Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the members of the Diplomatic Corps
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The mystery of the incarnation
of the Word, which we re-live each year on the Solemnity of Christmas, invites us
to reflect on the events marking the course of history. And it is precisely in the
light of this hope-filled mystery that this traditional meeting takes place with you,
the distinguished members of the diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See – a meeting
which, at the beginning of this new year, offers us a fitting occasion to exchange
cordial good wishes. I express my gratitude to His Excellency Ambassador Alejandro
Valladares Lanza for the good wishes he has kindly offered me, for the first time
as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. My respectful greeting also goes to each of you,
along with your families and staff, and, through you, to the peoples and governments
of the countries which you represent. For everyone I ask God to grant the gift of
a year rich in justice, serenity and peace.
At the dawn of this year 2009,
I think with affection of all those who have suffered – whether as a result of grave
natural catastrophes, particularly in Vietnam, Myanmar, China and the Philippines,
in Central America and the Caribbean, and in Columbia and Brazil; or as a result of
violent national or regional conflicts; or again as a result of terrorist attacks
which have sown death and destruction in countries like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan
and Algeria. Despite so many efforts, the peace we so desire still remains distant!
Faced with this reality, we must not grow discouraged or lessen our commitment to
a culture of authentic peace, but rather redouble our efforts on behalf of security
and development. In this regard, the Holy See wished to be among the first to sign
and ratify the “Convention on Cluster Munitions”, a document which also has the aim
of reaffirming international humanitarian law. On the other hand, while noting with
concern the signs of crisis appearing in the area of disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation,
the Holy See has continued to reaffirm that peace cannot be built when military expenses
divert enormous human and material resources from projects for development, especially
the development of the poorest peoples.
It is towards the poor, the all too
many poor people on our planet, that I would like to turn my attention today, taking
up my Message for the World Day of Peace, devoted this year to the theme: “Fighting
Poverty To Build Peace”. The insightful analysis of Pope Paul VI in the Encyclical
Populorum Progressio has lost none of its timeliness: “Today we see people trying
to secure a sure food supply, cures for disease, and steady employment. We see them
trying to eliminate every ill, to remove every obstacle which offends man’s dignity.
They are constantly striving to exercise greater personal responsibility; to do more,
to learn more and to have more, in order to be more. And yet, at the same time, so
many people continue to live in conditions which frustrate these legitimate desires”
(No. 6). To build peace, we need to give new hope to the poor. How can we not think
of so many individuals and families hard pressed by the difficulties and uncertainties
which the current financial and economic crisis has provoked on a global scale? How
can we not mention the food crisis and global warming, which make it even more difficult
for those living in some of the poorest parts of the planet to have access to nutrition
and water? There is an urgent need to adopt an effective strategy to fight hunger
and to promote local agricultural development, all the more so since the number of
the poor is increasing even within the rich countries. In this perspective, I am
pleased that the recent Doha Conference on financing development identified some helpful
criteria for directing the governance of the economic system and helping those who
are most in need. On a deeper level, bolstering the economy demands rebuilding confidence.
This goal will only be reached by implementing an ethics based on the innate dignity
of the human person. I know how demanding this will be, yet it is not a utopia!
Today more than in the past, our future is at stake, as well as the fate of our planet
and its inhabitants, especially the younger generation which is inheriting a severely
compromised economic system and social fabric.
Ladies and Gentlemen, if we
wish to combat poverty, we must invest first and foremost in the young, setting before
them an ideal of authentic fraternity. During my apostolic visits in the past year,
I was able to meet many young people, especially in the extraordinary context of the
celebration of the Twenty-third World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. My apostolic
journeys, beginning with my visit to the United States, also allowed me to assess
the expectations of many sectors of society with regard to the Catholic Church. In
this sensitive phase of the history of humanity, marked by uncertainties and questioning,
many people expect the Church to exercise clearly and courageously her mission of
evangelization and her work of human promotion. It was in this context that I gave
my address at the headquarters of the United Nations Organization: sixty years after
the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I wished to stress that
this document is founded on the dignity of the human person, which in turn is based
on our shared human nature, which transcends our different cultures. A few months
later, during my pilgrimage to Lourdes for the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
the appearances of the Virgin Mary to Saint Bernadette, I sought to emphasize that
the message of conversion and love which radiates from the grotto of Massabielle remains
most timely, as a constant invitation to build our own lives and the relations between
the world’s peoples on the foundation of authentic respect and fraternity, in the
awareness that this fraternity presupposes that all men and women have a common Father,
God the Creator. Moreover, a society which is “secular” in a healthy way does not
ignore the spiritual dimension and its values, since religion – and I thought it helpful
to repeat this during my pastoral visit to France – is not an obstacle but rather
a solid foundation for the building of a more just and free society.
Acts
of discrimination and the very grave attacks directed at thousands of Christians in
this past year show to what extent it is not merely material poverty, but also moral
poverty, which damages peace. Such abuses, in fact, are rooted in moral poverty.
As a way of reaffirming the lofty contribution which religions can make to the struggle
against poverty and the building of peace, I would like to repeat in this assembly,
which symbolically represents all the nations of the world, that Christianity is a
religion of freedom and peace, and it stands at the service of the true good of humanity.
To our brothers and sisters who are victims of violence, especially in Iraq and in
India, I renew the assurance of my paternal affection; to the civil and political
authorities, I urgently request that they be actively committed to ending intolerance
and acts of harassment directed against Christians, to repairing the damage which
has been done, particularly to the places of worship and properties; and to encouraging
by every means possible due respect for all religions, outlawing all forms of hatred
and contempt. I also express my hope that, in the Western world, prejudice or hostility
against Christians will not be cultivated simply because, on certain questions, their
voice causes disquiet. For their part, may the disciples of Christ, in the face of
such adversity, not lose heart: witness to the Gospel is always a “sign of contradiction”
vis-à-vis “the spirit of the world”! If the trials and tribulations are painful,
the constant presence of Christ is a powerful source of strength. Christ’s Gospel
is a saving message meant for all; that is why it cannot be confined to the private
sphere, but must be proclaimed from the rootops, to the ends of the earth.
The
birth of Christ in the lowly stable of Bethlehem leads us naturally to think of the
situation in the Middle East and, in the first place, in the Holy Land, where, in
these days, we have witnessed a renewed outbreak of violence provoking immense damage
and suffering for the civilian population. This situation further complicates the
quest for a settlement of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, something
fervently desired by many of them and by the whole world. Once again I would repeat
that military options are no solution and that violence, wherever it comes from and
whatever form it takes, must be firmly condemned. I express my hope that, with the
decisive commitment of the international community, the ceasefire in the Gaza strip
will be re-established – an indispensable condition for restoring acceptable living
conditions to the population –, and that negotiations for peace will resume, with
the rejection of hatred, acts of provocation and the use of arms. It is very important
that, in view of the crucial elections which will involve many of the inhabitants
of the region in coming months, leaders will emerge who can decisively carry forward
this process and guide their people towards the difficult yet indispensable reconciliation.
This cannot be reached without the adoption of a global approach to the problems of
these countries, with respect for the legitimate aspirations and interests of all
parties. In addition to renewed efforts aimed at the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, which I have just mentioned, wholehearted support must be given to dialogue
between Israel and Syria and, in Lebanon, to the current strengthening of institutions;
this will be all the more effective if it is carried out in a spirit of unity. To
the Iraqis, who are preparing again to take full control of their future, I offer
a particular word of encouragement to turn the page and to look forward in order to
rebuild without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic group or religion. As
far as Iran is concerned, tireless efforts must be made to seek a negotiated solution
to the controversy concerning the nation’s nuclear programme, through a mechanism
capable of satisfying the legitimate demands of the country and of the international
community. This would greatly favour détente in the region and in the world.
Looking
to the great continent of Asia, I note with concern that, while in certain countries
acts of violence continue, and in others the political situation remains tense, some
progress has been made, enabling us to look to the future with greater confidence.
I think for example of the new negotiations for peace in Mindanao, in the Philippines,
and the new direction being taken in relations between Beijing and Taipei. In this
same context of the quest for peace, a definitive solution of the ongoing conflict
in Sri Lanka would also have to be political, since the humanitarian needs of the
peoples concerned must continue to receive ongoing attention. The Christian communities
living in Asia are often numerically small, yet they wish to contribute in a convincing
and effective way to the common good, stability and progress of their countries, as
they bear witness to the primacy of God which sets up a healthy order of values and
grants a freedom more powerful than acts of injustice. The recent beatification,
in Japan, of 188 martyrs brought this eloquently to mind. The Church, as has often
been said, does not demand privileges, but the full application of the principle of
religious freedom. In this perspective, it is important that, in central Asia, legislation
concerning religious communities guarantee the full exercise of this fundamental right,
in respect for international norms.
In a few months, I will have the joy of
meeting many of our brothers and sisters in the faith and in our common humanity who
dwell in Africa. In anticipation of this visit, which I have so greatly desired,
I ask the Lord to open their hearts to welcome the Gospel and to live it consistently,
building peace by fighting moral and material poverty. A very particular concern
must be shown for children: twenty years after the adoption of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, they remain very vulnerable. Many children have the tragic experience
of being refugees and displaced persons in Somalia, Darfur and the Democratic Republic
of Congo. There are waves of migration involving millions of persons in need of humanitarian
assistance and who above all have been deprived of their elementary rights and offended
in their dignity. I ask political leaders on the national and international levels
to take every measure necessary to resolve the current conflicts and to put an end
to the injustices which caused them. I express my hope that in Somalia the restoration
of the State will finally make progress, in order to end the interminable sufferings
of the inhabitants of that country. In Zimbabwe, likewise, the situation remains
critical and considerable humanitarian assistance is needed. The peace agreement
in Burundi has brought a glimmer of hope to the region. I ask that it be applied
fully, and thus become a source of inspiration for other countries which have not
yet found the path of reconciliation. The Holy See, as you know, follows with special
attention the continent of Africa and is pleased to have established diplomatic relations
with Botswana in the past year.
In this vast panorama embracing the whole
world, I wish likewise to dwell for a moment on Latin America. There too, people
desire to live in peace, liberated from poverty and able freely to exercise their
fundamental rights. In this context, the needs of emigrants need to be taken into
consideration by legislation which would make it easier to reunite families, reconciling
the legitimate requirements of security with those of inviolable respect for the person.
I would also like to praise the overriding commitment shown by some governments towards
re-establishing the rule of law and waging an uncompromising battle against the drug
trade and political corruption. I am pleased that, thirty years after the start of
the papal mediation between Argentina and Chile concerning their dispute over the
southern territories, those two countries have in some way sealed their desire for
peace by raising a monument to my venerable predecessor, Pope John Paul II. I hope,
moreover, that the recent signing of the Agreement between the Holy See and Brazil
will facilitate the free exercise of the Church’s mission of evangelization and further
strengthen her cooperation with the civil institutions for an integral human development.
For five centuries the Church has accompanied the peoples of Latin America, sharing
their hopes and their concerns. Her Pastors know that, to favour the authentic progress
of society, their proper task is to enlighten consciences and to form lay men and
women capable of engaging responsibly in temporal affairs, at the service of the common
good.
Turning lastly to the nations which are nearer at hand, I wish to greet
the Christian community of Turkey, while recalling that, during this special Holy
Year marking the two-thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle Paul, numerous
pilgrims are making their way to Tarsus, his native city, a fact which once more indicates
how closely this land is linked to the origins of Christianity. The hope of peace
is alive in Cyprus, where negotiations for a just solution to problems associated
with the division of the Island have resumed. As for the Caucasus, I wish to affirm
once more that the conflicts involving the states of the Region cannot be settled
by recourse to arms; and, in thinking of Georgia, I express my hope that all the commitments
subscribed to in the ceasefire of last August – an agreement concluded thanks to the
diplomatic efforts of the European Union – will be honoured, and that the return of
the displaced to their homes will be provided for as quickly as possible. Finally,
with regard to the Southeast of Europe, the Holy See pursues its commitment to stability
in the region, and hopes that conditions will continue to be created for a future
of reconciliation and of peace between the populations of Serbia and Kosovo, with
respect for minorities and commitment to the preservation of the priceless Christian
artistic and cultural patrimony which constitutes a treasure for all humanity.
Ladies
and Gentlemen, at the conclusion of this overview which, due to its brevity, cannot
mention all the situations of suffering and poverty close to my heart, I return to
my Message for the celebration of this year’s World Day of Peace. There I recalled
that the poorest human beings are unborn children (No. 3). But I cannot not fail
to mention, in conclusion, others who are poor, like the infirm, the elderly left
to themselves, broken families and those lacking points of reference. Poverty is
fought if humanity becomes more fraternal as a result of shared values and ideals,
founded on the dignity of the person, on freedom joined to responsibility, on the
effective recognition of the place of God in the life of man. In this perspective,
let us fix our gaze on Jesus, the lowly infant lying in the manger. Because he is
the Son of God, he tells us that fraternal solidarity between all men and women is
the royal road to fighting poverty and to building peace. May the light of his love
illumine all government leaders and all humanity! May that light guide us throughout
this year which has now begun! I wish all of you a happy New Year.