
nature as rational beings, take responsibility for their own actions.
"Peace
is not a dream or something utopian; it is possible. Our gaze needs
to go deeper, beneath superficial appearances and phenomena, to
discern a positive reality which exists in human hearts, since every
man and woman has been created in the image of God and is called to
grow and contribute to the building of a new world. God Himself,
through the incarnation of His Son and His work of redemption, has
entered into history and has brought about a new creation and a new
covenant between God and man, thus enabling us to have a 'new heart'
and a 'new spirit'.
"For
this very reason the Church is convinced of the urgency of a new
proclamation of Jesus Christ, the first and fundamental factor of the
integral development of peoples and also of peace. Jesus is indeed
our peace, our justice and our reconciliation. The peacemaker,
according to Jesus’ beatitude, is the one who seeks the good of the
other, the fullness of good in body and soul, today and tomorrow.
"From
this teaching one can infer that each person and every community,
whether religious, civil, educational or cultural, is called to work
for peace. Peace is principally the attainment of the common good in
society at its different levels, primary and intermediary, national,
international and global. Precisely for this reason it can be said
that the paths which lead to the attainment of the common good are
also the paths that must be followed in the pursuit of peace.
Peacemakers
are those who love, defend and promote life in its fullness
"4.
The path to the attainment of the common good and to peace is above
all that of respect for human life in all its many aspects, beginning
with its conception, through its development and up to its natural
end. True peacemakers, then, are those who love, defend and promote
human life in all its dimensions, personal, communitarian and
transcendent. Life in its fullness is the height of peace. Anyone who
loves peace cannot tolerate attacks and crimes against life.
"Those
who insufficiently value human life and, in consequence, support
among other things the liberalization of abortion, perhaps do not
realize that in this way they are proposing the pursuit of a false
peace. The flight from responsibility, which degrades human persons,
and even more so the killing of a defenceless and innocent being,
will never be able to produce happiness or peace. Indeed how could
one claim to bring about peace, the integral development of peoples
or even the protection of the environment without defending the life
of those who are weakest, beginning with the unborn. Every offence
against life, especially at its beginning, inevitably causes
irreparable damage to development, peace and the environment. Neither
is it just to introduce surreptitiously into legislation false rights
or freedoms which, on the basis of a reductive and relativistic view
of human beings and the clever use of ambiguous expressions aimed at
promoting a supposed right to abortion and euthanasia, pose a threat
to the fundamental right to life.
"There
is also a need to acknowledge and promote the natural structure of
marriage as the union of a man and a woman in the face of attempts to
make it juridically equivalent to radically different types of union;
such attempts actually harm and help to destabilize marriage,
obscuring its specific nature and its indispensable role in society.
"These
principles are not truths of faith, nor are they simply a corollary
of the right to religious freedom. They are inscribed in human nature
itself, accessible to reason and thus common to all humanity. The
Church’s efforts to promote them are not therefore confessional in
character, but addressed to all people, whatever their religious
affiliation. Efforts of this kind are all the more necessary the more
these principles are denied or misunderstood, since this constitutes
an offence against the truth of the human person, with serious harm
to justice and peace.
"Consequently,
another important way of helping to build peace is for legal systems
and the administration of justice to recognize the right to invoke
the principle of conscientious objection in the face of laws or
government measures that offend against human dignity, such as
abortion and euthanasia.
"One
of the fundamental human rights, also with reference to international
peace, is the right of individuals and communities to religious
freedom. At this stage in history, it is becoming increasingly
important to promote this right not only from the negative point of
view, as freedom from – for example, obligations or limitations
involving the freedom to choose one’s religion – but also from
the positive point of view, in its various expressions, as freedom
for – for example, bearing witness to one’s religion, making its
teachings known, engaging in activities in the educational,
benevolent and charitable fields which permit the practice of
religious precepts, and existing and acting as social bodies
structured in accordance with the proper doctrinal principles and
institutional ends of each. Sadly, even in countries of long-standing
Christian tradition, instances of religious intolerance are becoming
more numerous, especially in relation to Christianity and those who
simply wear identifying signs of their religion.
"Peacemakers
must also bear in mind that, in growing sectors of public opinion,
the ideologies of radical liberalism and technocracy are spreading
the conviction that economic growth should be pursued even to the
detriment of the state’s social responsibilities and civil
society’s networks of solidarity, together with social rights and
duties. It should be remembered that these rights and duties are
fundamental for the full realisation of other rights and duties,
starting with those which are civil and political.
"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 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 institutions
"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.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The
news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used,
in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S.
-Vatican Information Service.
Copyright
© Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City
