(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has released a message for World Tourism Day 2017, which will be held on 27 September.
The theme chosen for this year is: “Sustainable tourism: a tool for development”.
We bring you the official English-language version below:
“Sustainable Tourism – a tool for development”
1. On the annual occasion of World Tourism Day, celebrated every 27 September 2017, the Church joins civil society in addressing this phenomenon, in the conviction that every genuinely human activity must find its place in the hearts of Christ’s disciples [1].
For the first time, this message is issued by the new Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, as part of its mission.
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Opportunely, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has followed in the same vein by choosing Sustainable Tourism: a tool for development as the theme for this year’s Day.
2. When we say tourism, we are talking about a phenomenon of major importance, both in light of the number of people involved (travellers and workers) and for the many benefits that it can bring to society (economic, cultural and social), but also given the risks and dangers that it can create in many areas.
According to the World Tourism Organization’s latest Barometer, for the year 2016, the number of international tourist arrivals is around 1.2 billion. Worldwide, the sector accounts for 10% of GDP and 7% of total exports, also considering that 1 out of 11 jobs are in tourism. It therefore occupies an important place in the economies of individual states and in policies that focus on inclusive development and environmental sustainability globally.
3. Tourism can be an important tool for growth and the fight against poverty. Nevertheless, according to the Church’s social doctrine, true development “cannot be restricted to economic growth alone”. In fact, “to be authentic, it must be well rounded”; that is, “it must foster the development of each man and of the whole man”, as the Encyclical Populorum progressio [2] notes. In this regard, Paul VI stressed the need to promote a “full-bodied humanism”, including the material and spiritual needs for the full development of each person in dignity [3]. Twenty years later, in 1987, the UN introduced the concept of sustainable development as a development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [4]. For the Church, the concept of integrality, when connected to the expression human development, also includes the United Nations’ idea of sustainability, and embraces all aspects of life: social, economic, political, cultural, and spiritual, making them elements in a single synthesis, the human person.
The UNWTO has applied these ideas to promoting sustainable tourism [5]. This means that it must be responsible, and not destructive or detrimental to the environment nor to the socio-cultural context of the locality. Moreover, it must be particularly respectful of the population and their heritage, with a view to safeguarding personal dignity and labour rights, especially those of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Holiday time cannot be a pretext either for irresponsibility or for exploitation: in fact, it is a noble time in which everyone can add value to one’s own life and that of others. Sustainable tourism is also a development tool for economies in difficulty if it becomes a vehicle of new opportunities and not a source of problems.
In its 2017 Resolution, the United Nations recognizes “the important role of sustainable tourism as a positive instrument towards the eradication of poverty, the protection of the environment, the improvement of quality of life and the economic empowerment of women and youth and its contribution to the three dimensions of sustainable development, especially in developing countries” [6]. In this sense, three dimensions of sustainability are promoted: the ecological, aiming for the maintenance of ecosystems; the social, which develops in harmony with the host community; and the economic, which stimulates inclusive growth. In the context of Agenda 2030, this International Year is therefore an opportunity to encourage governments to adopt appropriate policies, the industry to embrace good practice, and to raise awareness among consumers and local people, highlighting how an integral conception of tourism can contribute to sustainable development.
4. Conscious that “in all her being and actions, the Church is called to promote the integral development of the human person in the light of the Gospel” [7], we Christians want to offer our contribution so that tourism can assist in the development of peoples, especially the most disadvantaged. We therefore propose our reflection. We recognize God as the creator of the universe and father of all human beings, and He who makes us brothers. We must put the human person as the focus of our attention; we recognize the dignity of each person and the relationships among persons; we must share the principle of the common destiny of the human family and the universal destination of earthly goods. The human being acts not as a master, but as a “responsible steward” [8]. In acknowledging each other as brothers, we will understand “the principle of gratuitousness and the logic of gift” [9] and our duties of solidarity, justice and universal charity [10].
We now ask ourselves: how can these principles be practically applied to the development of tourism? What are the consequences for tourists, entrepreneurs, workers, governors, and local communities? It is an open reflection. We invite all those involved in the sector to engage in serious discernment and to promote practices towards attaining this, accompanying behaviours and lifestyle changes towards a new way of relating to each other.
The Church is making its own contribution, launching initiatives that really place tourism in the service of the integral development of the person. This is why we talk about tourism with a human touch, which is based on projects of community tourism, cooperation, solidarity, and an appreciation of the great artistic heritage which is an authentic way of beauty [11].
In his address to the United Nations, Pope Francis stated: “The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman […]. This common home of all men and women must also be built on the understanding of a certain sacredness of created nature”[12]. May we live out our commitment in the light of these words and these intentions!
Vatican City, 29 June 2017
Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson
Prefect
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[1] Council II, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 7 December 1965, no. 1.
[2] Pope Paul VI, Encyclical Populorum progressio, 26 March 1967, no. 14.
[3] Pope Paul VI, Encyclical Populorum progressio, 26 March 1967, no. 42.
[4] World Commission On Environment and Development, Our Common Future (also known as the Brundtland Report), August 1987. This Commission was created by the UN General Assembly in 1983.
[5] World Tourism Organisation, The Hague Declaration on Tourism, 10-14 April 1989, Principle III.
[6] United Nations Organization, Resolution A/RES/70/193 approved by the General Assembly on 22 December 2015.
[7] Pope Francis, Apostolic Letter Humanam progressionem in the form of a ‘Motu Proprio’, with which the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development was established, 17 August 2016.
[8] Pope Francis, Encyclical Laudato si’, 24 May 2015, no. 116.
[9] Pope Benedict XVI, Encyclical Caritas in veritate, 29 June 2009, no. 36.
[10] Pope Paul VI, Encyclical Populorum progressio, 26 March 1967, no. 44.
[11] Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 24 November 2013, no. 167.
[12] Pope Francis, Address to the members of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, 25 September 2015.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a message to the National Youth Meeting at the Sanctuary of Aparecida in Brazil, inviting young people to turn their lives into leaven for a better Brazilian society.
His message came at the conclusion of the “Rota” (Way) 300 project, which closed on July 29 with a large celebration at the sanctuary. The initiative celebrated 300 years since the discovery of the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida in the Paraiba do Sul River.
Listen to our report:
Pope Francis told the young people that Mary is a sign of hope and that she knows the difficulties awaiting young people. He also encouraged them to live with a missionary spirit.
“Dear friends, in the midst of daily uncertainties and insecurities and in the midst of the precariousness created by unjust situations, you have one certainty. Mary is a sign of hope who will impel you with a great missionary drive. She knows the difficulties with which you live. Her attention and motherly care help you know that you are not alone.”
The Holy Father also recalled the Brazilian story of the poor fishermen, who, after an unfruitful fishing expedition in the Paraiba do Sul River, cast their nets one more time and discovered to their surprise a broken statue of Our Lady, encrusted with mud. They first found the statue’s body and then its head.
“As I told the Brazilian bishops in 2013, this story holds an important symbolism. What was divided has been reunited, just like the heart of those fishermen and colonial Brazil once divided by slavery, realities which found unity in the faith, which the black statue of Our Lady has inspired.”
Pope Francis then invited the young people to let their hearts be transformed by the encounter with the Mother of Aparecida.
“May she transform the ‘nets’ of your lives – nets of friendship, social networks, material and virtual nets – realities which are often divided, into something more meaningful. May they become communities! Missionary communities ‘going out into the world’! Communities which are light and leaven for a more just and fraternal society.”
The Pope also recalled his message to the CELAM Meeting earlier this year, asking young people “not to be afraid to take risks and to work to build a new society, imbuing social, political, economic, and university environs with the force of the Gospel!”
“Do not be afraid to fight corruption, and do not let yourselves be seduced by it! Trusting in the Lord, whose presence is the source of abundant life, and under Mary’s mantle, you can rediscover the creativity and strength of being protagonists for a culture of unity and, therefore, create new paradigms to guide the life of Brazil.”
Pope Francis concluded his message with a prayer.
“May Our Lady – who in her youth knew how to courageously embrace the call of God for her life and go forth to those most in need – walk ahead of you, guiding you in all her ways!”
(from Vatican Radio)…
Dear brothers and sisters, Good Morning! The parable discourse of Jesus which groups
seven parables in the 13th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel concludes with today’s
three similar stories: the hidden treasure (v 44), the fine pearl (45-46) and
the fishing net (v. 47-48). I will pause on the first two [parables] which
highlight the protagonists’ decision to sell everything in order to obtain what
they found. The first case has to do with a farmer who casually runs into a
hidden treasure in the field he is working. As the field is not his
property, he must purchase it in order
to take possession of the treasure: he therefore decides to risk all his
possessions so as not to lose that truly exceptional opportunity. In the second
case, we find a merchant of precious pearls; as an expert, he has spotted a
pearl of great value. He too decides to wager everything on that pearl, to such
an extent, as to sell all his other ones. These similar [stories] highlight two
characteristics regarding possession of the Kingdom of God: the search and
sacrifice. It is true that the Kingdom of God is offered to all — it is a gift,
it is a present, it is a grace — but it is not available on a silver platter:
it requires dynamism: it is about searching, trying to walk, working hard. The
attitude of searching is the essential condition for finding. The heart must
burn with the desire to reach the precious good, that is, the Kingdom of God
which is made present in the person of Jesus. He is the hidden treasure; he is
the pearl of great value. He is the fundamental discovery who can make a
decisive change in our lives, filling it with meaning. Faced with the unexpected search, both the
farmer and the merchant realize that they are before a unique opportunity which
should not be missed, hence, they sell all they own. The evaluation of the
inestimable value of the treasure brings
to a decision that also implies sacrifice, detachment and surrender.
When the treasure and the pearl are discovered. that is, when we have found the
Lord, it is necessary not to let this discovery become sterile, but rather to
sacrifice every other thing to it. It is not a question of disliking everything
else but to place it subordinately to Jesus, putting him in first place; Grace
in first place. The disciple of Christ is not someone who has deprived himself
of something that is essential; he is someone who has found much more: he has
found the complete joy that only the Lord can give. It is the evangelical joy
of the sick who have healed; of the pardoned sinners, of the thief for whom the
doors of heaven open. The joy of the Gospel fills the heart and
the entire life of those who encounter Jesus. Those who allow themselves to be
saved by Him are freed from sin, sadness, inner emptiness and isolation. With
Jesus Christ, joy is always born and reborn (cf. Apo. Exhort Evangelii
gaudium , 1). Today we are called to
contemplate the joy of the farmer and the merchant in the parables. It is the
joy of each of us when we discover the closeness and the comforting presence of
Jesus in our lives. A presence which transforms the heart and opens us to the
needs and the welcome of our brothers, especially the weaker ones. Let us pray for the intercession of the
Virgin Mary so that each of us can know how to bear witness, in daily words
and gestures to the joy of having found
the treasure of the Kingdom of God, that is, the love that the Father has given
us through Jesus. After the Angelus, Dear brothers and sisters, today is World
Day against the trafficking of persons, promoted by the United Nations. Each
year thousands of men, women and children are innocent victims of work and
sexual exploitation and of organ trafficking and it seems that we have become
so accustomed to this, as to consider it a normal thing. This is ugly, it is
cruel, it is criminal! I wish to call on the commitment of all so that this
perverse plague, a form of modern slavery, may be adequately contrasted. Let us
pray together to the Virgin Mary so that she may support the victims of trafficking. Let us pray together to Our
Lady: Hail Mary…. I now extend a greeting to all the pilgrims
from Italy and from various countries, in particular the Murialdine Sisters of
Saint Joseph, the Novices of Mary Help of Christians, altar servers from
various Italian parishes and the Italian Hockey Club Femenino from
Buenos Aires. I wish you all a Happy Sundayand please do
not forget to pray for me. Have a good Lunch and Arrivederci!…
(Vatican Radio) Ahead of the Sunday Angelus prayer with pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis shared a reflection on two of the three parables from the 13 th chapter of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew , which were read during Mass on Sunday.
Click below to hear our report
Focusing exclusively on the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price , the Holy Father said, “This day, we are exhorted to contemplate the joy of the farmer,” who sells all he has in order to purchase the field wherein he had hidden the treasure he discovered, “and of the merchant,” who sells all he had in order to purchase the pearl of great price.
“It is the joy of each of us when we discover the closeness and consoling presence of Jesus in our lives,” he said.
“A presence,” Pope Francis went on to say, “that transforms the heart and opens us to [meet] the needs and to welcome our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest ones.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis called for increased efforts to end human trafficking on Sunday. The Holy Father’s appeal came in remarks following the Angelus prayer with pilgrims and tourists gathered in St. Peter’s Square, on the 17 th Sunday in Ordinary Time and the World Day against Trafficking in Persons , sponsored by the United Nations .
“Each year,” said Pope Francis, “thousands of men, women and children are innocent victims of sexual and organ trafficking, and it seems that we are so accustomed to seeing it as a normal thing.”
Click below to hear our report
The Holy Father went on to say, “This is ugly, it is cruel, it is criminal.” He called human trafficking , “an aberrant plague,” and, “a modern form of slavery ,” renewing his appeal for universal commitment to ending the practice.
Pope Francis concluded his appeal by leading everyone present in the recitation of the Hail Mary for the intention of ending human trafficking.
Below, please find the full text of Pope Francis’ appeal, in our English translation
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Today is the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, promoted by the United Nations. Each year, thousands of men, women and children are innocent victims of sexual and organ trafficking, and it seems that we are so accustomed to seeing it as a normal thing. This is ugly, it is cruel, it is criminal! I would like to draw on everyone’s commitment to make this aberrant plague, a modern form of slavery, adequately countered. Let us pray together the Virgin Mary to support the victims of trafficking and to convert the hearts of traffickers.
(from Vatican Radio)…