Pope to diplomats: create a culture of dialogue and encounter
(Vatican Radio) Dialogue, diplomacy and respect for human dignity must be the key
to resolving national and international conflicts: that was the message Pope Francis
gave to the more than 180 ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, who gathered on
Monday for the traditional New Year greetings to the diplomatic corps.
Listen:
Speaking in
Italian to the ambassadors, Pope Francis reiterated that a spirit of fraternity, as
the foundation for peace, should be learned first within the family. The message of
the Christmas Crib, he said, shows the Holy Family, “not alone and isolated….but surrounded
by shepherds and the Magi, that is by an open community in which there is room for
everyone, poor and rich alike”. Sadly he noted there is a rise in broken and troubled
families, not just because of a “weakening sense of belonging….but also because of
the adverse conditions in which many families are forced to live”. The Pope stressed
there is a need for suitable policies aimed at supporting, assisting and strengthening
the family. In particular, he said, it’s important to invest in the elderly and the
young, favouring a culture of encounter, communion and peacemaking.
Looking
at particular areas of crisis in the world, Pope Francis expressed his hope that the
conflict in Syria will finally come to an end and that the Geneva conference will
mark the beginning of the desired peace process. It is unacceptable, he said, that
unarmed civilians, especially children, become targets and he praised efforts of neighbouring
countries which have welcomed numerous refugees from Syria. The Pope also spoke of
his concerns in the wider Middle East region, in Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq, but at the
same time noted with satisfaction the “significant progress made in the dialogue between
Iran and the Group of 5+1 on the nuclear issue”.
Echoing the words of his predecessor
Benedict XV at the start of the First World War, in this centenary year, Pope Francis
reiterated that “the moral force of law” must prevail over “the material force of
arms”. What is needed, he stressed, is the courage to go beyond the surface of the
conflict and consider the dignity of others, so that it becomes possible to build
communion amid disagreement. In this light, he said he hoped the positive resumption
of talks between Israelis and Palestinians will lead to a just and lasting solution,
with the support of the international community.
Turning his attention to
Africa, Pope Francis spoke of the suffering and violence in Nigeria and the Central
African Republic, saying the Catholic Church will continue to work to build reconciliation
and peace. Christians, he stressed, are called to give witness to God’s love and mercy,
even in the face of acts of intolerance or persecution. He encouraged those working
towards a restoration of democracy in Mali and noted with concern the new humanitarian
crisis unfolding in South Sudan.
Focusing on the countries of Asia next, Pope
Francis spoke of the need for reconciliation on the Korean peninsula, calling on all
interested parties to tirelessly seek out possible solutions. Noting Asia’s long history
of peaceful coexistence between different civil, ethnic and religious groups, he spoke
with concern of “growing attitudes of prejudice, for allegedly religious reasons,
…that deprive Christians of their liberties and jeopardize civil coexistence.
The
Pope said peace is always threatened by the denial of human dignity, beginning with
the lack of access to adequate nutrition. He said we cannot be indifferent to the
hunger and suffering of children, especially when we consider the “throwaway culture”
of waste in other parts of the world. Even human beings themselves are discarded as
unnecessary, for example victims of abortion, child soldiers or those who are bought
and sold in human trafficking which he called a crime against humanity. Speaking of
those forced to flee from famine, violence or oppression, especially in the Horn of
Africa or the Great Lakes Region, Pope Francis again spoke of the plight of refugees
and migrants seeking a better life in Europe or the United States. Recalling his brief
visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa, he stressed again the attitude of indifference
in the face of those who lose their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
Finally
Pope Francis spoke of the threat to peace arising from “the greedy exploitation of
environmental resources” and called for greater responsibility in pursuing policies
respectful of the earth, which he called “our common home”. Mentioning the devastating
effects of recent natural disasters, especially Typhoon Haiyan, the Pope said the
Church will continue to offer her services and cooperate with all institutions working
for the common good of individuals and communities.
Below please find
the official English transation of the Pope's speech to the diplomats:
Your
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is now a long-established tradition that
at the beginning of each new year the Pope meets the Diplomatic Corps accredited to
the Holy See to offer his greetings and good wishes, and to share some reflections
close to his heart as a pastor concerned for the joys and sufferings of humanity.
Today’s meeting, therefore, is a source of great joy. It allows me to extend to you
and your families, and to the civil authorities and the peoples whom you represent,
my heartfelt best wishes for a new year of blessings and peace. Before all else,
I thank your Dean, Jean-Claude Michel, who has spoken in your name of the affection
and esteem which binds your nations to the Apostolic See. I am happy to see you here
in such great numbers, after having met you for the first time just a few days after
my election. In the meantime, many new Ambassadors have taken up their duties and
I welcome them once again. Among those who have left us, I cannot fail to mention
the late Ambassador Alejandro Valladares Lanza, for many years the Dean of the Diplomatic
Corps, whom the Lord called to himself several months ago. The year just ended
was particularly eventful, not only in the life of the Church but also in the context
of the relations which the Holy See maintains with states and international organizations.
I recall in particular the establishment of diplomatic relations with South Sudan,
the signing of basic or specific accords with Cape Verde, Hungary and Chad, and the
ratification of the accord with Equatorial Guinea signed in 2012. On the regional
level too, the presence of the Holy See has expanded, both in Central America, where
it became an Extra-Regional Observer to the Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana,
and in Africa, with its accreditation as the first Permanent Observer to the Economic
Community of West African States. In my Message for the World Day of Peace, dedicated
to fraternity as the foundation and pathway to peace, I observed that “fraternity
is generally first learned within the family…”,14 for the family “by its vocation…
is meant to spread its love to the world around it”15 and to contribute to the growth
of that spirit of service and sharing which builds peace.16 This is the message of
the Crib, where we see the Holy Family, not alone and isolated from the world, but
surrounded by shepherds and the Magi, that is by an open community in which there
is room for everyone, poor and rich alike, those near and those afar. In this way
we can appreciate the insistence of my beloved predecessor Benedict XVI that “the
language of the family is a language of peace”.17 Sadly, this is often not the
case, as the number of broken and troubled families is on the rise, not simply because
of the weakening sense of belonging so typical of today’s world, but also because
of the adverse conditions in which many families are forced to live, even to the point
where they lack basic means of subsistence. There is a need for suitable policies
aimed at supporting, assisting and strengthening the family! It also happens that
the elderly are looked upon as a burden, while young people lack clear prospects for
their lives. Yet the elderly and the young are the hope of humanity. The elderly bring
with them wisdom born of experience; the young open us to the future and prevent us
from becoming self-absorbed.18 It is prudent to keep the elderly from being ostracized
from the life of society, so as to preserve the living memory of each people. It is
likewise important to invest in the young through suitable initiatives which can help
them to find employment and establish homes. We must not stifle their enthusiasm!
I vividly recall my experience at the Twenty-Eighth World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.
I met so many happy young people! What great hope and expectation is present in their
eyes and in their prayers! What a great thirst for life and a desire for openness
to others! Being closed and isolated always makes for a stifling, heavy atmosphere
which sooner or later ends up creating sadness and oppression. What is needed instead
is a shared commitment to favouring a culture of encounter, for only those able to
reach out to others are capable of bearing fruit, creating bonds of communion, radiating
joy and being peacemakers. The scenes of destruction and death which we have witnessed
in the past year confirm all this – if ever we needed such confirmation. How much
pain and desperation are caused by self-centredness which gradually takes the form
of envy, selfishness, competition and the thirst for power and money! At times it
seems that these realities are destined to have the upper hand. Christmas, on the
other hand, inspires in us Christians the certainty that the final, definitive word
belongs to the Prince of Peace, who changes “swords into plowshares and spears into
pruning hooks” (cf. Is 2:4), transforming selfishness into self-giving and revenge
into forgiveness. It is with this confidence that I wish to look to the year ahead.
I continue to be hopeful that the conflict in Syria will finally come to an end. Concern
for that beloved people, and a desire to avert the worsening of violence, moved me
last September to call for a day of fasting and prayer. Through you I heartily thank
all those in your countries – public authorities and people of good will – who joined
in this initiative. What is presently needed is a renewed political will to end the
conflict. In this regard, I express my hope that the Geneva 2 Conference, to be held
on 22 January, will mark the beginning of the desired peace process. At the same time,
full respect for humanitarian law remains essential. It is unacceptable that unarmed
civilians, especially children, become targets. I also encourage all parties to promote
and ensure in every way possible the provision of urgently-needed aid to much of the
population, without overlooking the praiseworthy effort of those countries – especially
Lebanon and Jordan – which have generously welcomed to their territory numerous refugees
from Syria. Remaining in the Middle East, I note with concern the tensions affecting
the region in various ways. I am particularly concerned by the ongoing political problems
in Lebanon, where a climate of renewed cooperation between the different components
of civil society and the political powers is essential for avoiding the further hostilities
which would undermine the stability of the country. I think too of Egypt, with its
need to regain social harmony, and Iraq, which struggles to attain the peace and stability
for which it hopes. At the same time, I note with satisfaction the significant progress
made in the dialogue between Iran and the Group of 5+1 on the nuclear issue. Everywhere,
the way to resolve open questions must be that of diplomacy and dialogue. This is
the royal road already indicated with utter clarity by Pope Benedict XV when he urged
the leaders of the European nations to make “the moral force of law” prevail over
the “material force of arms” in order to end that “needless carnage”19 which was the
First World War, whose centenary occurs this year. What is needed is courage “to go
beyond the surface of the conflict”20 and to consider others in their deepest dignity,
so that unity will prevail over conflict and it will be “possible to build communion
amid disagreement”.21 In this regard, the resumption of peace talks between Israelis
and Palestinians is a positive sign, and I express my hope that both parties will
resolve, with the support of the international community, to take courageous decisions
aimed at finding a just and lasting solution to a conflict which urgently needs to
end. I myself intend to make a pilgrimage of peace to the Holy Land in the course
of this year. The exodus of Christians from the Middle East and North Africa continues
to be a source of concern. They want to continue to be a part of the social, political
and cultural life of countries which they helped to build, and they desire to contribute
to the common good of societies where they wish to be fully accepted as agents of
peace and reconciliation. In other parts of Africa as well, Christians are called
to give witness to God’s love and mercy. We must never cease to do good, even when
it is difficult and demanding, and when we endure acts of intolerance if not genuine
persecution. In vast areas of Nigeria violence persists, and much innocent blood continues
to be spilt. I think above all of the Central African Republic, where much suffering
has been caused as a result of the country’s tensions, which have frequently led to
devastation and death. As I assure you of my prayers for the victims and the many
refugees, forced to live in dire poverty, I express my hope that the concern of the
international community will help to bring an end to violence, a return to the rule
of law and guaranteed access to humanitarian aid, also in the remotest parts of the
country. For her part, the Catholic Church will continue to assure her presence and
cooperation, working generously to help people in every possible way and, above all,
to rebuild a climate of reconciliation and of peace among all groups in society. Reconciliation
and peace are likewise fundamental priorities in other parts of Africa. I think in
particular of Mali, where we nonetheless note the promising restoration of the country’s
democratic structures, and of South Sudan, where, on the contrary, political instability
has lately led to many deaths and a new humanitarian crisis. The Holy See is also
closely following events in Asia, where the Church desires to share the joys and hopes
of all the peoples of that vast and noble continent. On this, the fiftieth anniversary
of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea, I wish to implore from God the
gift of reconciliation on the peninsula, and I trust that, for the good of all the
Korean people, the interested parties will tirelessly seek out points of agreement
and possible solutions. Asia, in fact, has a long history of peaceful coexistence
between its different civil, ethnic and religious groups. Such reciprocal respect
needs to be encouraged, especially given certain troubling signs that it is weakening,
particularly where growing attitudes of prejudice, for allegedly religious reasons,
are tending to deprive Christians of their liberties and to jeopardize civil coexistence.
The Holy See looks, instead, with lively hope to the signs of openness coming from
countries of great religious and cultural traditions, with whom it wishes to cooperate
in the pursuit of the common good. Peace is also threatened by every denial of
human dignity, firstly the lack of access to adequate nutrition. We cannot be indifferent
to those suffering from hunger, especially children, when we think of how much food
is wasted every day in many parts of the world immersed in what I have often termed
“the throwaway culture”. Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable
objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as “unnecessary”. For
example, it is frightful even to think there are children, victims of abortion, who
will never see the light of day; children being used as soldiers, abused and killed
in armed conflicts; and children being bought and sold in that terrible form of modern
slavery which is human trafficking, which is a crime against humanity. Nor can
we be unmoved by the tragedies which have forced so many people to flee from famine,
violence and oppression, particularly in the Horn of Africa and in the Great Lakes
Region. Many of these are living as fugitives or refugees in camps where they are
no longer seen as persons but as nameless statistics. Others, in the hope of a better
life, have undertaken perilous journeys which not infrequently end in tragedy. I think
in particular of the many migrants from Latin America bound for the United States,
but above all of all those from Africa and the Middle East who seek refuge in Europe.
Still vivid in my memory is the brief visit I made to Lampedusa last July, to
pray for the numerous victims of the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean. Sadly, there
is a general indifference in the face of these tragedies, which is a dramatic sign
of the loss of that “sense of responsibility for our brothers and sisters”,22 on which
every civil society is based. On that occasion I was also able to observe the hospitality
and dedication shown by so many people. It is my hope that the Italian people, whom
I regard with affection, not least for the common roots which unite us, will renew
their praiseworthy commitment of solidarity towards the weakest and most vulnerable,
and, with generous and coordinated efforts by citizens and institutions, overcome
present difficulties and regain their long-standing climate of constructive social
creativity. Finally, I wish to mention another threat to peace, which arises from
the greedy exploitation of environmental resources. Even if “nature is at our disposition”,23
all too often we do not “respect it or consider it a gracious gift which we must care
for and set at the service of our brothers and sisters, including future generations”.24
Here too what is crucial is responsibility on the part of all in pursuing, in a spirit
of fraternity, policies respectful of this earth which is our common home. I recall
a popular saying: “God always forgives, we sometimes forgive, but when nature – creation
– is mistreated, she never forgives!”. We have also witnessed the devastating effects
of several recent natural disasters. In particular, I would mention once more the
numerous victims and the great devastation caused in the Philippines and other countries
of Southeast Asia as a result of typhoon Haiyan. Your Excellencies, Ladies and
Gentlemen, Pope Paul VI noted that peace “is not simply the absence of warfare,
based on a precarious balance of power; it is fashioned by efforts directed day after
day towards the establishment of an order willed by God, with a more perfect justice
among men and women”.25 This is the spirit which guides the Church’s activity throughout
the world, carried out by priests, missionaries and lay faithful who with great dedication
give freely of themselves, not least in a variety of educational, healthcare and social
welfare institutions, in service to the poor, the sick, orphans and all those in need
of help and comfort. On the basis of this “loving attentiveness”,26 the Church cooperates
with all institutions concerned for the good of individuals and communities. At
the beginning of this new year, then, I assure you once more of the readiness of the
Holy See, and of the Secretariat of State in particular, to cooperate with your countries
in fostering those bonds of fraternity which are a reflection of God’s love and the
basis of concord and peace. Upon you, your families and the peoples you represent,
may the Lord’s blessings descend in abundance. Thank you.