Pope receives new Hungarian ambassador

(February 2, 2009) “Forces that govern politics and economics in the modern world need to be properly directed - in other words, they should be based on ethical foundations,” said Pope Benedict XVI on Monday. He was speaking to the new Hungarian ambassador to the Holy See, Janos Balassa, who presented his credentials to the Pope at a formal ceremony in the Vatican. In this quest for providing ethical bases to politics and economics, Pope Benedict said that priority must be given to the dignity and rights of the human person and to the common good of humanity. He warned that this path, which Hungary had already adopted, was at risk like in other countries of recently found freedom. The experience of new freedoms, he explained have at time brought along the risk that the Christian and human values, deeply rooted in the history and cultures of peoples and within the European continent, can be replaced by others base on a distorted vision of man and his dignity. He said this is dangerous for the development of a truly prosperous society and must be avoided. He urged for support to families and their freedom to choose a religious education for children.