Address Of His Holiness Pope John Paul II
To The Diplomatic Corps
Monday, 13 January 2003
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. This meeting at the beginning of the New Year is a happy
tradition which affords me the joy of welcoming you and in some way of
embracing all the peoples whom you represent! For it is through you and thanks
to you that I come to know their hopes and aspirations, their successes and
their setbacks. Today I wish to offer your countries my fervent good wishes
of happiness, peace and prosperity.
At the threshold of the New Year I am also pleased to offer
all of you my best wishes, as I invoke upon you, your families and your fellow
citizens an abundance of divine blessings.
Before sharing with you some reflections inspired by the
present situation in the world and in the Church, I must thank your Dean,
Ambassador Giovanni Galassi, for his kind words and for the good wishes which
he has thoughtfully expressed, in the name of all present, for my person and
for my ministry. Please accept my deep gratitude!
Mr Ambassador, you have also pointed to the legitimate
expectations of modern men and women, all too often frustrated by political
crises, by armed violence, by social conflicts, by poverty or by natural
catastrophes. Never as at the beginning of this millennium has humanity felt
how precarious is the world which it has shaped.
2. I have been personally struck by the feeling of fear
which often dwells in the hearts of our contemporaries. An insidious
terrorism capable of striking at any time and anywhere; the unresolved problem
of the Middle East, with the Holy Land and Iraq; the turmoil disrupting South
America, particularly Argentina, Colombia and Venzuela; the conflicts
preventing numerous African countries from focusing on their development; the
diseases spreading contagion and death; the grave problem of famine,
especially in Africa; the irresponsible behaviour contributing to the
depletion of the planet's resources: all these are so many plagues
threatening the suvival of humanity, the peace of individuals and the security
of societies.
3. Yet everything can change. It depends on each of us.
Everyone can develop within himself his potential for faith, for honesty, for
respect of others and for commitment to the service of others.
It also depends, quite obviously, on political leaders, who
are called to serve the common good. You will not be surprised if before an
assembly of diplomats I state in this regard certain requirements which
I believe must be met if entire peoples, perhaps even humanity itself, are not
to sink into the abyss.
First, a "YES TO LIFE"! Respect life itself
and individual lives: everything starts here, for the most fundamental of
human rights is certainly the right to life. Abortion, euthanasia, human
cloning, for example, risk reducing the human person to a mere object: life
and death to order, as it were! When all moral criteria are removed,
scientific research involving the sources of life becomes a denial of the
being and the dignity of the person. War itself is an attack on human life
since it brings in its wake suffering and death. The battle for peace is
always a battle for life!
Next, RESPECT FOR LAW. Life within society -
particularly international life - presupposes common and inviolable
principles whose goal is to guarantee the security and the freedom of
individual citizens and of nations. These rules of conduct are the foundation
of national and international stability. Today political leaders have at hand
highly relevant texts and institutions. It is enough simply to put them into
practice. The world would be totally different if people began to apply in a
straightforward manner the agreements already signed!
Finally, the DUTY OF SOLIDARITY. In a world with a
superabundance of information, but which paradoxically finds it so difficult
to communicate and where living conditions are scandalously unequal, it is
important to spare no effort to ensure that everyone feels responsible for the
growth and happiness of all. Our future is at stake. An unemployed young
person, a handicapped person who is marginalized, elderly people who are
uncared for, countries which are captives of hunger and poverty: these
situations all too often make people despair and fall prey to the temptation
either of closing in on themselves or of resorting to violence.
4. This is why choices need to be made so that humanity can
still have a future. Therefore, the peoples of the earth and their leaders
must sometimes have the courage to say "No".
"NO TO DEATH"! That is to say, no to all that
attacks the incomparable dignity of every human being, beginning with that of
unborn children. If life is truly a treasure, we need to be able to preserve
it and to make it bear fruit without distorting it. "No" to all that
weakens the family, the basic cell of society. "No" to all that
destroys in children the sense of striving, their respect for themselves and
others, the sense of service.
"NO TO SELFISHNESS"! In other words, to all
that impels man to protect himself inside the cocoon of a privileged social
class or a cultural comfort which excludes others. The life-style of the
prosperous, their patterns of consumption, must be reviewed in the light of
their repercussions on other countries. Let us mention for example the problem
of water resources, which the United Nations Organization has asked us all to
consider during this year 2003. Selfishness is also the indifference of
prosperous nations towards nations left out in the cold. All peoples are
entitled to receive a fair share of the goods of this world and of the
know-how of the more advanced countries. How can we fail to think here, for
example, of the access of everyone to generic medicines, needed to continue
the fight against current pandemics, an access -- alas -- often thwarted by
short-term economic considerations?
"NO TO WAR"! War is not always inevitable. It
is always a defeat for humanity. International law, honest dialogue,
solidarity between States, the noble exercise of diplomacy: these are methods
worthy of individuals and nations in resolving their differences. I say this
as I think of those who still place their trust in nuclear weapons and of the
all-too-numerous conflicts which continue to hold hostage our brothers and
sisters in humanity. At Christmas, Bethlehem reminded us of the unresolved
crisis in the Middle East, where two peoples, Israeli and Palestinian, are
called to live side-by-side, equally free and sovereign, in mutual respect.
Without needing to repeat what I said to you last year on this occasion, I
will simply add today, faced with the constant degeneration of the crisis in
the Middle East, that the solution will never be imposed by recourse to
terrorism or armed conflict, as if military victories could be the solution.
And what are we to say of the threat of a war which could strike the people of
Iraq, the land of the Prophets, a people already sorely tried by more than
twelve years of embargo? War is never just another means that one can choose
to employ for settling differences between nations. As the Charter of the
United Nations Organization and international law itself remind us, war cannot
be decided upon, even when it is a matter of ensuring the common good, except
as the very last option and in accordance with very strict conditions, without
ignoring the consequences for the civilian population both during and after
the military operations.
5. It is therefore possible to change the course of
events,
once good will, trust in others, fidelity to commitments and cooperation
between responsible partners are allowed to prevail. I shall give two
examples.
Today's Europe, which is at once united and enlarged.
Europe has succeeded in tearing down the walls which disfigured her. She has
committed herself to planning and creating a new reality capable of combining
unity and diversity, national sovereignty and joint activity, economic
progress and social justice. This new Europe is the bearer of the values which
have borne fruit for two thousand years in an "art" of thinking and
living from which the whole world has benefitted. Among these values
Christianity holds a privileged position, inasmuch as it gave birth to a
humanism which has permeated Europe's history and institutions. In recalling
this patrimony, the Holy See and all the Christian Churches have urged those
drawing up the future Constitutional Treaty of the European Union to include a
reference to Churches and religious institutions. We believe it desirable
that, in full respect of the secular state, three complementary elements
should be recognized: religious freedom not only in its individual and ritual
aspects, but also in its social and corporative dimensions; the
appropriateness of structures for dialogue and consultation between the
Governing Bodies and communities of believers; respect for the juridical
status already enjoyed by Churches and religious institutions in the Member
States of the Union. A Europe which disavowed its past, which denied the fact
of religion, and which had no spiritual dimension would be extremely
impoverished in the face of the ambitious project which calls upon all its
energies: constructing a Europe for all!
Africa too gives us today an occasion to rejoice:
Angola has begun its rebuilding; Burundi has taken the path which could lead
to peace and expects from the international community understanding and
financial aid; the Democratic Republic of Congo is seriously engaged in a
national dialogue which should lead to democracy. The Sudan has likewise shown
good will, even if the path to peace remains long and arduous. We should of
course be grateful for these signs of progress and we should encourage
political leaders to spare no effort in ensuring that, little by little, the
peoples of Africa experience the beginnings of pacification and thus of
prosperity, safe from ethnic struggles, caprice and corruption. For this
reason we can only deplore the grave incidents which have rocked Côte-d'Ivoire
and the Central African Republic, while inviting the people of those countries
to lay down their arms, to respect their respective constitutions and to lay
the foundations for national dialogue. It will then be easy to involve all the
elements of the national community in planning a society in which everyone
finds a place. Furthermore, we do well to note that Africans are increasingly
trying to find the solutions best suited to their problems, thanks to the
activity of the African Union and effective forms of regional mediation.
6. Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is vital to
note that the independence of States can no longer be understood apart from
the concept of interdependence. All States are interconnected both for
better and for worse. For this reason, and rightly so, we must be able to
distinguish good from evil and call them by their proper names. As history has
taught us time and time again, it is when doubt or confusion about what is
right and wrong prevails that the greatest evils are to be feared.
If we are to avoid descending into chaos, it seems to me that
two
conditions must be met. First, we must rediscover within States
and
between States the paramount value of the natural law, which was the
source of inspiration for the rights of nations and for the first formulations
of international law. Even if today some people question its validity, I am
convinced that its general and universal principles can still help us to
understand more clearly the unity of the human race and to foster the
development of the consciences both of those who govern and of those who are
governed. Second, we need the persevering work of Statesmen who are honest
and selfless. In effect, the indispensable professional competence of
political leaders can find no legitimation unless it is connected to strong
moral convictions. How can one claim to deal with world affairs without
reference to this set of principles which is the basis of the "universal
common good" spoken of so eloquently by Pope John XXIII in his Encyclical
Pacem in Terris? It will always be possible for a leader who acts in
accordance with his convictions to reject situations of injustice or of
institutional corruption, or to put an end to them. It is precisely in this, I
believe, that we rediscover what is today commonly called "good
governance". The material and spiritual well-being of humanity, the
protection of the freedom and rights of the human person, selfless public
service, closeness to concrete conditions: all of these take precedence over
every political project and constitute a moral necessity which in itself is
the best guarantee of peace within nations and peace between States.
7. It is clear that, for a believer, these motivations
are enriched by faith in a God who is the Creator and Father of all,
who has entrusted man with stewardship of the earth and with the duty of
brotherly love. This shows how it is in a State's own interest to ensure
that religious freedom -- which is a natural right, that is, at one and the
same time both an individual and social right -- is effectively guaranteed
for all. As I have had occasion to remark in the past, believers who feel that
their faith is respected and whose communities enjoy juridical recognition
will work with ever greater conviction in the common project of building up
the civil society to which they belong. You will understand then why I speak
out on behalf of all Christians who, from Asia to Europe, continue to be
victims of violence and intolerance, such as happened recently during the
celebration of Christmas. Ecumenical dialogue between Christians and
respectful contact with other religions, in particular with Islam, are the
best remedy for sectarian rifts, fanaticism or religious terrorism. As far as
the Catholic Church is concerned, I will mention but one situation which is a
cause of great suffering for me: the plight of Catholic communities in the
Russian Federation, which for months now have seen some of their Pastors
prevented from returning to them for administrative reasons. The Holy See
expects from the Government authorities concrete decisions which will put an
end to this crisis, and which are in keeping with the international agreements
subscribed to by the modern and democratic Russia. Russian Catholics wish to
live as their brethren do in the rest of the world, enjoying the same freedom
and the same dignity.
8. Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, may all of us who
have gathered in this place, which is a symbol of spirituality, dialogue and
peace, contribute by our daily actions to the advancement of all the peoples
of the earth, in justice and harmony, to their progress towards conditions of
greater happiness and greater justice, far from poverty, violence and threats
of war! May God pour out his abundant blessings upon you and all those whom
you represent. A Happy New Year to everyone!
source:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2003/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20030113_diplomatic-corps_en.html
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