Card. Maradiaga: Breaking the cycle of selfishness
More than two years on from the global economic crisis, Pope Benedict and other top
Vatican officials are calling on the world's financial leaders to break the cycle
of selfishness which favours wealthy nations at the expense of the poor.
In
an address to participants at a Justice and Peace conference in Rome this week, the
Pope spoke of a 'worrying' return to the 'unlimited speculation' over credit, food
and natural resources which fuelled the global recession in the autumn of 2008.
Honduran
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga is president of Caritas Internationalis and one
of the participants at the three day conference, looking at ways of putting the Church's
social teaching into practise. He spoke with Philippa Hitchen about his concerns....
Card.
Maradiaga: This morning when I was listening to the speakers I said to myself
‘my goodness, 50 years have passed’. He was like a prophet talking about things which
are very actual even today. I know that the Holy Spiit is always active in the Church
especially in the teachings of the Popes.
Q:This is not just about looking
back though is it? Its also about how to tackle these very serious problems that are
still problems today
Card. Maradiaga: Especially regarding
the financial system. You know its like we have entered a labyrinth that is taking
us from crisis to crisis. I don’t see us having overcome the financial crisis of
two years ago. The Pope was denouncing that and I agree with him totally. The international
financial system seems to be trapped in a trap of egoism and selfishness that is only
looking to a small amount of countries in the world and excluding the majority.
Q:And
yet you and other Church leaders are very in trying to make the Churches voice heard
at the highest levels of the international financial system. What else can you do?
Card.
Maradiaga: I think that the main subject of this meeting is to take the social
doctrine of the Church not only to the big leaders but also to the public opinion
– to the voters, who are the ones who really have the voice – so they may understand
this and really put it into practise.
You are also celebrating some really
great achievements at the local level, looking at best practise.
Card.
Maradiaga: Yes, and I think that when all the movements, all the schools of
social doctrine all the social pastoral groups of the Church in the world are capable
of building a social network then it will be more influential in society and we need
that.
Q: Can you give us some specific examples of this?
Card.
Maradiaga: Yes , there is an experiment that has been carried out in Mexico
and you see that the entrepreneurs are the ones who supported the Churches social
doctrine. So much so that now this group has started to change public opinion aware
and have given scholarships to lay men and women from other countries to come there
are find new horizons and I learned that for instance, they had Cubans, people who
are receiving these kinds of scholarships and that will bear fruit. Listen: