Brian R Corbin's Reflections on Religion and Life

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July 3, 2008 • 6:53 pm 0

Holy See on Global Food Crisis

ZE08070305 – 2008-07-03
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-23097?l=english

“World Spends $1.3 Trillion in Armaments; Lifesaving Funds Are Unavailable”

NEW YORK, JULY 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave Wednesday at the general debate of the U.N. Economic and Social Council Substantive Session for 2008.

* * *

Mr. President,

This year’s High-Level Segment calls world leaders to reflect upon the progress made in achieving the United Nations development agenda and the urgency to address the developmental needs of rural communities. The ongoing food crisis, as well as the economic downturn in some developed countries, highlights the importance and relevance of our theme.

The food crisis has impacted all societies. In some places it manifests itself in scarcity of food with consequent malnourishment and starvation; in others it appears in the form of higher prices for families trying to provide for their basic needs. Despite its different manifestations, it stems from a series of concomitant causes: shortsighted economic, agricultural and energy policies, which cause a clash between the increasing demand for food and insufficient production of food, and the increase in financial speculations on commodities, the uncontrollable rise of oil prices and adverse climate conditions.

While today’s debate will appropriately focus on the structural defects of the world economy and on the causes of the emergency, we must work to ensure that this discussion is accompanied by immediate and effective action. Failure to do so will deem our meeting as a mere rhetorical exercise and avoidance of responsibilities.

Mr. President,

While this year marks the 60th anniversary of the UDHR, the worldwide food crisis threatens the attainment of the primary right of every person to be free from starvation. In this light, the Resolution on the Right to Food, recently adopted by the Human Rights Council, emphasizes correctly the obligation of States, with the assistance of the international community, to make every effort to meet the food needs of their populations through measures which respect human rights and the rule of law.

At the outset, action must be taken to assist those suffering from malnutrition and starvation. It is difficult to think that, in a world which spends over 1.3 trillion dollars each year in armaments, life-saving funds to help people in need are unavailable. A sincere will to tackle the issue must be accompanied by the necessary action, not simply words and intentions.

Going forward, the initial economic emergency aid must be accompanied by a concerted effort on the part of all to invest in long-term and sustainable agriculture programs at the local and international levels. The last twenty-five years have seen considerable progress in reducing the number of people living in extreme poverty. Unless we reinvest in agriculture, however, the progress that has been achieved through hard work and dedication risks being lost. To this end, agrarian reforms in developing countries must be sped up in order to give small-holder farmers the tools for increasing production in a sustainable manner as well as access to local and global markets.

Moreover, agricultural and environmental policies must walk the path of reason and reality in order to balance the need for food production with the need to be good stewards of the earth. The current food scarcity reemphasizes the urgency to explore new energy supplies which do not pit the right to food against other needs.

My delegation welcomes the recommendations of the recent High-level Conference on World Food Security held in Rome at the FAO. They offer a practical guide on how to deal with the short and long term consequences of the food crisis and give guidance on how to prevent it from recurring in the future.

Mr. President,

The twentieth century suffered in a tragic way from the effects of people and governments looking only within their national borders and from lack of consultation and multilateral cooperation. The present crisis is an opportunity for the global community to come together and take responsibility for our neighbor.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Filed under: Papal Teachings, Social Doctrine, Social Justice

July 1, 2008 • 10:47 pm 0

Papal Peace Day Message Looks at Poverty

Says Solution to “Scandal” Is Conversion of Heart

VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2008 ( Zenit.org ).- Benedict XVI is dedicating his message for the World Day of Peace to a theme lurking behind many conflicts: poverty.

“Combating Poverty: Building Peace” is the theme chosen by the Pope for this January’s 42nd World Day of Peace, celebrated on the first day of each year.

A Vatican communiqué released today explained: “The theme chosen by the Holy Father highlights the need for the human family to find an urgent response to the serious question of poverty, seen as a material problem but above all as a moral and spiritual one.”

The statement noted how the Pope — in a June 2 message addressed to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization — denounced the scandal of world poverty in the following terms: “Poverty and malnutrition are not a simple fatality, provoked by adverse environmental situations or by disastrous natural calamities. […] Purely technical and economic considerations must not prevail over the duties of justice toward people suffering from hunger.”

The communiqué added: “The scandal of poverty reveals the inadequacy of current systems of human coexistence in promoting the realization of the common good. This imposes the need for reflection on the deep roots of material poverty and, consequently, also on spiritual poverty that makes man indifferent to the suffering of others.

“The answer, then, is to be sought first and foremost in the conversion of the human heart to the God of charity, so as to achieve poverty of spirit in the terms of the message of salvation announced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Filed under: Papal Teachings, Social Doctrine, Social Justice

June 27, 2008 • 1:17 pm 0

Pontiff: Church’s Charity Shows Face of God

Shares Honduran Bishops’ Concern Over Poverty

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- With its commitment to combat poverty and violence, and with its work in education, the Church shows the merciful face of God, Benedict XVI says.

The Pope affirmed this today when he received in audience the Honduran bishops, in Rome for their five-yearly visit. He reminded them that “like the proclamation of the word and the celebration of the sacraments, the service of charity is an essential part of the mission of the Church.”

The Holy Father highlighted the bishops’ role in this service of charity, though he added: “I know well how the poverty, which affects so many of your fellow-countrymen, afflicts you.”

Some 70% of Honduras’ 7 million inhabitants are below the poverty line.

The Pontiff assured the bishops that he shares their concern at the “increase in violence, emigration, destruction of the environment, corruption, and lack of education, among other grave problems.”

“As ministers of the Good Shepherd, you have displayed, in word and deed, an intense endeavor to assist the needy,” the Pope affirmed. He encouraged them “to continue to show in your ministry the merciful face of God, fostering in all your diocesan communities and parishes an extensive and detailed service of charity, which will reach in a special way the sick, the elderly and the imprisoned.”

In his greeting to the Pope, Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, archbishop of Tegucigalpa and president of the Honduras episcopal conference, expressed his concern over the “inhuman poverty” in his country, now aggravated by the rise in the cost of petrol and food.

This situation leads to the exodus of thousands of citizens — seeking better opportunities — which contributes to the break-up of families, he lamented.

At the same time, the country is suffering from violence and crime, though the Church has launched a nationwide campaign in favor of life.

Filed under: Caritas, Migration, Papal Teachings, Social Doctrine, Social Justice

June 27, 2008 • 1:14 pm 0

Bishops Urge Respect for Humanity of Migrants

http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-23033

ZE08062610 – 2008-06-26
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-23033?l=english

Not “Delinquents,” But “People Seeking a Better Way of Life”

TIJUANA, Mexico, JUNE 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The bishops directly affected by immigration in the Americas are asking that the human dignity of migrants be respected.

This was one of the appeals that came from a meeting of episcopal conferences held in Tijuana. The conference, which ended June 19, gathered representatives of bishops’ conferences from Mexico, the United States, Central America and the Caribbean.

Archbishop Christopher Pierre, apostolic nuncio in Mexico, recalled that during Benedict XVI’s April visit to the United States, the Pope stressed the importance of the issue of migration. The nuncio recalled how the Holy Father mentioned that the Church and society have experienced changes due to the presence of Hispanic immigrants.

The Church cannot be indifferent to such facts “and must integrate them in her vision to respond to the challenges,” noted Archbishop Pierre.

The papal representative appealed to the Catholic community to support migrants in various ways, acknowledging that the Church cannot have all the solutions.

During the meeting, Auxiliary Bishop Gustavo Rodríguez Vega of Monterrey, president of the Mexican episcopate’s Commission for Social Pastoral Care, noted, “There have always been migrants and there always will be, but we are referring to a very concrete problem of recent times in which the violation of the human rights of migrants and their families has worsened.”

He explained that these violations happen not only among Mexican migrants, but also among those from Central America and the Caribbean, “who seek to escape from their places of origin and find a better life by going to the United States.”

“On this path, they meet with all sorts of dangers, but also abuse of their human rights. This causes us great concern,” emphasized Bishop Rodriguez Vega.

At a press conference, Archbishop Rafael Romo Muñoz of Tijuana, an official of the Mexican episcopate’s Section for Human Mobility, acknowledged that one of the main problems on the border with the United States is the violation of migrants’ human rights.

But he called attention to another, parallel problem.

“Being on this border with the United States, much attention is paid to the treatment that Mexicans receive at the hands of North American authorities, but not so much attention is paid to Mexicans’ treatment of migrants from Central America, the Caribbean and South America, who suffer terribly,” he stressed.

“We would like our migrants to be regarded with greater humanitarian sensitivity,” the archbishop affirmed. “We have already said many times that these are people seeking a better way of life, who in no way are delinquents. What impels them is the need to be able to provide a better way of life for their families.”

Filed under: Migration, Social Justice

June 19, 2008 • 2:37 pm 0

Bishops of G8 Nations Urge Their Leaders to Address Global Poverty and Climate Change At July G8 Summit

WASHINGTON – In a letter to leaders participating in the G8 Summit in Japan on July 7-9, the presidents of all the Catholic bishops’ conferences of the G8 nations urged Summit leaders to “deepen your commitments and actions to reduce global poverty and address global climate change.” The bishops wrote: “Our religious and moral commitment to protect human life and promote human dignity moves us to be particularly concerned for the poorest and most vulnerable members of the human family, especially those in developing countries.” The G8 leaders include President Bush and the heads of state of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom. Cardinal Francis George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, signed the letter.

The bishops remind Summit leaders of Pope Benedict XVI’s April address to the United Nations in which he called on all nations to work together in good faith to protect the environment, reduce global inequalities and promote solidarity with the weakest regions on the planet which are at risk of experiencing “only the negative effects of globalization.” The bishops support concrete efforts to increase development assistance, to promote just trade policies, and to address the impact of the world food crisis and HIV-AIDS and other deadly diseases.

The bishops note that the poor have contributed least to the factors that aggravate global climate change, but they will be disproportionately affected by “its harmful effects, including potential conflicts, escalating energy costs, and health problems.” They urged Summit leaders to recognize that the “costs of initiatives to prevent and adapt to the harmful consequences of climate change should be borne more by richer persons and nations who have benefited most from the emissions that have fueled development and should not unduly burden the poor.”

The complete text of the bishops’ letter follows:

Letter from National Conferences of Catholic Bishops
to the Leaders of the G8 Nations

June 17, 2008

Hon. Stephen Joseph Harper Hon. Yasuo Fukuda
Prime Minister, Canada Prime Minister, Japan
Hon. Nicolas Sarkozy Hon. Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev
President, French Republic President, Russian Federation
Hon. Angela Merkel Hon. Gordon Brown
Chancellor, Federal Republic of Germany Prime Minister, United Kingdom
Hon. Silvio Berlusconi Hon. George W. Bush
President of the Council of Ministers, Italy President, United States of America

Dear Leaders of the Group of 8 Countries:

As the G8 Summit in Japan approaches, we write on behalf of the Catholic bishops’ conferences to the leaders of our respective nations to urge you to deepen your commitments and actions to reduce global poverty and address global climate change.

As our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI said at his visit to the United Nations in April: “[Q]uestions of security, development goals, reduction of local and global inequalities, protection of the environment, of resources and of the climate, require all international leaders to act jointly and to show a readiness to work in good faith, respecting the law, and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of the planet. I am thinking especially of those countries in Africa and other parts of the world which remain on the margins of authentic integral development, and are therefore at risk of experiencing only the negative effects of globalization.”

Our religious and moral commitment to protect human life and promote human dignity moves us to be particularly concerned for the poorest and most vulnerable members of the human family, especially those in developing countries. The experience of the Catholic Church in serving the needs of poor communities leads us to applaud the Summit’s focus on development and Africa.

It is critically important that you reaffirm and build upon the substantial commitments made in Gleneagles in 2005 and in Heiligendamm in 2007. In 2005 the world’s richest countries promised to spend an additional $50 billion per year on development assistance by 2010, with half that amount going to Africa. This commitment must be met and additional commitments should be made in the areas of health care, education and humanitarian aid. The September 2008 UN summit on the Millennium Development Goals will offer a crucial opportunity to mobilize more broadly the international community.

The global food crisis, which disproportionately devastates poor communities, and the terrible toll of HIV-AIDS, malaria and other diseases, make concerted action even more urgent. We ask you to consider concrete proposals that mitigate the impact of the world food crisis on poor communities, increase health and education spending, and move towards just world trade
policies that respect the dignity of the human person in their working life. To ensure long-term success of these measures, the poor must be empowered to be drivers of their own development. Promoting their self-help capacities and their participation in economic, social, political and cultural processes are essential prerequisites for development.

Once again the agenda of your Summit includes global climate change, an issue of particular concern to people of faith based on our commitment to protect God’s creation. As Catholic bishops, we have a special concern for the impact of climate change on the poor. The poor, who have contributed least to the human activities that aggravate global climate change, are likely to experience a disproportionate share of its harmful effects, including potential conflicts, escalating energy costs, and health problems. This is true in our own countries as well as in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world. The costs of initiatives to prevent and adapt to the harmful consequences of climate change should be borne more by richer persons and nations who have benefited most from the emissions that have fueled development and should not unduly burden the poor. Specific mechanisms should be created to help poor persons and nations adapt to the effects of global climate change and adopt appropriate technologies that will enhance their development in ways that do not contribute to global climate change.

The G8 Summit will explore many issues of critical importance to human life and dignity. We pray that your meeting will be blessed by a spirit of collaboration that enables you to advance the global common good by taking concrete measures to reduce poverty and address climate change.

Sincerely yours,

Most Rev. Vernon James Weisgerber
Archbishop of Winnipeg
President, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

His Eminence André Vingt-Trois
Archbishop of Paris
President of the Bishops’ Conference of France (Conférence des évêques de France)

Most Rev. Robert Zollitsch
Archbishop of Freiburg
President of the German Bishops’ Conference (Deutsche Bischofskonferenz)

His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Bagnasco
Archbishop of Genoa
President, Bishops’ Conference of Italy

Most Rev. Peter Takeo Okada
Archbishop of Tÿkyÿ
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan

Most Rev. Joseph Werth
Bishop of the Diocese of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Novosibirsk
President, Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation

His Eminence Keith Patrick Cardinal O’Brien
Archbishop of Edinburgh and St Andrews
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

His Eminence Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor
Archbishop of Westminster
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

His Eminence Francis Cardinal George
Archbishop of Chicago
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Filed under: Social Doctrine, Social Justice

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