What the Holy See Is Telling the UN Rio+20

What the Holy See Is Telling the UN (Part 1)
Archbishop Chullikatt Explains Rio+20

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, JUNE 27, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, the permanent observer of the Holy See's Mission to the United Nations, participated last week in a major UN conference in Brazil, Rio+20.

He explained to us both the conference itself, and the message the Holy See tried to promote there.

Part 2 of this interview will be published Thursday.

ZENIT: What is Rio+20?

Archbishop Chullikatt: It is the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20-22 June 2012. It marks the 20th Anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which also was held in Rio de Janeiro (the so-called Earth Summit). The scope of Rio+20 was to foster truly sustainable social, economic and environmental development for our planet and for present and future generations.

ZENIT: How was it organized?

Archbishop Chullikatt: It was organized within the United Nations system pursuant to General Assembly Resolutions 64/236 and 66/197 and was envisaged as a UN Conference which would bring together world leaders along with thousands of participants from governments, with a view to reducing poverty, advancing social equity and ensuring environmental protection. The Conference was attended by many Heads of State/Government, several intergovernmental organizations, such as the European Union, the African Union, the Group of Latin American Countries, the private sector and numerous Non-Governmental Organizations. Also present at the Conference were a good number of Catholic non-governmental organizations active in civil society, both in Brazil and internationally, who support the Holy See and work at the grass-roots level with communities in need.

Prior to the commencement of the Conference, there were a series of three preparatory meetings and a number of informal meetings where the final Outcome Document was negotiated and ultimately agreed upon (A/CONF.216/L.1, dated 19 June 2012).

ZENIT: What is the nature and structure of the Outcome Document and what themes were discussed?

Archbishop Chullikatt: The Outcome Document was formally adopted by the Conference on Friday night, 22 June 2012. It is a non-binding document entitled “The Future We Want”. It is 49 pages long with 283 paragraphs divided into six parts. Part I: Our Common Vision; Part II: Renewing Political Commitment; Part III: Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development and Poverty eradication; Part IV: Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development; Part V: Framework for Action and Follow-up; VI Means of Implementation.

Rio+20 focused on issues mentioned above and various priority areas including, among others, decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness.

ZENIT: What is the Holy See’s Position on these themes?

Archbishop Chullikatt: The Holy See underlined its key priorities for the Rio+ 20 Conference in two “Position Papers” which were presented to the first and third Preparatory Committees of the Conference for its consideration:

http://www.holyseemission.org/statements/statement.aspx?id=385;http://www.holyseemission.org/statements/statement.aspx?id=383

In addition, the Holy See further outlined its vision for sustainable development during a Side-Event held during the Conference and in its formal intervention to the Plenary of the Conference.

http://www.holyseemission.org/pdf/Remarks%20of%20Cardinal%20Scherer.pdf

http://www.holyseemission.org/statements/statement.aspx?id=385

Q: Which were the issues of particular concern raised by the Holy See?

Archbishop Chullikatt: The Centrality of Human Beings in Sustainable Development

The Holy See underscored the many threats to the human family and its earthly home. It emphasized that the human person stands at the centre of the created world, and therefore, at the centre of sustainable development. In this way, it reaffirmed the first principle of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.

The rights to water and sanitation, food, basic health care and education are intrinsically linked to the right to life, survival and development. These rights are at the service of the human person and the family.

The Need for a Profound and Farsighted Review of Development

From this perspective, the key principles which must permeate sustainable development policies include: responsibility, promotion and sharing in the common good, access to primary goods, universal solidarity capable of acknowledging the unity of the human family, protection of creation linked to intergenerational equity and solidarity, universal destination of goods as well as the fruits of human enterprise, and finally, subsidiarity, which enables public authorities from the local level to the highest institutions, to operate effectively for the enhancement of each person and family, the protection of resources and the promotion of the common good.

When such principles are applied at the international level, especially in relation to the transfer of technology to developing countries, the promotion of a more just global financial system and increasing aid-for-development, they should place inherent human dignity, integral human development, the family, the common good, the solidarity and safeguarding of the environment at the centre of economic activity.

The Need for an Integrally Human Model of Development with Ethical and Moral Dimensions

The ongoing economic and financial crisis must also take into consideration the moral and cultural crisis. Admittedly, it is a complex challenge to move from a merely technological model of development to an integrally human model, which takes as its point of departure the inherent dignity and worth of the human person and his/her fundamental social dimension which is the family. In the end, it is people who are charged with stewardship over nature; but as with everything human, this stewardship necessarily possesses an ethical dimension.

The Green Economy, Human Dignity, Integral Human Development and the Family

The Conference sought to place the notion of the so-called “green economy” primarily at the intersection between environment and development. A good number of the developing countries, especially from Africa, while sometimes suspicious of so-called “environment-friendly green economic policy” and the challenges it may place on developing countries which lack access to more environmentally friendly technologies and sources of energy, demanded that such a policy be accompanied by an enhanced and more coordinated support from the developed countries. These developing countries sought capacity building, technology transfer, funding and technical support, as well as closing of technology-gaps between developed and developing countries.

In the end, for a green economy to succeed it must be applied in an inclusive manner, directing it clearly to the promotion of the common good and the eradication of poverty on the local level, an element which is essential to the attainment of sustainable development. In other words, we need to forge an alliance between environment and development, which should benefit each and every human person. Therefore, in order to put this green economy in its right perspective, the Holy See emphasized that the “green economy” must be anchored in principles that are essential in effectively promoting respect for the inherent dignity of every human person, for integral human development and for the institution of the family, based on the marriage of one man and one woman, the natural and fundamental group unit of society (cf. UDHR, art. 16, ICCPR, art. 23, ICESCR, art. 10).

ZE12062807 - 2012-06-28
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-35104?l=english

WHAT THE HOLY SEE IS TELLING THE UN (PART 2)

Archbishop Chullikatt Explains Rio+20

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, JUNE 28, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, the permanent observer of the Holy See's Mission to the United Nations, participated last week in a major UN conference in Brazil, Rio+20.

He explained to us both the conference itself, and the message the Holy See tried to promote there.

Part 1 of this interview was published on Wednesday

ZENIT: How is the Family relevant for sustainable development?

Archbishop Chullikatt: It is the family where life, survival and development begin, and where children are first educated to adopt a vocational and ethical attitude, which freely assumes responsibility, in genuine solidarity with one another and all of creation. The uniqueness of the institution of the family, the legal obligation to protect it, and its importance for sustainable development, poverty eradication and the green economy may be summarized as follows:

The family is a community of solidarity

The family is a community of love, harmony and solidarity, based on the enduring bond of communion between the husband and wife, which is uniquely suited by its nature to give birth to children, teach respect, distinction and complementarity between the two sexes and transmit the cultural, ethical, social, spiritual, and religious values, essential for the integral development and well-being of children, of extended family relations, and of society. (Preamble E, Charter on the Rights of the Family)

The family is a unique social institution

The family is an unrepeatable social institution that cultivates within its members a sense of their inherent dignity, from which rights and duties derive. It also develops each member’s sense of acquired dignity, which comes to fulfilment through a fully and harmonious developed personality, gradually formed and educated in authentic freedom and responsible life in society.

The family is enriched by inter/intra-generational relationships

The family is enriched and extended by inter-generational solidarity and inter/intra-generational transmission of values which assist members to grow in human wisdom to appreciate a sustainable comprehensive management of the environment, natural resources, and the universal destination of goods, while ensuring that the inherent dignity of the human person is not violated in attempts to preserve the environment.

The family is a principal agent of peace

The family is a principal agent of peace where the same love that nurtures its members, and builds and maintains unity and harmony in the family, is vital to the building of peace in society.

The family is an economic unit

The family is an economic unit which naturally produces and forms human capital and provides workers, consumers, and service providers, especially for its most vulnerable members.

It is deeply unfortunate that the aforementioned role of the family has not been fully recognized in the Outcome Document despite having been proposed many times by the delegation of the Holy See.

ZENIT: What are your key concerns regarding the Outcome document?

Archbishop Chullikatt: The Outcome Document is the result of a series of complex multilateral negotiations which lasted almost a year. It is not a perfect document. However, the international community, with the required political will and through strict implementation of the applicable measures, can render it fruitful.

The negotiations of the Outcome Document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development provided a unique opportunity for the Holy See and for all members of the Catholic community to gather in Rio to articulate a message for the international community, which moves from a charity or concern for our fellow brothers and sisters rooted in self-interest or sentimentality to one which fosters deep love and genuine solidarity for all our brothers and sisters around the world.

During negotiations, movement was slow on certain sections of the outcome document where deep tensions emerged on international economic and financial realities. Inequalities between regions, especially in Africa, put pressure on certain delegations, especially those of the developed world, to concretely demonstrate solidarity by realistically striving to eradicate poverty and hunger as the primary obstacles to development.

The Outcome Document should have adopted measures to transfer suitable technologies to the local level, to promote a more equitable and inclusive global market, to respect commitments made to provide aid-development, and to find new ways to put human dignity, the common good and the protection of creation at the center of economic life.

In addition, there is concern in regard to the meaning and application of certain concepts. While notions such as “green economy” could provide an opportunity to produce and create new avenues for greater care of the environment, we must recognize that technological solutions unaccompanied by just, ethical and responsible considerations and involvement of local communities will not assist the poor.

Those applying the Rio+20 Outcome Document must put the wellbeing of the human person at the center of concern of sustainable development. Such an approach will help to avoid, among other things, the risks of reductionist and sterile neo-malthusian approaches, which view human beings as obstacles to development, an inherently flawed vision which some delegations of developed nations attempted to weave into the Outcome Document.

There is no conflict between human beings and their development. In order to eradicate poverty and hunger we need to empower the human person. We must encourage peoples and nations to shape their own future, “a future they need”, in accordance with their dignity, religious beliefs, cultures and proven traditions.

Regrettably, some delegations promoted the dubious notion of "sexual and reproductive rights". Fortunately, this expression does not appear in the document. This approach to sustainable development would have undermined the First Principle of Rio, namely: that the human being is at the centre of sustainable development. The human being is always an end in himself, and sustainable development is the means which serves that end.  Any anti-life policy is anti-development. Any policy promoting abortion or abortifacients masquerading as contraceptives, fails in the same way by attacking the right to life in the safest sanctuary of the womb, and the health of the woman whose body created this home. In the end, such a policy is not at the service of health, children, their mothers or the family but amounts to violence against women and children and the family.

The Holy See gave a Statement of Position which takes issue with vague and ambiguous wording contained in the Outcome Document. For the Holy See, the term “sexual and reproductive health,” found in the document, should be applied to a holistic concept of health that embraces the person in the entirety of his or her personality, mind and body, and which fosters the achievement of personal maturity in sexuality and in the mutual love and decision making that characterizes the conjugal relationship in accordance with the norms of the natural moral order.

Moreover, unfortunately, the Outcome Document of this Conference neglected the fundamental role that religious organizations play in promoting sustainable development. Religious institutions, such as those of the Catholic Church, play a fundamental role in educating people on the need to love and care for the poor out of love and solidarity. In addition, these institutions provide education to millions of children around the world so that they can be productive and responsible members of society and future leaders of our countries. Moreover, religious organizations also play a vital role of living in solidarity with the most vulnerable persons in society and providing a voice to the voiceless. Failure to fully engage religious institutions in order to achieve a human centred sustainable development is a failure to recognize the true nature of the human person and recognize the innate spiritual dimension of individuals and society.

In addition, it is important to understand that the poor and developing countries arrived at the Conference with a lot of expectations. They sought assistance, solidarity and expertise, especially at the social, financial and economic levels from their brothers and sisters of developed nations. However, many felt disillusioned that the Outcome Document of this Conference failed to deliver for them.  Governments need to make good on their promises; otherwise a prosperous and better future will always remain a dream for the most vulnerable persons in the world.

In conclusion, new development models created or promoted as a result of this recently concluded Conference must be respectful of the human person and promote a more just and caring international community. Moreover, such models should be guided by the principles I mentioned earlier regarding the Holy See’s position on this issue. While political debate is necessary, willingness to live and work in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world is needed, otherwise sustainable development will forever remain a distant and unrealized dream. The world has changed a great deal since the first Rio Conference but despite the progress, far too many children go without food, far too many families see their homes and communities destroyed by man-made and environmental catastrophes, and far too many people are depressed, disappointed and disillusioned. Now is the time for governments to recognize that sustainable development starts with the human person and his/her family. This is the way to build “a future we need.” This is the way to true progress.

This is the way to a more just and equitable world for all.

Holy See on Sustainable Development

"Human beings, in fact, come first. We need to be reminded of this"

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, JUNE 14, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of a position paper from the permanent observer mission of the Holy See to the United Nations for the UN conference on sustainable development that is under way in Rio de Janeiro through Friday.
* * *
1.    INTRODUCTION
    The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, represents an important step in a process which has contributed significantly to a better understanding of the concept of sustainable development and the interplay of the three acknowledged pillars of this concept: economic growth, environmental protection and the promotion of social welfare. The process, initiated at Stockholm in 1972, had two of its high points at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, with the so-called “Earth Summit”, and at Johannesburg in 2002.
    As part of this process, a unanimous consensus has emerged that protecting the environment means improving peoples’ lives and, vice versa, that environmental degradation and underdevelopment are closely interdependent issues needing to be approached together, responsibly and in a spirit of solidarity.
    At all these international occasions the Holy See has made its presence felt less by proposing specific technical solutions to the various issues under discussion as part of the effort to attain a correct process of sustainable development, than by its insistence that issues affecting the human dignity of individuals and peoples cannot be reduced to “technical” problems: the process of development cannot be left to purely technical solutions, for in this way it would lack ethical direction. The search for solutions to these issues cannot be separated from our understanding of human beings.
    Human beings, in fact, come first. We need to be reminded of this. At the centre of sustainable development is the human person. The human person, to whom the good stewardship of nature is entrusted, cannot be dominated by technology and become its object. A realization of this fact must lead States to reflect together on the short and medium term future of our planet, recognizing their responsibility for the life of each person and for the technologies which can help to improve its quality. Adopting and promoting in every situation a way of life which respects the dignity of each human being, and supporting research and the utilization of energy sources and technologies capable of safeguarding the patrimony of creation without proving dangerous for human beings: these need to be political and economic priorities. In this sense, our approach to nature clearly needs to be reviewed, for nature is the setting in which human beings are born and interact: it is their “home”.
    A changed mentality in this area and the duties which it would entail ought to make it possible quickly to discover an art of living together, one which respects that covenant between human beings and nature without which the human family risks dying out. This calls for serious reflection and the proposal of clear and sustainable solutions: a reflection which must not be muddied by blind partisan political, economic or ideological interests which shortsightedly put particular interests above solidarity. While it is true that technology has brought about more rapid globalization, the primacy of the human being over technology must be reaffirmed, for without this we risk existential confusion and the loss of life’s meaning. The fact that technology outstrips all else frequently means that reflection on why we do things systematically yields to the pressure of how we do things, leaving no time for patient discernment. It is urgent, then, to find a way of combining technical know-how with a solid ethical approach based on the dignity of the human person. (1)
    Along these lines, it must be emphasized that the dignity of the human person is closely linked to the right to development, the right to a healthy environment and the right to peace. These three rights shed light on how individuals, society and the environment are interrelated. This in turn results in a heightened sense of responsibility on the part of every human being for himself, for others, for creation and, ultimately, before God. Such responsibility calls for a careful analysis of the impact and consequences of our actions, with particular concern for the poor and for future generations.
2.    THE CENTRALITY OF HUMAN BEINGS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
    It is therefore essential to base the reflection of Rio+20 on the first principle of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted at the Rio de Janeiro Conference of June 1992, which acknowledges the centrality of the human being and declares that “human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature”.
    To put the welfare of human beings at the centre of concern for sustainable development is actually the surest way to attain such development and to help protect creation; as noted above, this results in a heightened sense of responsibility on the part of individuals for one another, for natural resources and for their wise use.
    Moreover, taking the centrality of the human person as a starting point helps to avoid the risks associated with adopting a reductionist and sterile neo-Malthusian approach which views human beings as an obstacle to sustainable development. There is no conflict between human beings and their environment, but rather a stable and inseparable covenant in which the environment conditions the life and development of human beings, while they in turn perfect and ennoble the environment by their creative, productive and responsible labour. It is this covenant which needs to be reinforced; a covenant which respects the dignity of the human being from his or her conception. Here too it is proper to reaffirm that the expression “gender equality” means the equal dignity of both men and women.
3.    THE NEED FOR A PROFOUND AND FARSIGHTED REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT
    In the last four decades significant changes have occurred in the international community. We need but think of the extraordinary progress made in technical and scientific knowledge, which has found application in strategic sectors of the economy and society like transportation, energy and communications. This extraordinary progress coexists however with the deviations and dramatic problems of development encountered by many countries, as well as the economic and financial crisis experienced by much of present-day society. These problems increasingly challenge the international community to a continued and deepened reflection on the meaning of the economy and its goals, as well as to a profound and farsighted review of the current model of development so as to correct its dysfunctions. Indeed, it is demanded by the earth’s state of ecological health, and above all by the cultural and moral crisis of humanity, the symptoms of which have been evident for some time throughout the world. (2)
    On the basis of these premises, the Holy See wishes, in the context of the Rio+20 process, to examine certain particular issues which have clear ethical and social repercussions for humanity as a whole.
    First, the definition of a new model of development, to which Rio+20 seeks to contribute, must be completely anchored in, and permeated by, those principles which are the basis for the effective protection of human dignity. These principles are fundamental for the correct implementation of a development marked by special concern for persons who are in most vulnerable situations, and thus they guarantee respect for the centrality of the human person. These principles call for:
•    responsibility, even when changes must be made to patterns of production and consumption in order to ensure that they reflect an appropriate lifestyle;
•    promoting and sharing in the common good;
•    access to primary goods, included such essential and fundamental goods as nutrition, education, security, peace and health; in this last case, it must always be noted that the right to health stems from the right to life: abortion and contraception are gravely opposed to life and can never be health issues. Health is about care and not mere services: this commodification of health care places technical concerns ahead of human concerns;
•    a universal solidarity capable of acknowledging the unity of the human family;
•    the protection of creation which in turn is linked to inter-generational equity; moreover, inter-generational solidarity requires taking into account the ability of future generations to discharge developmental burdens;
•    intra-generational equity, which is closely linked to social justice;
•    the universal destination not only of goods, but also of the fruits of human enterprise.
    These principles should be the glue holding together the shared vision which will light up the path of Rio+20 and post-Rio+20. For its part, Rio+20 could contribute significantly to the definition of a new model of development, to the extent that the discussions at the Conference serve to construct that model on the basis of the principles mentioned above.
4.    THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY AND THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY
    Another fundamental principle is that of subsidiarity, as a consolidation of that international governance of sustainable developmentwhich is one of the principal subjects to be discussed at Rio+20. Nowadays the principle of subsidiarity, also in the international community, is increasingly considered a means of regulating social relations and thus concomitant with the definition of rules and institutional forms. A correct subsidiarity can enable public powers, from the local level to the highest international instances, to operate effectively for the enhancement of each person, the protection of resources and the promotion of the common good. Nonetheless, theprinciple of subsidiarity must be closely linked to the principle of solidarity and vice versa. For if subsidiarity without solidarity lapses into social privatism, it is likewise true that solidarity without subsidiarity lapses into a welfare mentality which is demeaning to those in need. (3)  This must be all the more clearly evident in reflections of an international character such as those of Rio+20, where the implementation of these two principles must result in the adoption of mechanisms aimed at combating the current inequities between and within States, and thus favouring the transfer of suitable technologies to the local level, the promotion of a more equitable and inclusive global market, respect for commitments made to provide aid for development, and finding new and innovative financial instruments which would put human dignity, the common good and the protection of creation at the centre of economic life.
    In the context of applying the principle of subsidiarity, it is also important to acknowledge and enhance the role of the family, the basic cell of our human society and “the natural and the fundamental group unit of society”, as mentioned in Art. 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition, it is the principle of subsidiarity’s last line of defence against totalitarianism. For it is in the family that the fundamental process of education and growth begins for every person, so that the principles mentioned above can be assimilated and passed on to future generations. For that matter, it is within the family that we receive our first, decisive notions about truth and goodness, where we learn what it means to love and to be loved, and so, in concrete, what it means to be a person. (4)
    Discussions on the international framework for sustainable development should therefore be grounded in a principle of subsidiarity which would fully enhance the role of the family, together with the principle of solidarity; they should include the fundamental concepts of respect for human dignity and the centrality of human beings.
5    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS PART OF INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
    A third issue to which the Holy See wishes to draw attention in the framework of the Rio+20 process is the linkage between sustainable development and integral human development. Together with material and social welfare, consideration must also be given to the ethical and spiritual values which guide and give meaning to economic decisions and consequently to technological progress,inasmuch as every economic decision has a moral consequence. The technical economic sphere is neither ethically neutral, nor by nature inhuman and antisocial. It pertains to human activity and, precisely as human, needs to be ethically structured and institutionalized. (5)
    Certainly this presents a complex challenge, yet emphasis must be placed on the importance of passing from a merely economic concept of development to a model of development that is integrally human in all its aspects: economic, social and environmental, (6) and based on the dignity of each person.
    This means further anchoring the three pillars of sustainable development in an ethical vision based precisely on human dignity. The challenge can be met concretely by launching the process of determining a series of sustainable development goals through the promotion of innovative efforts to fine-tune older and newer indicators of development in the short and medium term. These indicators should be capable of effectively verifying improvement or deterioration not only in the economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development, but also in its ethical aspects, taking into consideration resources and needs, and access to goods and services, be they material or immaterial.
6.    THE GREEN ECONOMY AND INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
    A fourth area of interest for the Holy See has to do with the green economy. As the debate which took place during the preparatory meetings for Rio+20 made clear, a great number of concerns exist about the transition to the “green economy”. This concept, which has yet to be clearly defined, has the potential to make an important contribution to the cause of peace and international solidarity. It is nonetheless essential that it be applied in an inclusive manner, directing it clearly to the promotion of the common good and the elimination of poverty on the local level, an element essential to the attainment of sustainable development. Care must also be taken lest the green economy give rise to new ways of “conditioning” commerce and international aid, and thus become a latent form of “green protectionism”. It is also important for the green economy to be principally focused on integral human development. From this standpoint, and in the light of the identification of suitable patterns of consumption and production, the green economy can become a significant tool for promoting decent work and prove capable of fostering an economic growth which respects not only the environment but also the dignity of the human person.
    The Holy See trusts that the outcome of Rio+20 will not only be successful but also, and above all, innovative and farsighted. In this way it will contribute to the material and spiritual welfare of every individual, family and community.
ENDNOTES
1.  Cf. POPE BENEDICT XVI, Address at the Collective Presentation of Credential Letters by Several Ambassadors (9 June 2011).
2.  Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 32.
3.  Cf. ibid., 58.
4.  Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 39.
5.  Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 36 and 37.
6.  Cf. Angelus Message of JOHN PAUL II for 25 August 2002, the Sunday before the opening of the Johannesburg Summit.

CARDINAL DOLAN, ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ URGE CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO BUILD CONSENSUS ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

 

Letter comes as pope visits Mexico, Cuba

Bishops cite state laws creating local divisions

U.S. bishops to file brief against Arizona law

 

WASHINGTON—Congressional leaders should “build consensus” toward reform of the nation’s immigration laws, said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, in a March 22 letter.

            “Passage of immigration reform is more important now than ever, as state laws and local enforcement initiatives are filling the policy vacuum left by Congress,” the bishops wrote in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Minority Leaders of both chambers. “This has created a patchwork of laws and policies throughout the country which has led to discord in our communities.”

            Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Gomez expressed concern over the impact that state and local initiatives are having on immigrant families, which become separated because of these policies. 

            “Children are often the innocent victims of these policies, which leave them without parents and with less opportunity to live a full and productive life in their home country, the United States.”

            The letter came on the eve of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Mexico. Around 60 percent of undocumented immigrants in the United States are of Mexican origin.

            The letter also indicated that the USCCB will soon file an amicus brief supporting the “full authority” of the federal government to “enact and implement” laws governing immigration.

            Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Gomez encouraged the leaders to address immigration reform as “soon as possible,” as new State laws will continue to “tear at the social fabric of our nation, until it is torn beyond repair.”

            The letter is available online: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigration/letter-to-house-on-immigration-2012-march.cfm

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URGENT NEED TO EDUCATE LAITY IN CHURCH SOCIAL DOCTRINE

VATICAN CITY, 4 NOV 2010 (VIS) - The Pope has sent a Message to Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, to mark that body's plenary assembly which is currently benign held in Rome. The assembly is focusing on how the Encyclical "Caritas in veritate" has been received in various communities.



"Only with charity, supported by hope and illuminated by the light of faith and reason, is it possible to achieve the goals of the integral liberation of man and universal justice", the Holy Father writes.



Referring to the "fundamental problems affecting the destiny of peoples and of world institutions, as well as of the human family", which are examined in "Caritas in veritate", Benedict XVI points out that social and national inequalities "have by no means disappeared. ... Co-ordination among States - which is often inadequate because, rather than aiming to achieve solidarity, it aims only at a balance of power - leaves the field open to renewed inequalities, to the danger of the predominance of economic and financial groups which dictate - and intend to continue to do so - the political agenda at the expense of the universal common good".



The Holy Father stresses the urgent need "for commitment to educating Catholic laity in Church social doctrine". Lay Catholics "must undertake to promote the correct ordering of social life, while respecting the legitimate autonomy of worldly institutions".



"A profound understanding of the social doctrine of the Church is of fundamental importance, in harmony with all her theological heritage and strongly rooted in affirming the transcendent dignity of man, in defending human life from conception to natural death and in religious freedom. ... It is necessary to prepare lay people capable of dedicating themselves to the common good, especially in complex environments such as the world of politics".



The Pope concludes his Message by expressing the hope that the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace may continue "to prepare fresh 'aggiornamenti' of Church social doctrine". In order to globalise this doctrine, he writes, "it may be appropriate to create centres and institutions for its study, dissemination and implementation throughout the world".



"In collaboration with others, seek more effective ways to transmit the contents of social doctrine, not only in the traditional itineraries of Christian formation and education of all kinds and at all levels, but also in the great centres where world thought is forged - such as the organs of the lay press, universities and economic and social study centres - which in recent times have come into being in every corner of the earth".

MESS/ VIS 20101104 (450)

Holy See Proposes Human Rights to End Recession

Says People Must Be Protected First

GENEVA, Switzerland, MARCH 8, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Defending human rights will contribute to ending the financial crisis, according to a Holy See representative at the United Nations.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer at the Geneva U.N. offices, affirmed this in his address last Wednesday to the 13th session of the Human Rights Council.

"The delegation of the Holy See wishes to reaffirm its conviction that the perspective of human rights offers a positive contribution for a solution to the present financial crisis," the archbishop said. "Although it is true that some signs of recovery are being seen, the crisis continues to worsen the situation of millions of people in their access to essential needs of life" and "compromises the retirement plans" of many.

Regulations are needed that will ensure lasting and global development, the prelate proposed. And he said there is a "unique opportunity" to tackle the "roots of the crisis" by implementing human rights in the "economic, civil and political" realms.

Equality and justice

The Holy See representative reflected on the United Nations Report on the negative consequences of the financial crisis: the scandal of hunger, growing inequality, millions of unemployed, millions of new poor, failure of institutions, lack of social protection for vulnerable people, etc.

Citing Benedict XVI's social encyclical "Caritas in Veritate," he pointed out the imbalances that occur when "separating economic management, to which the production of wealth alone corresponds, from political action, which should have the role of obtaining justice through redistribution."

"Equality and justice are the essential criteria to manage the world economy," stressed Archbishop Tomasi.

And it is possible to promote human rights, the prelate affirmed, if states "translate principles into laws and make on the spot changes a reality."

Governments are the primary protagonists in implementing human rights, the Holy See representative stated, but collaboration with civil society and the international community should not be lacking.

"The common objective," he said, "is the protection of human dignity that connects the whole of the human family," a unity "rooted in these four fundamental principles: the central character of the human person, solidarity, subsidiarity and the common good."

Ignoring people

The prelate cautioned against solutions to the crisis that consider the "reform of the financial system" or of "economic models" without taking into account the needs of people.

On the contrary, "access to resources" must be guaranteed "to improve their conditions of life" and to allow them to "put their talents at the service of the local community and of the universal common good," he said.

To make this happen, Archbishop Tomasi explained, "the rules that govern the financial system" must be modified, leaving aside the "old forms of greed that have led to the present crisis" and encouraging the promotion of an "effective integral development and the implementation of human rights" because "the person, in his integrity, is the first capital to protect and appreciate."

Holy See: Put Justice at Base of Trade

Affirms Economic Systems Must Protect Human Dignity
GENEVA, Switzerland, DEC. 7, 2009 ( Zenit.org ).- International trade should be based on social justice, particularly as the poor are hit hardest by the global recession, says the Holy See's permanent observer at the Geneva U.N. offices.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi affirmed this when he addressed the Seventh Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference, Vatican Radio reported. The three-day event concluded last Thursday and focused on "The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global Economic Environment."

During the meeting, ministers of the 139 WTO member countries evaluated the state of negotiations for a worldwide agreement on the liberalization of trade.

Though "every country has the right to define its own economic model," Archbishop Tomasi said, systems should be thought out in the context of "inclusive and equitable globalization," in which "solidarity, investment, the transfer of technology, the capacity to build and the exchange of knowledge are means at the service of development." All of this, he added, should be "based on the centrality of the person."

Economy should protect the dignity inherent to every human person, the prelate affirmed. And that is why the market should be directed to the common good, responding above all to the needs of the poorest.

To attain this objective, the Holy See representative contended, there must be "a decisive step toward a system of trade based on the principle of social justice."