Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI received 8 new Ambassadors to the Holy See from Mongolia, Benin, New Zealand, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Namibia, and Norway, in an audience on May 29. With each representative who presented his Letters of Credence, the Holy Father exchanged the texts of the address and then addressed all the Ambassadors.
“A commitment to serving peace and the consolidation of fraternal relations among nations constitutes the core of your diplomatic mission", said the Pope. "Today, in the midst of a worldwide social and economic crisis, people must regain an awareness of the need to struggle ... in order to establish true peace, with the aim of constructing a more just and prosperous world.” Benedict XVI then highlighted the fact that “injustices, often so manifest, among or within nations, like all processes that contribute to dividing or marginalizing peoples, represent attacks against peace and create a grave risk of conflict.”
After recalling his Message for the World Day of Peace 2009, the Pontiff mentioned that “peace cannot be built but by intervening firmly to eliminate the inequality engendered by unjust systems, and so allowing everyone a standard of living that enables them to live a dignified and prosperous existence.” He said that “such inequalities have become even more evident because of the current financial and economic crisis which has also had various repercussions on low-income countries.” Among these, the Holy Father mentioned the the tailing off of foreign investment, the fall in demand for raw materials and the tendency for international aid to diminish, as well as the drop in remittances of emigrants, likewise victims of the recession which also affects their host countries. “The crisis could become a catastrophe for the inhabitants of weaker countries", warned Benedict XVI. “Those who already live in extreme poverty are the first to be affected, as they are the most vulnerable. This crisis will also make people who used to live in decency, fall into poverty...Poverty increases and has grave and often irreversible circumstances.”
Among the first consequences of the recession caused by the economic crisis, Benedict XVI named children, “innocent victims,” who should be the first to receive protection. He also mentioned the desperation they bring forces some people to anguished efforts to seek solutions that enable them to survive from day to day. Unfortunately, such efforts are often accompanied by “individual or collective acts of violence that can further destabilize already-weakened societies.” To find a solution to the crisis, the Holy Father mentioned that “rather than diminishing aid to the most defenseless nations, have suggested increasing it” and exhorted them to follow their example, “so that the neediest countries are able to sustain their economies and consolidate social measures designed to protect the most needy sectors of the population. I launch an appeal for a greater fraternity and solidarity, and real global generosity.”
In concluding his speech, the Holy Father mentioned some new forms of violence that have taken place in recent years and “alas, seek support from the Name of God to justify dangerous acts.” He thus exhorted religious leaders to do all they can to “accompany and enlighten believers so as to ensure they become increasingly saintly and interpret divine words in the light of truth. It is necessary favor the resurgence of world in which religions and societies can open to one another, thanks to the openness that religions practice within and among themselves. This will be an authentic testimony to life. This will create a space for positive and necessary dialogue. By making her contribution to the world, the Catholic Church wishes to bear witness to her positive vision of man's future.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 2/6/2009)
