Pope urges Italian bishops to promote faithful citizenship

(May 27, 20019) Lay Catholics should “personally participate in public life” and “cultivate a spirit of sincere and loyal cooperation with the State,” Pope Benedict XVI told the bishops of Italy on Thursday, on the occasion of 150th anniversary of the country’s unification. The Pope joined Italian bishops at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome to pray the Rosary and ask for Mary’s maternal protection upon the nation. He urged the bishops to encourage the lay faithful to overcome any spirit of close-mindedness, distraction and indifference and to personally participate in public life. “Encourage training initiatives inspired by the social doctrine of the Church, so that those who have political and administrative responsibilities do not fall victim to the temptation to exploit their position for personal gain or the thirst for power,” the Pope said. While the Church neither seeks privileges nor intends to replace political institutions, the Pope said it seeks to support and protect fundamental human rights while respecting a legitimate lay state. However, he said the Church can teach the political community about “fundamental human rights” based on transcendent ethical values which precede any state jurisdiction as they are intrinsic to the nature of the human person. “In this way,” the Pope said, “the Church ... continues to make her own contribution to the common good, reminding us of our duty to promote and protect human life in all its stages and to support effectively the family. Touching upon Italy’s growing unemployment problem, the Pope said he was joining others in appealing to politicians and business people to make all possible efforts to overcome the widespread phenomenon of temporary work, which, he said, jeopardizes the serenity of young people who plan to have a family and causes great damage to the authentic and harmonious development of society”.