Pope Francis on Saturday insisted on the moral duty of protecting human dignity in every circumstance, especially in armed conflict, saying at the end of life we will be judged on our mercy and solidarity for the victims of war. He was speaking to some 250 participants in the 3rd Conference on International Humanitarian Law sponsored by the European Society of International Law. The Oct. 27-28 meeting in Rome discussed “The protection of civilian population in warfare – The role of Humanitarian Organizations and Civil Society.”
Atrocities and outrage during conflicts
The Pope noted that the Holy See, convinced of the essentially negative nature of war and man’s most dignified aspiration to abolish it, ratified the 1977 Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, in order to encourage the “humanization of the effect of armed conflict.” He drew attention to the atrocities and outrage perpetrated on civil populations and persons during conflicts, with mutilated and headless bodies and “our brothers and sisters tortured, crucified and burnt alive,” in total disregard for their human dignity . The destruction or damaging of cultural treasures, hospitals, schools and places of worship deprive entire generations of their right to life, health, education and religion .
Indifference
The Pope warned that such news could lead to a sort of “saturation” that anesthetizes and relativizes the gravity of the problem, making it more difficult for one to be moved to compassion and solidarity. The Holy Father called for a change of heart, an openness to God and neighbor, that urges persons to overcome indifference and live solidarity as a moral virtue and social attitude . He expressed satisfaction over numerous manifestations of solidarity and charity in times of war by persons, charities and NGOs, in the Church and outside, who despite dangers and hardships, reach out to the wounded, the sick, the hungry, prisoners and the dead. “Indeed,” he stressed, “aid to victims of conflict calls for various works of mercy on which we will be judged at the end of life.”
Moral duty to respect, protect human dignity
The Holy Father wished that fighters as well as humanitarian organizations and workers be able to put into practice the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, that are the heart of humanitarian law. But where humanitarian law is met with hesitation and omission, he said, “individual conscience must recognize the moral duty to respect and protect the dignity of the human person in every circumstance, especially in situations where it is most threatened.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Friday with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby , together with the new director of Rome’s Anglican Centre, Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi of Burundi. Following their half hour encounter in the Apostolic Palace, the two Anglican archbishops and their wives joined the pope for lunch in his Santa Marta residence to continue the conversation.
On Thursday, the Anglican leader presided at Vespers at Rome’s Caravita church for the installation of Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi as his official representative to the Holy See. The Vatican’s foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, who previously served as nuncio in Burundi, preached the homily, stressing that ecumenical engagement is a moral imperative for all Christians.
Philippa Hitchen caught up with Archbishop Welby at the end of his brief visit to Rome to find out more about his meeting with the pope and their plans for a joint visit to war-torn South Sudan …
Listen:
The Anglican archbishop says his meetings with the pope were “full of meaning, but also full of joy, a good deal of laughter, very relaxed but very thoughtful”. In particularly, he says, they talked about mutual concerns on conflict, human trafficking, and the need for Church unity in a fractured world.
Progress in Anglican-Catholic dialogue
He notes that, like his predecessors during their visits to Rome, he wears the episcopal ring that Pope Paul VI gave to Archbishop Michael Ramsey in 1966. He says there has been enormous progress towards unity since then and both ARCIC and IARCCUM “continue the theological and missional dialogues very, very effectively”. Alongside that, there is ecumenism of action, and of prayer, something which has grown out of the theological work, he says, but is also pushing it forward.
Separation in the Eucharist
Speaking about the lack of unity in the Eucharist, Archbishop Welby says he is reminded of that each day in Lambeth Palace, celebrating with Catholic and non-Catholic members of the youth community of St Anselm. It is painful, he says, but in another sense, it is “a healthy pain that compels us to work harder” for unity.
Appeal to South Sudan’s leaders
Asked about a joint visit to South Sudan, the Anglican leader says “a visit like that has to be done at a moment when it can make an enormous difference” and “tip the balance towards peace”. He says that he and the Holy Father call on the political leaders “to turn away from violence and think of the people in South Sudan”. He recalls a recent visit to refugee settlements in northern Uganda housing 260.000 people, a small fraction of those who’ve fled the violence. We are “waiting and praying” for a change of heart from the political leaders, he says.
Don’t be paralised by disagreements
Asked about divisions within the Anglican world, in particular over homosexuality, Archbishop Welby says “you can’t be paralised by disagreements”, which all Churches are currently facing. In a communion as diverse as the Anglican world, he adds, there are bound to be disagreements “but we have to see the call of Christ to be united in the service of the poor…..and not let anything distract us from the proclamation of the Good News”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Vatican Weekend for October 29th, 2017 features our weekly reflection on the Sunday Gospel reading, “There’s more in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye,” plus our resident Vatican watcher Joan Lewis reviews the past week’s events in the Vatican.
Listen to this program produced and presented by Susy Hodges:
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday sent a video message to participants in the 48th Social Week for Italian Catholics gathered in the Sardinian city of Cagliari.
In the lengthy message, the pope focuses on the dignity of work and the importance of putting people, not profits, at the heart of all economic systems.
Listen to our report:
Recalling that in the Bible, there are many people defined by the type of work they do – from farmers and fishermen, to carpenters or administrators – Pope Francis says God calls us through our jobs to put our skills and talents at the service of the common good.
He talks about the different kinds of work, including that which degrades, humiliates or exploits people through slavery, the arms trade, the black market, or jobs which offer no security from one month to the next.
The pope speaks of his own conversations with so many people living in fear of losing their jobs. Such precariousness is “immoral”, he says, as it “kills” people’s dignity, damaging their health, their families and the whole of society.
He mentions also those who work in dangerous or unhealthy conditions, leading to the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people here in Italy. He expresses his solidarity with all those who are unemployed or underemployed and are losing hope of ever finding a decently paid job.
The global economic system, the pope says, is focused on consumerism and not on human dignity or protection of the environment. But this is as dangerous as trying to cycle on a bicycle with flat tyres, he exclaims!
Finally the pope points to signs of hope, embodied by those who seek to create better working conditions and more trusting, respectful relationships in the workplace. Technological innovations must be put to the service of people and not be seen as an economic idol in the hands of the powerful.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke via satellite link with the crew of the International Space Station on Thursday. Astronaut Randolph Bresnik of the US commands the current, 53rd ISS expedition, which has a complement of 5 mission specialists: Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli; Russian astronauts Sergey Ryanzansky and Alexander Misurkin; and US astronauts Joe Acaba and Mark Vande Hei.
Click below to hear our report
The video link-up lasted about 20 minutes, with the Holy Father speaking to the astronauts from the “auletta” of the Paul VI Hall, in the presence of the President of the Italian Space Agency (ASA), Roberto Battiston, and the Director of Earth Observation Programmes of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher.
During the course of the virtual visit, Pope Francis asked questions of the astronauts, on topics ranging from the place of humanity in the universe, to the difference in perspective that living on the ISS brings, to the role of the “That Love which moves the sun and the other stars,” in their work of understanding, to their reasons for desiring to explore space. Watch the full video below…
(from Vatican Radio)…