On Common Good : Selected Excerpts of the Latest Message of H.E.Pope Benedict XVI
Selected Excerpts
"Today more than ever the human family can grow as a free society of free peoples so long as globalisation is guided by solidarity and the common good, and by social justice"...
"The common good is the goal that gives meaning to progress and development, which otherwise would be limited only to the production of material goods. These goods are necessary, but without the orientation to the common good consumerism, waste, poverty and inequality come to prevail, which are negative factors for progress and development".
....one of the greatest risks of the modern world lies in the fact that "'the de facto interdependence of people and nations is not matched by ethical interaction of consciences and minds that would give rise to truly human development'. Such interaction, for example, seems to be too weak with those leaders who, in the face of renewed episodes of irresponsible speculation against the weakest States, do not react with adequate decisions to govern finance. Politics must have primacy over finance, and ethics must be the guiding force for all activities".
..."the common good is made up of a number of factors: material, cognitive and institutional good, as well as moral and spiritual good. The latter two are superior and the former must be subordinate to them. Our commitment to the common good of the family of peoples, and to that of each society, means we must give support to and avail ourselves of the complex of institutions that give juridical, civil, political and cultural structure to the life of society". ..
"We must ensure that the economic-productive order remains socially responsible and of a human scale, through joint and unitary action on various levels, including the international level. In the same way, it is important to support the consolidation of constitutional, juridical and administrative systems in countries that do not yet fully enjoy them. Economic aid must, then, be accompanied by measures that aim to reinforce the guarantees of the rule of law, a just and efficient system of public
order in full respect for human rights, and truly democratic and participative institutions.
"The fundamental priority for the development of the entire family of peoples, however, is to strive to recognise the true scale of goods and values. The notion of integral human development presupposes such things as subsidiarity and solidarity, and interdependence between State, society and the market. In a global society made up of many different peoples and religions, the common good and integral development must be achieved with everyone's contribution. Religions have a crucial role to play in this, especially when they teach fraternity and peace".
Courtesy:
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE : TWENTIETH YEAR - N. 97
ENGLISH : MONDAY, 24 MAY 2010
RELIGIONS ARE CRUCIAL FOR INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
AC/ VIS 20100524 (600)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Russian Church Opposes Misinterpretation of Human Rights to Eliminate Divine Faith and Promote Sexual Perversions
http://en.rian.ru/Religion/20100318/158242379.html
Religion
Patriarch Kirill calls to expose discrimination against Christians in Europe
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church on Thursday called on the world to expose cases of bias and discrimination against Christians in Europe.
"We should realize today that Christianophobia is taking place in many countries," Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who is winding up his three-day visit to Armenia, said in the Yerevan State University.
A website hosted by the NGO Europe for Christ http://www.christianophobia.eu, explains the notion "Christianophobia" as "intolerance and discrimination against Christians." "The term means... irrational animosity towards or hatred of Christians, or Christianity in general," the website says.
Some people think that as Europe strives for implementation of human rights and freedoms, it sometimes selectively understands the notions of rights and tolerance, providing in reality more opportunities to some groups in society to the detriment of others.
In February 2009, the Daily Telegraph cited a survey showing two-thirds of the Church of England General Synod believe Christians are discriminated against in the workplace. As an example, the paper cited the suspension of a community nurse after she offered to pray for a patient's recovery.
Kirill said many states now wrongly interpret the notion "human rights" and promote the viewpoint that if "religion can't ensure the rights of all minorities," then it should be withdrawn from public life. The patriarch cited last year's ban on crucifixes in Italy.
In November 2009, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that crucifixes in Italian schools insult the feelings of children belonging to other faiths and atheists, and said the authorities should remove the Christian symbols. Italy's government said it will appeal the ruling.
The Russian Church leader said that it is very dangerous to oust religion from public life. "I think all Christian churches should unite to expose this phenomenon and prevent Christian values from being ousted from the life of modern Europe and the entire world," he said.
Earlier Patriarch Kirill strongly criticized the rise of homosexual partnerships and euthanasia.
"Homosexuality is a topic that has stopped worrying Europeans. A lawful marriage is equal to a homosexual one - that is how they understand freedom of choice there," Kirill said in September 2009.
"An English baroness, a philosopher, proposes that old people commit suicide so as not to burden their near and dear with worries. Each person is creating his own reference frame," the patriarch said then, praising European values but warning that Europe should not "break away from its religious roots."
Baroness Mary Warnock said in an interview with the Church of Scotland's magazine Life and Work in 2008: "If you're demented, you're wasting people's lives - your family's lives - and you're wasting the resources of the National Health Service."
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