“A holistic vision of the human person and a commitment to constant and coherent moral standards firmly grounded in natural law and the pursuit of the common good” are essential to resolve the world’s economic problems, said Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
Parolin said the process of development is determined largely by “the proper management of resources in poorer countries and the economic decisions made by wealthy countries”.
He added that “the greatest obstacles to universal and integral human development are found in a distorted vision of man and economic activity, one which threatens the dignity of the human person”.
‘Solidarity opposing throwaway culture’
In an October 28 address to a World Meeting of Popular Movements, Pope Francis said: “Today, the phenomenon of exploitation and oppression assumes a new dimension, a graphical and hard edge of social injustice: those that cannot be integrated, the marginalised, are discarded, cast-offs.
“This is the throwaway culture… This happens when the centre of an economic system is the god of money and not humanity, the person. At the centre of every social or economic system there must be the person, the image of God, created as the denominator of the universe.
“When humanity is displaced and supplanted by money, this disruption of values occurs.
“Every worker, whether or not he is part of the formal system of paid work, has the right to fair remuneration, social security and a pension. Those who live by recycling waste, street vendors, garment makers, craftspeople and common trades that are excluded from employment rights are denied the possibility of forming trades unions, who do not have an adequate or stable income.
“Today I wish to unite my voice to theirs and to accompany them in their struggle.”
New church in Cuba
After 55 years the Communist government of Cuba has given permission to the Catholic Church to build a new church. The church, funded by donations from Catholics in Tampa, Florida, will be built in Sandino, a citrus and coffee-growing town in the far-western province of Pinar del Rio. The church publication Christian Life said it will have space for 200 people.
Respect for prisoners
Archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, called for the respect for political prisoners. According to a report by the Catholic news agency Fides, the archbishop was speaking during celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the venerable José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros.
He said Voluntad Popular Party leader Leopoldo Lopez, mayors Enzo Scarano and Daniel Ceballos, and Commissioner Salvatore Lucchese are being ill-treated in prison and have not been fairly tried.
Modern slavery
Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, said: “One of the biggest challenges of globalisation is migration. The Holy See would like to highlight the particularly troubling cases of human trafficking and contemporary forms of slavery spawned by migration.
“Up to 27 million people are living in conditions of slavery across the globe, facing sexual exploitation, forced labour and the denial of their basic rights. An estimated two million women fall victim to sexual trafficking each year, and many, including children, are victims of organ trafficking. Much more numerous still are those working in sweatshops for long hours, very poorly paid and without social and legal protections.”
(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)