Pope backs multi-faith efforts to eradicate child sexual abuse

In a message to religious leaders, scholars and experts from various fields participating in the international Symposium “Faith and Flourishing: Strategies for Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse”, Pope Francis expressed his support and hope for the eradication what he described as “a profound evil.”

The three-day symposium is a landmark event organized by Harvard University in partnership with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and the Catholic University of America.

It kicked-off on April 8th, the day organizers hope will soon become the World Day of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Healing and Justice.

In his message to participants, the Pope expressed his trust that “by bringing together Religious Leaders, Scholars, and experts from various fields in order to share research, clinical and pastoral experiences and best practices, the Symposium will contribute to a greater awareness of the gravity and extent of child sexual abuse and promote more effective cooperation at every level of society in eradicating this profound evil.”

Organizers explain the event is a first-of-a-kind as it stems from the realization that the best way to tackle child sexual abuse prevention and healing is through an active and ongoing synergy between public health care professionals and faith-based leaders and communities.

That’s why scholars, public health and mental health care professionals, child abuse prevention experts, and religious leaders of diverse faith traditions are sharing experience and resources as the best possible way to identify strategies to prevent child sexual abuse and foster healing for survivors of abuse in their communities.

Men and women of different backgrounds and histories have thus been asked to tell their stories, encouraging others to engage with different realities in the firm commitment that all vulnerable people have a right to be protected and that individuals and societies can only benefit from a holistic approach that takes physical, psychological and spiritual needs into due consideration.

Voices from across the spectrum

Introducing the first session was Jennifer Wortham, Dr.PH, the Executive Director for the Initiative on Health, Religion, and Spirituality at Harvard University, who is universally credited with being the motor at the heart of the event.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was the next in line to take to the floor, followed by long-time child protection advocate Queen Silvia of Sweden, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Rev Dr Denis Mukwege and Rev. Keishi Miyamoto.

The Catholic Church’s commitment towards survivors

Bringing the voice of the Catholic Church, Cardinal O’Malley reflected on the moral and legal obligation the Church has to provide protection and care for the people it serves, “especially minors, young people, vulnerable adults.”

“In all religious, civic and social groups, the people we serve rightfully expect that protection,” he said, noting that “In some cases, their trust was betrayed by those who carry the sacred responsibility of caring for their souls.”

“In all circumstances, the betrayal of sexual abuse was a terrible and devastating violation of human dignity,” he said.

In line and in continuation of the commitment made by the Church as it continues in its work and journey to eradicate clerical sexual abuse, the Cardinal reiterated that “within our families and social groups, the sins and crimes of sexual abuse cannot be held in secret and in shame. We must be vigilant in supporting survivors and their loved ones in the journey towards healing. “

Finally, he expressed his desire to “acknowledge and thank all the victim-survivors who continue to come forward to share their stories: It's because of your courage that the protection of children, youth and vulnerable adults and victim-assistance programs are becoming central components in all facets of our lives. But as the program for this symposium makes clear, there is much work yet to be done.”

Child abuse on the rise in a digital world

Queen Sofia of Sweden, founder of the World Childhood Foundation, spoke about how the issue of child sexual abuse has finally been brought to light, noting that when she decided to take action with the Foundation 20 years ago, “child sexual abuse was hardly on the public agenda: it was a problem that no one wanted to speak about and no one wanted to see its victims.

Pointing out that although giant steps been taken in awareness and prevention, “technology and connectivity have added new forms of online abuse” and the pandemic has exacerbated the problem.

She concluded observing that “Silence protects no one but the perpetrator,” and that is why we must break this silence to relieve the child from a burden of shame that was never his or hers to carry.

“Even more importantly we must listen to the children who find the courage to speak up, and trust them,” she said.

The role of faith leaders in building the future

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Rev Dr Denis Mutwege focussed his speech on the role the religious community plays in ensuring the protection of children and ensuring that survivors be given the resources they need to build their lives in the future.

The Congolese Reverend gave a moving account of his personal experience as a physician and obstetrician in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo where rape was widely used as a weapon of war.

He spoke of his work at the Maternity Hospital in the town of Panzi where most patients had been raped by fighters: “most of them were young girls, but there were also elderly women and many children, some of them only a few months old.”

The pain and horror he and his staff witnessed were such, he said that only prayers and the faith of all those involved allowed them to survive and keep going.

“I have witnessed the importance of faith, spirituality and hope in the context of the most devastating violence in the world,” Rev Dr Mutwege said, “And we have realized that physical healing was not enough to help the survivors recover from their wounds.”

Holistic model of care

Dr Mutwege continues to work for healing and peace in his nation on different levels.

“We have developed a four-pillar holistic model of care that combines medical treatment with psychosocial support and access to legal services and activities.”

He is deeply convinced that “Leaders of all faiths have an important role to play in ending rape as a weapon of war and curbing the sexual abuse of children, in particular.”

At the local level, he explained, we work with religious leaders and village leaders to ensure that they understand the aspects of gender equality and the rights of women and children. These leaders, he said, have an important role in educating communities and this also serves to abolish stigma and to break the cycle of violence at a national level.

At the national level he is working with civil society organizations and government entities on a variety of initiatives designed to build support networks for survivors of sexual violence, provide reparations, and help build lasting peace for the nation.

But acknowledging there is still a long way to go to build lasting peace in the DRC, Dr Mutwege said he is advocating at an international level for transitional justice mechanisms to be implemented as recommended by the UN Mapping Report, so perpetrators of past and present crimes are brought to justice.

Rape: a weapon of war in many parts of the world

Unfortunately, Dr Mutwege said, “rape is used as a weapon of war in many parts of the world.”

“Through my advocacy efforts to end this war strategy I have had the opportunity to meet with Muslim, Christian, Jewish survivors. As members of the faith community we have an important role to play and a responsibility to ensure that survivors do not feel shame or stigma for the abuse they have suffered,” he said.

“Rather than being ostracised, these survivors should feel supported and respected. Rather than feeling powerless, they should have the power to change things. Rather than being silenced, they should have the opportunity to break their silence and speak.”

The Symposium

On the Symposium website you are invited to hear the voices of survivors of child sexual abuse and follow upcoming Symposium presentations that include: “Challenges and Opportunities for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse; “Managing Urgent and Emerging Challenges Related to Digital Safety and the Global Pandemic; “The Role of Faith and Faith Leaders in Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse”; “The Importance of Faith Leaders in Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse.”

All presentations can be viewed by the public who is also invited to join discussion following registration. Click here for info.

Archbishop Gallagher: 

'Nostra aetate' highlights Church’s commitment against anti-Semitism

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, in a video message sent on Thursday, has reiterated the Holy See’s commitment against intolerance towards people of Jewish heritage.

The message from the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States comes as part of a media campaign promoted by the Israeli Embassy to combat anti-Semitism, as the Church this year marks the 55th anniversary of “Nostra Aetate” - the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions.

Importance of Nostra Aetate

Archbishop Gallagher highlights that Nostra Aetate is important for two aspects that it highlights: its emphasis on the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, and the condemnation of anti-Semitism in every form and species.

Jewish roots of Christian faith

He notes that in speaking of the spiritual patrimony common to both Christians and Jews, the Council recommends a “mutual knowledge and esteem” between them, which is achievable above all, by “biblical and theological studies, as well as fraternal dialogues.”

In this regard, much progress has been made in recent years, the Archbishop affirms. Mutual knowledge has led to a better understanding on theological, social and political levels, including bilateral Agreements by which diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the State of Israel have been established.

The Archbishop further stresses that for the dialogue to be fruitful, it must be both “open and respectful”, as mutual respect “is a condition, and at the same time, the goal of dialogue” – to respect the right of others to life, to physical integrity, to fundamental freedoms, that is, freedom of conscience, of thought, of expression and of religion.

This, he explains, allows us to build together a climate of peace and fraternity, as the Pope encouraged in his recent Encyclical Fratelli tutti.

Church’s condemnation of anti-Semitism

On the second importance of Nostra Aetate, Archbishop Gallagher re-echoes the Declaration’s condemnation of anti-Semitism in all its forms and species “at any time and by everyone.” He stresses that the Church cannot tolerate anti-Semitic acts because of the heritage she shares with Jews, and also because evangelical charity prevents her from doing so.

On this matter, he recalls a correspondence between the Council of Ashkenazi Rabbis of Jerusalem and the Holy See, which he describes as a “small pearl” from the historical archives of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State.

Archbishop Gallagher explains that, in 1919, following targeted acts of intolerance against Jewish communities, the Ashkenazi Rabbinical Council turned to then-Pope Benedict XV, presenting him the situation and asking for his support to put an end to the persecution. He notes that in the reply to the Rabbis’ request sent from the Secretariat of State, the Church was “opposed to acts of hatred against other brothers.”

He further notes that there are other examples of the Church at work against anti-Semitism, especially during WWII when diplomats of the Holy See worked to save the lives of some of our Jewish brothers and sisters.

“Differences of religion cannot allow anyone to do violence against the other,” says Archbishop Gallagher. “And if this is a true principle towards everyone, it is equally true towards the Jews. In fact, this violence is against law and justice.”

Concluding his message, Archbishop Gallagher thanks God for the true transformation that has taken place in relations between Jews and Catholics and re-echoes Pope Francis's words on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration: “Indifference and opposition have changed into cooperation and benevolence. From enemies and strangers, we have become friends and brothers.”

Cardinals, scholars speak on integral disarmament

Integral security must be anchored to “solidarity, justice, integral human development, the respect for fundamental human rights, and the care for creation.”

This call—launched by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin—could sum up the speeches and reflections offered by participants in a webinar held on Tuesday.

Entitled “Advancing integral disarmament in times of pandemic,” the online event advanced the goal of implementing a global ceasefire. It was organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) and the Vatican Covid-19 Commission, in collaboration with the Strategic Concept for the Removal of Arms and Proliferation (SCRAP) of the SOAS University of London.

The initiative was divided into three panels, and saw the participation of high-level Vatican officials and leaders of international organizations.

Confronting global crises

Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the DPIHD, kicked off the event with a call for national leaders to redirect resources toward global problems facing humanity, such as hunger and the loss of livelihoods due to the pandemic.

He said the health and economic crises require a concerted effort by governments, which should take the opportunity to move toward disarmament to free up funds for economic recovery.

Security and solidarity

The keynote address of the first panel was delivered by Cardinal Parolin. The Vatican Secretary of State focused his remarks on the concept of “integral security,” and asked participants to consider what kind of security the world desires and how best to ensure it. He said the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the interconnectedness of all humanity.

As Pope Francis called for at the Plain of Ur in Iraq, the world must pursue an integral security that goes beyond the arms race, the idolatry of money, and consumerism. “It means transforming instruments of hatred into instruments of peace,” said Cardinal Parolin. “It means rejecting the increasing proliferation of arms and accepting the promotion of the common good and the alleviation of poverty.”

Rather than spending money on arms, he said, nations should reallocate those expenditures to investing in “health, social equity, and poverty eradication,” which are better suited for promoting security.

Reiterating the Pope’s appeal for a global ceasefire, Cardinal Parolin said the right to self-defense should be considered as an element of “collective-defense” and “integral security.”

“This means also anchoring security to solidarity, justice, integral human development, the respect for fundamental human rights, and the care for creation,” he noted.

The Cardinal Secretary of State then recalled the Pope’s oft-repeated saying that “we never emerge from a crisis the same as before.” And he urged nations to pursue the path of disarmament by turning competition into cooperation and respecting the priority of personal dignity and promoting human life.

The webinar’s first panel also included an address from Professor Dan Plesch, with the SOAS University of London. He pointed out that redirecting just half of the US$2 trillion the world spends on military expenditure would allow governments to reduce taxes, fund global healthcare, and help reduce carbon emissions. It would also, he noted, get rid of “so many causes of war.”

Development over destruction

The second part of the webinar focused on the role of international law in pursuing integral security.

Panelists included Archbishop Ivan Jurkovi?, the Vatican’s representative at the UN in Geneva, and representatives of international organizations.

The Archbishop thanked the Dicastery for organizing the event in its Rome headquarters, and noted that the true goal of nuclear disarmament is to “promote integral human development.”

Archbishop Jurkovi? added that the Holy See is worried about new arms which engage in “automated killing.” And he expressed the Vatican’s opposition to weapons systems that remove human beings from the decision-making process in war.

More weapons, less healthcare

Several panelists of the second session promoted a concrete proposal called “SCRAP.” The proposal offers a draft text which nations could take as a starting point for negotiations toward a legally-binding agreement for complete disarmament.

Dr. Olamide Samuel, a professor at SOAS, told participants that his team has employed statistical models to uncover a worrying inverse relationship. He said that when governments spend more taxpayer funds on nuclear weapons they also tend to spend less on healthcare and social programs. As Dr. Samuel noted, “We cannot silence the guns while remaining silent about the guns.”

Another panelist, Susi Snyder, focused on the impact of ethical investing on arms production. She said pressure from institutional and activist investors has forced several corporations to abandon their weapon-producing operations. “Together, we can build and sustain the norms that make weapons illegitimate and unacceptable, to eradicate them for good, and to focus on rebuilding from this pandemic to a world with less weapon profiteering,” Ms. Snyder said.

Uniting Christians in a common goal

The third and final session discussed the vital role of religious organizations in promoting disarmament and integral development. The Vatican’s top officials for ecumenism and interreligious dialogue offered their thoughts on the topic.

Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said ecumenical efforts toward disarmament can help unite Christians in pursuing a common goal.

“Our work for the unity of Christians,” said Cardinal Koch, “is not only for the healing of the Church but also promotes the healing of the world.”

And as Christians work together for the cause of promoting peace, he concluded, “Christian unity is also advanced.”

Listening to cry of the suffering

Cardinal Miguel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, noted that dialogue between religions is essential to disarmament efforts, because “religion touches the heart of humanity.” He added that just structures can only be created when we engage in dialogue and “lay down arms” in our relationships with others.

“As we continue with this important work of proposing strategies to promote disarmament,” concluded Cardinal Ayuso, “may we keep in mind the cries of those children, women, and men affected by wars of all types.”

Peace among peoples

Cardinal Silvano Tomasi, Special Delegate to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, described the work of the Order in promoting peace.

By offering its services to all without discrimination, the Order of Malta helps peoples of various religions to live in peace.

So, Cardinal Tomasi said, solutions to global problems such as war and conflict need to be sought concretely on the ground in dialogue between peoples and communities.

Pope Francis calls for clean drinking water and sanitation for all

Pope Francis called for clean drinking water and sanitation for all on Sunday, remarking on how clean water is something “too many of our brothers and sisters do not have access to.”

Speaking after the Angelus prayer, the Pope looked ahead to the annual observance of World Water Day marked each year on 22 March.

“Tomorrow is World Water Day, which invites us to reflect on the value of this wonderful and irreplaceable gift of God. For us believers ‘sister’ water is not a commodity: it is a universal symbol and a source of life and health," he said.

Highlighting the fact that so many people across the world have little access to water, which is perhaps even polluted, the Pope said: “It is necessary to ensure drinking water and sanitation to all.”

A call to action

The Pope went on to thank and encourage those, who through their different professional capacities and responsibilities “work for this very important purpose.”

He highlighted the example of Argentina’s University Institute for Water and Sanitation, located in The Palace of Water in Buenos Aires which aims to be a significant player in Water and Sanitation education in the country and the region.

“I think of those,” the Pope continued, “who work to carry this work forward” and raise awareness regarding the importance of water: “Thank you very much to you Argentines who work in this Water University!”

World Water Day 2021

World Water Day, which falls on 22 March, celebrates water and raises awareness of the global water crisis. A core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water: “The value of water is about much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, food, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource. SDG 6 is to ensure water and sanitation for all. Without a comprehensive understanding of water’s true, multidimensional value, we will be unable to safeguard this critical resource for the benefit of everyone.”

Nadia Murad: Pope’s Iraq visit ‘a sign of hope for all minorities'

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad grants an interview to Vatican Media about Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Journey to Iraq, saying it sent an important message of hope for minorities in the nation, especially for the Yazidis.

By Alessandro Gisotti

The immense courage of Nadia Murad has become a symbol for the Yazidi people, and for all women who have fallen victim to violence.

In 2014, she was kidnapped by the so-called Islamic State and enslaved for three months in Iraq. The militants were carrying out a brutal campaign to exterminate the minority population.

Despite falling victim to unspeakable violence, Nadia refused to give up, and now she speaks against every form of violence from her adopted home in Germany.

She met Pope Francis in 2018, and gifted him with a signed copy of her autobiography “The Last Girl”. The Pope recently told journalists on the return flight from Iraq that it touched him deeply.

In the following interview with Vatican Media, Nadia Murad speaks about the fruits she hopes to see from the Pope’s visit to Iraq. She also launches a heartfelt appeal to the international community to help free the many Yazidi women who are still in the jihadists’ hands.

Q: The media worldwide have unanimously described Pope Francis' visit to Iraq as historic. In your opinion, what remains in the hearts of the Iraqi people from this journey?

Not only is Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq historic in itself, but it also comes at a historic time for the Iraqi people, as they rebuild from genocide, religious persecution, and decades of conflict. The Pope’s visit shone a light on the potential for peace and religious freedom. It symbolized that all Iraqis – no matter their faith – are equally deserving of dignity and human rights. His Holiness also sent a clear message that restoring the interfaith fabric of Iraqi society must start with support for the healing of minority communities, like the Yazidis, who have been the target of violence and marginalization.

Q: Speaking to reporters on the plane, Pope Francis said that one of the reasons he visited Iraq was after reading your book "The Last Girl." In his first speech, which he addressed to the country's authorities, he recalled the suffering of the Yazidis. How important is it to have the Pope offering this advocacy for you?

During my audience with Pope Francis back in 2018, we had an in-depth discussion about the Yazidi community’s experience of genocide, particularly the violence endured by women and children. I am glad that my story stayed with him and that he felt called to bring this message to Iraq. His advocacy for the Yazidi cause is an example for other religious leaders in the region to amplify the message of tolerance of religious minorities like the Yazidis.

Q: Today you are a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a UN Goodwill Ambassador, and you have founded Nadia's Initiative, an organization to help women victims of violence. Where did you find the strength to turn all the pain you have suffered into this force for good?

All Yazidis have shown great strength in their survival and resilience. The entire community has withstood immense trauma. We will not be able to recover and rebuild our lives on our own. The community is in dire need of support and resources. Nadia’s Initiative is striving to empower the community in their recovery by providing tangible and sustainable support.

Q: ISIS lost the war in 2017 but you remind us that there are still thousands of women, even young girls, in slavery who have not yet been freed. Why can't this tragedy be ended and what should the international community do?

The fact that 2,800 Yazidi women and children remain missing in captivity after nearly seven years exposes the lack of political will to protect women’s basic human rights and safety. It shows that sexual violence and slavery are not taken seriously by the international community. A multilateral task force must be established immediately with the sole purpose of locating and rescuing these women and children.

Q: You have said: "I want to be the last woman on earth with a story like mine." What would you say today to the many women suffering from war and terrible violence?

To them, I say, “It is not your fault.” Global patriarchal systems have been designed to subjugate us, profit from our oppression, and wage war on our bodies. But surviving and fighting for recognition of these injustices is an act of resistance. I would also say, “You are not alone.” Over one-third of women around the globe experience sexual violence. That does not mean we must accept it. There are women in every community who are surviving, standing up, and speaking out. When we unite to fight for our rights, change will be unstoppable.

Pope calls for end to violence against Myanmar protesters

Pope Francis once again lifted his voice in support of the people of Myanmar on Wednesday, in the wake of a deadly crackdown on protesters.

Security forces have killed at least 30 people participating in pro-democracy marches since the military coup on 1 February.

Lamenting the deadly clashes, the Pope called on the ruling military junta to stop the violence.

“I wish to call the attention of authorities involved, so that dialogue might prevail over repression, and harmony over discord,” said Pope Francis.

He also urged the international community to ensure that “the aspirations of the people of Myanmar are not suffocated by violence.”

“May the young people of that beloved land be allowed to hope in a future in which hate and injustice give way to encounter and reconciliation,” he said.

Release of political prisoners

The Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military, seized power in a coup on 1 February, detaining many political leaders.

Aung San Suu Kyi, then the State Counsellor, de facto leader, and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was arrested and faces several charges, including causing “fear and alarm” and possessing illegally imported communications equipment.

In his appeal, Pope Francis called on the military junta to release political prisoners and take steps toward restoring democracy.

“Finally, I repeat my appeal expressed one month ago,” he said, “that the journey toward democracy undertaken in recent years by Myanmar might be renewed through the concrete gesture of the liberation of political leaders who are currently incarcerated.”

Violent crackdown

The Pope’s appeal come on the heels of a recent, violent crackdown on protesters.

After nearly a month of peaceful demonstrations against the coup, security forces began using live ammunition against protesters across the country over the weekend.

Just on Wednesday, the same day as the Pope’s appeal at the General Audience, police killed at least 9 people participating in pro-democracy marches.

Estimates put the total death toll at around 30 since 1 February.

Pope to Franciscan Centre for Solidarity: continue your work, following in Jesus' steps

Pope Francis opened his message to Florence's Franciscan Centre for Solidarity on Monday by greeting their President, Maria Eugenia Ralletto. He noted that the Centre has, for many years, been carrying out "a valuable service of listening to and being close to people who find themselves in difficult economic and social conditions". These, continued the Pope, include families facing different hardships and the elderly who need support or companionship. 

"First of all, I would like to say 'thank you'", said the Pope. He noted that the Centre is "an effective work of assistance" based on volunteering. "In the eyes of the faith you are amongst those who sow the seeds of the Kingdom of God" in a world that generates so much inequality, he added. 

Much like Jesus

He explained that Jesus, too, came into the world proclaiming the Kingdom of the Father and approaching human wounds with compassion. "He came especially close to the poor, to those who were marginalised and discarded, to the disheartened, the abandoned and the oppressed", said the Pope. 

The Pope went on to note that in its work, the Centre and those who work in it "are inspired by the luminous witness of St. Francis of Assisi, who practiced universal brotherhood and 'everywhere he sowed peace and walked beside the poor, the abandoned, the sick, the rejected, the last'", he said, quoting his latest encyclical, Fratelli tutti.

Thirty years bearing hope

The Pope noted that for almost thirty years now, the Centre has been following Jesus' example. This, he added, "is a concrete sign of hope and also a sign of contradiction in the busy life of the city, where so many find themselves alone with their poverty and suffering". He added that "it is a sign that awakens slumbering consciences and invites us to come out of indifference, to have compassion for those who are wounded, to bend down with tenderness over those crushed by the weight of life".

Concluding his message, Pope Francis urged the members of the Centre to "go forth courageously in your work!" He then prayed, that the Lord sustain them, "for we know that our good hearts and human strength are not enough.".

Pontifical Academy for Life marks first anniversary of “Rome Call AI” document

It has been a year since the Pontifical Academy for Life, together with Microsoft, IBM, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Minister for Technological Innovation of the Italian government, signed the “Rome Call for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics.”

The document, which has been endorsed by Pope Francis, “seeks a commitment towards developing AI technologies in ways that are transparent, inclusive, socially beneficial and accountable.”

Working for the common good

Marking the anniversary this 28 February, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, reiterated that “Progress can make a better world possible if it goes together with the common good.”

Growing awareness

The Archbishop noted in a statement that in 12 months “the family of signatories has grown”, and they are working to make the document more and more known, “in view of further accessions by strategic actors for an ethical approach to the themes of Artificial Intelligence.”

The Academy president also underlined that “a channel of dialogue with monotheistic religions is open, in order to converge on a common vision of technology at the service of all humanity.”

Working for inclusion

 “A year after the Call, the Pontifical Academy for Life is increasingly convinced and determined on the importance of placing itself at the service of each person in his/her entirety and of all people, without discrimination or exclusion,” he said.

The Archbishop emphasized that “the complexity of the technological world requires a more articulated ethical reflection, to make our commitment truly incisive.”

New alliance

He went on to say that what is needed is a ”new alliance between research, science and ethics, because we stand at a crucial crossroads, in order to build a world where technology is actually used for the development of peoples.”  

“That is a request coming from faith and reason,” continued the Archbishop. “Without equitable and widespread development there will be no justice, there will be no peace, there will be no universal brotherhood.”

Ethical commitment

Recalling the signing of the document just a year ago, the President of Microsoft, Brad Smith, said, “As we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rome Call will be even more important as we think more broadly and ethically about the future of technology.”

Meanwhile, Dario Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research, commented that his company believes that “AI has the ability to transform and improve our lives and our society in many important ways. For all of us to benefit from AI, it requires a commitment to actively develop, deploy, and use it responsibly in order to prevent adverse outcomes.”

“By 2050, the world will have to feed about 10 billion people. This will only be possible with transformed agri-food systems that are inclusive, resilient and sustainable. Artificial Intelligence in Food and Agriculture plays a key role in this transformation and in achieving Food for All," said FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu.

“It is essential,” underlined Archbishop Paglia, “that each of us understands that we are not an island. We are not “pulverized”, divided. We are one body, one family, for better or for worse. Let's stick together.”

Holy See calls for increased attention to the effects of the pandemic

The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovi? has underlined the important role of sincere dialogue as a tool for creating a positive impact on the world amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the sixth Interfaith Dialogue 2021 in Geneva on Wednesday, the Vatican official highlighted the common conviction that inspired the meeting, noting that the annual conference allows us “to share what is important to us, in a spirit of trust and fraternity, so that we can learn from each other, help each other and grow together in mutual respect.”

The event was themed, “The role of faith during the coronavirus pandemic.”

The pandemic and its effects

Archbishop Jurkovi? remarked on the devastating effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that it is shocking to reflect that just over a year ago, this new and practically unknown disease would overturn the world as we know it.

Every aspect of our lives has been affected, he stated. “Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives, countless others are suffering from the severe health crisis; many businesses have been closed around the world, many of which will never be able to reopen their doors, national economies have been devastated; production was stopped in many places, education has been reduced to virtual learning or has ceased altogether and situations of poverty have been pushed to the breaking point.”

Particularly affected by the ongoing health emergency, the Archbishop noted, are “migrants, refugees, indigenous peoples, children and mothers.” He further noted that innumerable people who were in a state of dire poverty before the pandemic have since died from starvation. All these, just as much as those who have contracted the virus, must be counted among the victims of this bitter scourge,” he said.

The unseen, subtler effects of the pandemic

Speaking further on the pandemic’s negative effects, the Archbishop pointed out that in addition to all the external consequences of the pandemic, perhaps the most unsettling ones are the more subtle, interior crises.

While emphasizing the importance of the health restrictions implemented around the world to ensure a safe environment for all, he noted, however, that “isolation at home, wearing of a mask, the loss of jobs, the impossibility to physically interact with family and friends” continue to have a profound psychological, emotional and spiritual impact on each of us.

From a Christian point of view, “God desires communion,” the Archbishop said. “The Almighty created us so that we can enter into a deep and meaningful relationship with our Creator and with one another. Only through this mutual and open sharing of ourselves we find true contentment and peace.”

However, he lamented, the covid pandemic has exacerbated some of the already existing tensions and increased the threats to unity between individuals, peoples, cultures and nations, and increased inequalities. He noted that “when resources and medical treatments are limited, it is understandable that each person and nation will seek to secure a stockpile for their loved ones but this “self-interested, myopic approach stands in direct contradiction to the unity and communion that truly brings fulfillment to the human heart.”

“The stockpiling of vaccines, the insistence on patent rights, the closing of borders and the general turning-in on oneself is an understandable reaction to the crisis,” the Archbishop said. However, “these responses, rather than helping us, really inflict upon us a much deeper plague than the Covid-19 pandemic…if left unchecked, it could separate us from what makes us truly human: our compassion and desire to live in fraternal communion.”

The reaction of faith amidst the pandemic

In the face of the current situation, our faith teaches us to look beyond ourselves and our immediate needs towards the common good, the Archbishop insisted. It is, therefore, no coincidence that the major faith traditions place a strong emphasis on selfless love, encouraging us all to take care of our brothers and sisters.

Archbishop Jurkovi? went on to reaffirm the commitment of Pope Francis and the Holy See to ensuring that the pandemic does not lead to even more tragic consequences and a further deterioration of authentic human interaction. Thus, in this regard, an ad hoc Commission was set up within the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development with the aim of fostering authentic and holistic care for all those affected by the pandemic.

Pope Francis’ latest Encyclical Fratelli tutti also puts at its center, the importance of human fraternity and the role of religious traditions in its promotion. In the Encyclical, the Pope emphasizes that different religions, inspired by their respect for the human person as a creature called to be a daughter or son of God, are called to contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society.

Concluding, the Permanent Observer, reiterating the Holy Father’s words in his message to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, stressed that the pandemic which has forced us to endure months of isolation and loneliness has also brought out the need for human relationships. He added that all of us, strengthened by our traditions and religious beliefs, can testify to the value and importance of cultivating spiritual health, rooted in fraternity and love, as an effective way to heal the world around us.

Faith shines bright amid the darkness in Myanmar

Three weeks after Myanmar’s army effectively ended Myanmar’s ten-year-old fledgling democracy, protesters again gathered on Wednesday in Yangon. It is the 19th day people have gathered since the first large protest on 6 February.

Myanmar’s Bishops voiced their concern on Sunday, one day after a 16-year-old boy was killed in Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. “The heart-rending scenes of youth dying in the streets wound the conscience of a nation… The sadness of parents burying their children has to stop. Mothers’ tears are never a blessing to any nation”. Healing can begin, they stressed, “with the release of detained leaders”.

The citizens of Myanmar are accompanied by women religious “fighting and protesting to end military dictatorship, to get justice and peace”. One of these Sisters, a Sister of St Joseph of the Apparition, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared her experience with Vatican News.

“On the first day of February, after our morning prayers, we came to know the sad news that our leaders were arrested. Some of us cried and we all were saddened. As soon as we finished our breakfast we start making adoration till midnight by turns.”

As the days unfolded, the Sisters began to understand their mission differently, but always in the paradigm of their charism.

“Our Congregation's charism is ‘Love’. Our mission is to show Love in different works of charity. Our Constitutions says ‘...fighting in the spirit of the Gospel against destitution and every kind of injustice...’ ”.

At first the sisters began to provide “snacks, coffee, juice” to the people who were taking to the streets. She confesses they were having a hard time finding the financial resources to continue providing this service. “Some donors began to offer us some help when they saw on Facebook what we were doing”, Sister says. “Even our smile is great support for the protesters”.

The Sisters have also taken part in two demonstrations in Yangon, standing and walking side-by-side their fellow citizens. “We surely understand that without demonstrating, the military dictatorship will never end. That is why we support the protesters as much as we can”. 

Sister describes the mood in the country in terms both positive and negative.

She writes that a positive aspect is that even though Generation Z had never directly experienced the military dictatorship, they are now coming to realize “they are the leaders now in this revolution. They are full of zeal and creative”, Sister writes. She tells us that the young people “are exhausted” but they will not stop until “the military give up their power, because Myanmar's military power has been destroying our country for more than 60 years already”. However, Sister emphasizes, they are committed to the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

Writing about the negative aspect, Sister says, “We are scared, worried, insecure and sometimes hopeless. During the night we are scared because the police and soldiers attack the activists, protest leaders, CDM officers and influencers during the night. More than 20,000 prisoners were released and the army paid them and ask them to set fires in the quarters. People from the quarters choose night watch among them to catch different kinds of night time terrorists”.

The sisters are determined to continue offering support to the cause, even though there may be unforeseen consequences. “During the day there are police everywhere. Although they are not causing us any harm, we are watched and we are alert during the night. No supporter or activist is safe in this time. They catch and arrest people at night everywhere in the country”.

All photos, courtesy of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition Facebook page. Used with permission.

US Bishops: Equality Act discriminates against people of faith and threatens unborn life

Five US Bishop committee chairmen have expressed their opposition to the recent reintroduction of the Equality Act (H. R. 5), scheduled to be voted upon by the House of Representatives in coming days.

In a letter jointly signed by the chairs of the USCCB committees on Religious Liberty, Pro-Life, Marriage, Catholic Education and Domestic Justice, they highlight threats posed by the proposed law to both people of faith and of no faith, to the right of freedom of speech, as well as to faith-based charities and health-care workers with conscience objections, among others.

Gender discrimination, abortion and the Equality Act

The Bishops warned that the Equality Act, while purporting to protect people experiencing same-sex attraction or gender discordance from discrimination, rather represents an imposition by Congress “of novel and divisive viewpoints regarding ‘gender’ on individuals and organizations;” including dismissing sexual difference and falsely presenting “gender” as a social construct.

Re-echoing Pope Francis’ reflections on the issue, the Bishops noted that “biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated.” Therefore, “it is one thing to be understanding of human weakness and the complexities of life, and another to accept ideologies that attempt to sunder what are inseparable aspects of reality.”

In this regard, they lamented that this Act can be construed to include an abortion mandate, which is “a violation of precious rights to life and conscience.”

The Bishops’ concerns

Furthermore, the Bishop chairmen pointed out that, rather than affirming human dignity in ways that exceed existing practical protections, the Equality Act risks inflicting numerous social and legal harms.

They noted that the Act, if passed, could punish faith-based charities, and consequently their beneficiaries, for their beliefs on marriage and sexuality; as well as force people and organizations to speak and act in support of ‘gender transitions’ even in instances when it is against their professional judgment. Likewise, people who insist on their beliefs on marriage and sexuality could be excluded from the careers and livelihoods that they love.

In addition, the Bishops warned that taxpayers could be mandated to pay for abortions, and health care workers forced to perform them, in spite of conscience objections and the consequent effect of ending more human lives.

The Bishops also highlighted that the Equality Act could force girls and women to compete against boys and men who “claim to identify as women” in sports, as well as share locker rooms and shower spaces with them. It could also expand the government’s definition of public places into numerous settings, including religious ones, forcing them to host functions that violate their beliefs.

Human dignity, respect for all without discrimination

The Bishop chairmen asserted that belief in human dignity is reflected in the Church’s charitable service to all, irrespective of race, religion or any other characteristic.

In this light, they continued, “we need to honor every person’s right to gainful employment free of unjust discrimination or harassment and to the basic goods that they need to live and thrive.” It also means that “people of differing beliefs and principles should be respected."

Concluding their message, the Bishops underlined that the Catholic Church - the largest non-governmental provider of human services in the country – holds the same core beliefs that the human person is made with inherent dignity and in the image of God. These beliefs, the Bishops insist, “motivate both our positions on life, marriage, and sexuality, and also our call to serve the most vulnerable and the common good.”

COMECE calls on European Parliament to protect all life

The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) has questioned some points of a resolution passed by the European Parliament on the so-called "right" to abortion in Poland in November 2020.

A letter issued by the Bishops on Monday and addressed to President of the European Parliament, David Maria Sassoli, stressed that the Catholic Church, which seeks to support women in life situations arising from difficult or unwanted pregnancies, “calls for the protection and care of all unborn life.”

“Every human person is called into being by God and needs protection, particularly when he or she is most vulnerable,” the Bishops said, adding that “special safeguard and care for the child, before and after birth is also expressed in international legal standards” including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Ban on abortion in Poland

An October 2020 ruling by the Polish Constitutional court established a near-total ban on abortion in the country, permitting it only in cases of rape or incest, or when the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother.

The ban, which came into effect in January, sparked protests in the Polish capital, Warsaw, among groups divided among supporters and opponents of the move.

The October court ruling found that a 1993 law allowing abortion in cases of severe and irreversible foetal abnormalities was unconstitutional. It justified its ruling on the grounds that unborn children are human beings and therefore deserve protection under the Polish constitution, which ensures the right to life.

The November 2020 Resolution of the European Parliament called for EU institutions to do more to support "sexual and reproductive health rights," including abortion, across member states and to support grassroots and civil society groups that foster the rule of law.

The argument of the rule of law

The Bishops highlighted in their letter, that neither the European Union legislation nor the European Convention on Human Rights provide for a right to abortion, leaving the matter consequently to the legal systems of the Member states.

In this regard, a fundamental principle of the EU is the principle of conferral under which the EU can only act based on limits of the competencies conferred on it by the member States in treaties signed with the goal of attaining the objectives of the said treaties.

Observing this principle, therefore, COMECE noted, is a “requirement of the rule of law” because, as the European Parliament’s resolution points out “respect for the rule of law is essential for the functioning of the Union.” The same rule of law, the Bishops emphasized, “also requires respect for the competences of the Member states and the choices made by them in the exercise of their exclusive competences.”

Conscientious objection

Another point of concern for the Bishops is that the Parliament’s resolution appears to question the fundamental right to conscientious objection, which is an emanation of the freedom of conscience referred to in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

This, the Bishops underscored, is particularly worrying and should not be promoted, as in many cases, conscientious objectors, especially in the healthcare sector, are subject to discrimination.

Equal treatment, non-discrimination

At the same time, the Bishops pointed out that in full respect to legal provisions of the Parliament’s referrals, in several passages of the Resolution, to the right to equal treatment and non-discrimination; they were concerned that the principle of non-discrimination could be used to blur the limits of the competences of the EU. They warned that this would go against article 51.2 of the EU Charter, which stipulates that the Charter “does not extend the field of application of Union law beyond the powers of the Union or establish any new power or task for the Union.”

COMECE went on to stress the necessity of considering fundamental rights like freedom of thought, conscience and religion in the light of their “universality, inviolability, inalienability, indivisibility and interdependence,” noting particularly that with regards to the right to conscientious objection, the EU Charter entail the need to respect national constitutional traditions and the development of national legislation.

The Bishops also expressed sadness at the lack of condemnation or expressions of solidarity in respect to the unacceptable attacks on Churches and places of worship in the context of the protests ensuing from the law in Poland.

Concluding the letter, which was signed by COMECE president Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, and four other Bishop Vice-presidents, the Bishops reaffirmed their availability to provide further clarifications on this crucial issue, which they warn might have a negative impact on the way the Union is perceived by Member States.

Pope calls slain Italian Ambassador in DRC servant of peace

In a message sent via telegram to Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday evening, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow regarding Monday's attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which left the Italian Ambassador, Luca Attanasio, a police officer and their Congolese driver dead. The three were travelling in a United Nations Convoy.

Pope Francis said in the telegram that he was saddened when he heard the news. "I express heartfelt condolences to their families, the diplomatic corps, and the carabinieri on the death of these servants of peace", he wrote.

The Pope then praised the "exemplary witness" of the Italian Ambassador, Luca Attanasio, saying he was an excellent person and Christian. Pope Francis also noted the Ambassador's dedication to "establish fraternal and cordial relationships, to restablish serene and harmonious relationships in the heart of the African country".

Pope Francis also drew attention to Vittorio Iacovacci, a member of the Italian Carabinieri, also killed in the attack. He described Mr Iacovacci as "expert and generous in his service who was about to form a new family". 

The Pope closed his telegram with the following words to President Mattarella:

While I lift up prayers in suffrage for the eternal repose of these noble sons of the Italian nation, I encourage you to trust in God's providence. None of the good accomplished is lost in His hands, even more so when it is confirmed through suffering and sacrifice. To you, Mr President, to the relatives and colleagues of the victims, and to all those who mourn their loss, I send my blessing from my heart.

Holy See reiterates calls for nuclear disarmament, arms control

The Holy See has reiterated calls for complete nuclear disarmament, or the limitation of armaments, under effective systems of control and verification, in the face of the principal threats to peace and security in the world today.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, made this call on Wednesday in a video message addressed to the High-Level Segment of the 2021 Session of the Conference on Disarmament taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Confronted with the many security challenges the international community is facing today,” he said, “it is essential that this Conference recognize that certain issues should transcend narrow individual interests by virtue of their contribution to the common good.”

The Archbishop also conveyed the Pope’s cordial greeting to the participants, and expressed the Holy Father’s hope that impasses would be overcome through “a renewed sentiment of urgency and co-responsibility.”

Peace, security threatened by arms proliferation

The Vatican official pointed out that “the desire for peace, security and stability is one of the deepest longings of the human heart, even though these noble aspirations are impeded by the erosion of multilateralism and the present climate of reciprocal distrust, notably in the field of disarmament."

He noted that while the importance of disarmament is evident for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, it also applies to increased military competition in outer space, and in the fields of cyberspace and artificial intelligence, as seen in the example of lethal autonomous weapons systems.

Another point of concern for the Holy See is the illicit traffic of small arms, light weapons and explosive weapons. These weapons, he explained, have been used to wreak havoc on schools, hospitals and places of worship, causing damage to basic infrastructure for the civilian population and affecting integral human development prospects.

At the same time, the Archbishop continued, huge military expenditures foment a vicious cycle of an endless arms race, preventing potential resources from addressing poverty, education, inequality and health. In this regard, he decried the link of national security to the accumulation of weapons, referring it as a “false logic” and a scandal which facilitates the “disproportion between the resources in money and intelligence devoted to the service of death and the resources devoted to the service of life.”

Signs of hope

In spite of the current situation, the Vatican official noted that there are some encouraging signs including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the recent five-year extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the US and Russia.

Archbishop Gallagher also remarked that the Holy See is looking forward to the forthcoming Review Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, in hopes that it “will result in concrete action in accordance with our joint intention to achieve at the earliest possible date the cessation of the nuclear arms race and to undertake effective measures in the direction of nuclear disarmament.”

Affirming that a world free of nuclear weapons is both “possible and necessary”, he said this conviction, reinforced by the entry into force of the TPNW, is also embodied in the spirit of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation (NPT). At the same time, he pointed out that the TPNW and NPT are “driven by the very same moral imperatives and objectives” as they “mutually reinforce and complement each other, demonstrating how zealous the desire for peace, security and stability truly is.”

Concrete suggestions

In light of the importance of the complexity of disarmament and arms control, the Holy See made two recommendations to the member States at the conference:

First, the Holy See encourages the member States to “engage in an expert study on the issue of verification, which could inform possible future negotiations on disarmament and arms control.” Archbishop Gallagher explained that verification, in addition to being a valuable confidence-building measure, is a “fundamental component in ensuring the efficacy of treaties under the well-known adage ‘trust and identify’.” He, therefore, urged the use of opportunities offered by new technologies to enhance reliable verification measures especially as it is of particular importance with regard to nuclear disarmament as well as other types of weapons.

The Holy See also suggests that the resumption of “a formal discussion on limitations of armaments and on general and complete disarmament under effective systems of control and verification, would be extremely beneficial” to the conference, especially in the light of principal threats to peace and security including terrorism, asymmetrical conflicts, cybersecurity poverty and environmental problems.

An ethical imperative

Highlighting the need for a “more cohesive and responsible cooperation,” Archbishop Gallagher reiterated Pope Francis’ constant reminder that we can only overcome the current crisis if we work together, because “no one is safe until everyone is safe.”

Concluding his message, the Archbishop stressed that disarmament can no longer be considered an optional objective, but rather an “ethical imperative.”

He thus called for a renewed sense of urgency in the commitment to achieve durable agreements towards peace and fraternity, insisting that certain issues should rise above consensus and transcend individual interest and agendas.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Italian ambassador killed in attack on UN convoy

Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was killed in an attack on Monday while travelling in a United Nations Convoy in the east of the country, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.

The ambassador, Luca Attanasio, 43, alongside an Italian carabineri police officer, Vittorio Iacovacci, and their Congolese driver, Moustapha Milambo, were ambushed as they were traveling from Goma, Congo’s eastern regional capital, to visit a World Food Program (WFP) school project in Rutshuru. All three of them died in the shooting attack while others in the convoy sustained injuries.

The WFP said that the attack occurred on a road that had been previously cleared for travel without security escorts. Rutshuru is just over two hours’ drive from Goma. The road out of the regional capital has been insecure, with several armed groups operating in the area despite the heavy presence of the UN peacekeeping mission in the region.

Condolence messages

In the wake of the tragedy, Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan expressed his condolences in a statement. He described the Ambassador as “a good man”, “a competent diplomat,”and “an enterprising young man” who was killed, and together with him, a police officer and their driver. He added that “they are victims of an uncontrollable and devastating violence.”

Archbishop Delpini recalled meeting the Ambassador in Milan in 2019 while preparing for a visit to the DRC. He also remembered that during his visit to the country, he heard good reports about the Ambassador, his wife and the mission, especially concerning their commitment to works of solidarity. At the same time, he noted getting reports about the violence and insecurity in the country.

“This is another reason for my deepest and very deep personal sorrow at the death of people dedicated to their duty, who interpreted their diplomatic service as a form of solidarity between peoples, who showed their willingness to take on the desolating poverty of a country rich in resources…” Archbishop Delpini said.

In a similar manner, Fr. Robert Kasereka, the president of OPAM - an organization working for the promotion of literacy in the world - expressed his deepest condolences and closeness in prayer to the families of the three victims in a statement, adding that Monday’s tragic killings has “deeply wounded Italy and the Democratic Republic of Congo, uniting them in the same great pain.”

He noted, however, that the attack unfortunately adds to the long list of violence that has taken place in the region in the past 20 years. He recalled that only a few days ago in Malambo, North Kivu, another ten people were killed including a young woman who was disemboweled. He further pointed out that over 10 million men, women and children have lost their lives to the violence over the past two decades.

Explaining further, he highlighted that a lot of the violence is due to struggles over the mineral wealth of the region which is rich in diamonds, gold and coltan, as well as the nutrient-rich soil conducive for the cultivation of cocoa and coffee. He added that since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the increase in refugees in the DRC, conflicts between the indigenous people and the refugees have increased, and currently, many of the mines are controlled by armed groups.

Fr. Ngongi, therefore, stressed the need for “an independent international investigation that can clarify the deep reasons of this tragedy in order to address them and to find a solution together.”

Statement from the UN

Separately, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, in a post on his official Twitter account on Monday, condemned the attack which led to the death of the Italian Ambassador, his bodyguard and a WFP colleague. He also called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

A statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General posted on the UN website conveyed Mr. Guterres’ deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, as well as to the governments of Italy and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The tragic killings have also drawn reactions from other Italian authorities and Congolese authorities who have both expressed regret and sorrow over the attack and reaffirmed their closeness to the families of the deceased.

DRC

The Mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued by violence and insecurity for years, resulting in massive displacement of people and widespread poverty and hunger. The country has also suffered further shocks with intermittent outbreaks of the Ebola virus currently complicated by ongoing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Eastern DRC in particular has been particularly ravaged by constant clashes between armed groups vying for control of territory and natural resources. In the consequent conflicts, thousands of civilians have suffered loss of lives and terrible damages to property.

Since 1999, the UN’s peacekeeping mission has been in the DRC working to restore stability in the country.

Tomasi: treaty an important first step towards a world free of nuclear arms

“The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons heralds in a new era in international law and increasingly in public opinion” Cardinal Silvano M. Tomasi, has said.

In an exclusive interview with the World Council of Churches (WCC) the former Permanent Observer to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva and to the World Trade Organization reflects on the positive impact of the Treaty (TPNW) and how Churches can get involved in the goal of freeing the world of nuclear weapons.

The TPNW was adopted by the United Nations on 7 July 2017 and entered into force on 22 January 2021. For those nations who signed it, the Treaty prohibits the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as assistance and encouragement to the prohibited activities. For nuclear armed states joining the treaty, it provides for a time-bound framework for negotiations leading to the verified and irreversible elimination of its nuclear weapons program.

Acknowledging that “moral declarations alone will lead to disarmament”, in the interview Cardinal Tomasi, notes that the newly enacted norms “can support and even drive complex negotiations, hopefully toward achieving the goal of a world free from nuclear weapons”, stressing the need for non-nuclear weapons states to make their voices heard on this issue. 

He also emphasizes the role of civil society actors and of Churches and religious communities: “In this area, religions and all denominations can converge and amplify together the same moral message for believers and non-believers alike”, he says, adding that “local initiatives are very important for moving towards total disarmament” and that “local actors can make their voices heard at higher levels, by contacting their representatives and networking online”.

Reminding that “the mere existence of nuclear weapons is a constant risk” and that “the pandemic has brought to light and intensified the extreme inequalities present in our societies”, the former Nuncio reaffirms that the establishment of a World Fund to address human development with the money previously invested in the military and weapons  “is primary” in relation to the socio-economic issues we face today: “Pope Francis has recognized that the pandemic brings to light our true priorities and needs as a human family, and has encouraged deep reflection and active changes towards a world more committed to building just systems at the service of the people. It is not only a worthy goal, but a moral good”, he stresses. “Increased investments in arms arise from a feeling of insecurity, but a society can never be secure if the essential needs of its people are not met”, he explains.

According to cardinal Tomasi, the present pandemic could act as a “catalyst” toward this ambitious goal:  “In economically difficult times for all states – including the great powers – being able to release funds to revive the economy is essential. Decreasing the funds allocated to the arms race and dedicating them to economic recovery is actually a strategic choice for those states that wish to maintain their preeminence within the international system. Their influence and power will soon be judged based on their ability to recover from the crisis”, he concludes.

Archbishop Gallagher to UN: Inalienable human rights must be defended

The Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, has called on the United Nations to “rediscover the foundation of human rights, in order to implement them in an authentic fashion”, as the world continues to take measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Archbishop Gallagher made this appeal in a video message during the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which commenced on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland. The four-week-long session, held virtually due to the ongoing health emergency, kicks off with a 3-day high-level segment when heads of states and dignitaries representing various countries and regions will address the council by video.

For over a year now, Archbishop Gallagher noted, “the Covid-19 pandemic has been impacting every aspect of life, causing the loss of many and casting doubt on our economic, social, and health systems.” At the same time, “it has also challenged our commitment to the protection and promotion of universal human rights, while at the same time asserting their relevance.”

Recalling Pope Francis’s words in his latest Encyclical Fratelli tutti, Archbishop Gallagher underscored its relevance to our time, noting that “by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity.”

Human rights are unconditional

The Archbishop highlighted that the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that “the recognition of the inherent dignity of all members of the human family and of the equal and inalienable rights constitutes the foundation of freedom, justice and peace.” Likewise, the UN Charter asserts its "faith in fundamental of human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women, and of nations large and small.”

He pointed out that these two documents recognize an objective truth – that every human person is innately and universally endowed by human dignity. This truth, he further stressed, “is not conditioned by time, place, culture or context.”

Acknowledging that this solemn commitment “is easier to pronounce than to achieve and practice,” he lamented that these objectives are “still far from being recognized, respected, protected and promoted in every situation.”

Rights are not separated from universal values

Archbishop Gallagher went on to affirm that the true promotion of fundamental human rights depends on the underlying foundation from which they derive.

He, therefore, warned that any practice or system that would treat rights in an abstract fashion – separated from pre-existing and universal values – risks undermining their raison d’être, and in such a context, “human rights institutions become susceptible to prevailing fashions, prevailing visions or ideologies”.

The Archbishop further cautioned that "in such a context of rights devoid of values, systems may impose obligations or penalties that were never envisioned by state parties, which may contradict the values they were supposed to promote." He added that they may even “presume to create so-called 'new' rights that lack an objective foundation, thus drifting away from their purpose of serving human dignity.”

The right to life

Illustrating the inseparability of rights from values with the example of the right to life, Archbishop Gallagher applauded that its content has been “progressively extended by countering acts of torture, enforced disappearances and the death penalty; and by protecting the elderly, the migrant, children and motherhood.” He said these developments are reasonable extensions to the right of life as they maintain their fundamental basis in the inherent good of life, and also because “life, before being a right, is first and foremost a good to be cherished and protected.”

Archbishop Gallagher stressed, however, that there is a risk "of undermining the value a right is intended to uphold when it is divorced from its fundamental basis." He noted, for example, an unfortunate precedent in the Human Rights Committee's general comments 36 on the right to life, which "far from protecting human life and dignity, twists its meaning to imply the right to assisted suicide and to end the lives of unborn children."

Covid-19 measures and human rights

In the face of the current Covid-19 pandemic, the Archbishop highlighted that some measures implemented by public authorities to ensure public health impinged on the free exercise of human rights.

In this regard, he proposed that “any limitations on the exercise of human rights for the protection of public health must stem from a situation of strict necessity,” because “a number of persons, finding themselves in situations of vulnerability – such as the elderly, migrants, refugees, indigenous people, internally displaced persons, and children – have been disproportionately affected by the current crisis.”

Any limitations imposed in an emergency situation, he insisted, “must be proportional to the situation, applied in a non-discriminatory fashion, and used only when no other means are available.”

Freedom of religion

Archbishop Gallagher also reiterated the urgency of protecting the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, noting in particular that “religious belief, and the expression thereof, lies at the core of the dignity of the human person in his or her conscience.”

Highlighting that the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic reveals that “this robust understanding of religious freedom is being eroded,” the Archbishop re-echoed the Holy See’s insistance that, “freedom of religion also protects its public witness and expression, both individually and collectively, publicly and privately, in forms of worship, observance and teaching," as numerous human rights instruments recognize. 

To respect the inherent value of this right, therefore, the Archbishop recommends that political authorities should engage with religious leaders, as well as leaders of faith-based organizations and civil society committed to promoting freedom of religion and conscience.

Human fraternity, multilateralism

Archbishop Gallagher noted that the current crisis presents us with a unique opportunity to approach multilateralism “as the expression of a renewed sense of global responsibility, of solidarity grounded in justice and the attainment of peace and unity within the human family, which is God’s plan for the world.”

Recalling Pope Francis’ invitation in the Fratelli tutti encouraging everyone to acknowledge the dignity of each human person in order to promote universal fraternity, he encouraged all to be willing to move beyond that which divides us in order to effectively combat the consequences of the various crises.

Concluding his message, the Archbishop reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to engage collaboratively to this end.

Pope: Caring for others a ‘vaccine’ against individualism

Pope Francis has recalled the “generous” and “heroic” efforts of doctors, nurses and other health care personnel during the coronavirus emergency.

The Pope’s remarks come in a letter addressed to Archbishop Vincent Paglia on the occasion of a memorial service for health care workers who have died as a result of the pandemic. The event was organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life, which Paglia heads, to mark the day set aside in Italy to recognize the service of health care personnel. The commemoration occurs on the one-year anniversary of the detection of the first case of Covid-19 in the country.

A challenge to society

“The example of so many of our brothers and sisters, who have risked their lives to the point of losing them, inspires deep gratitude in all of us, and is a cause for reflection,” the Pope writes. “In the presence of such self-giving, the whole of society is challenged to bear ever greater witness to love of neighbour and care for others, especially the weakest.”

A vaccine against individualism

He added, “The dedication of those who, even in these days, are working in hospitals and health care facilities is a ‘vaccine’ against individualism and self-centredness, and demonstrates the most authentic desire that dwells in the human heart: to be close to those who are most in need and to spend oneself for them.”

Pope Francis assured those taking part in Saturday’s memorial service of his spiritual closeness, saying, “I join spiritually with all those gathered for this significant commemorative event, and I greet you with my blessing.”

Pope to Brazilians: Lent, a time to be brothers and in dialogue

Lent offers Christians ample scope to do much in terms of charity. But when combined with ecumenism, charity brings to the forefront solidarity with dialogue. This is what Pope Francis says in his message on the occasion of  Brazil’s Ecumenical Fraternity Campaign, which allows us to open our hearts to our fellow travellers without fear or suspicion, seeking peace before the one God.

Greater solidarity in pandemic

Each year, the CNBB holds the annual Fraternity Campaign for Catholics at Lent, but every 5 years or so, it joins various Christian confessions of the country for the Ecumenical Fraternity Campaign. The theme of this year's Lenten Fraternity Campaign is "Fraternity and Dialogue: Commitment of Love", based on the Letter to the Ephesians: “Christ is our peace, He who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through His flesh.”    

In his message, Pope Francis evoked the basics of the Lenten period and the first reality facing humanity is the pandemic that has been particularly harsh in Brazil. The Pope said Christ “invites us to pray for those who have died, to bless the selfless service of so many health professionals and to encourage solidarity among people of goodwill”. Jesus calls us to take care of ourselves, of our health and to care for each other, as the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us.

In dialogue with fellow travellers

The theme of this year’s campaign underscores the need to search for communion with the various Christian communities of Brazil, a dialogue which the Holy Father defined as "a reason for hope". Christians, he pointed out, are the first to have to set an example, starting with the practice of ecumenical dialogue. It teaches us “to open our hearts to our traveling companion without fear or suspicion, and look first of all to what we seek: peace before the one God ".

Three Lenten tools

From this relationship of respect and sharing gushes forth that “precious contribution to the building up of fraternity and the defence of justice in society”, which the Pope reaffirms in his encyclical, Fratelli tutti. And within this horizon, the Pope recalls in his encyclical, lies the common effort to "overcome the pandemic". He asserts that “we will do so to the extent that we will be able to overcome divisions and unite around life".  And in order not to fall back into the temptation of "feverish consumerism and new forms of selfish self-protection" once the health crisis is over, Pope Francis encourages Christians to use the Lenten tools of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Holy See advocates for empowerment of women

The Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Monsignor Janusz Urba?czyk, has called for the empowerment of women in every area of life and work, at the same time encouraging the OSCE’s Economic and Environmental Forum to consider this important issue in its 2021 cycle.

Speaking during the first Preparatory Meeting of the 29th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF), held online on Monday, Monsignor Urba?czyk stressed that “the desire to protect and to promote the real equality of every human person and the acknowledgment of the complementarity of women and men remain important priorities of the Holy See.”

Valuing women fosters peace, social security

Monsignor Urba?czyk lamented that the persistence of the many forms of discrimination offensive to the dignity and vocation of women in the area of work is due to a long series of conditioning that penalizes them. He noted that many women have seen “their prerogatives misrepresented” and they have been “relegated to the margins of society and reduced to servitude.”

Reiterating Pope Saint John Paul II’s words in his 1995 “Letter to Women,” Monsignor Urba?czyk highlighted the urgent need to achieve real equality in all areas – equal pay for equal work, protection for working mothers, fairness in career advancements, equality of spouses as regards family rights and the recognition of the rights and duties of citizens in a democratic state.

He further emphasized that the increased economic and political empowerment and the promotion of women's participation in public life will “surely contribute to increased peace and security within both society at large and, in many cases, within the fundamental cell of society, which is the family unit.”

Covid-19 pandemic

Monsignor Urba?czyk went on to underline the harmful effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on women’s participation in the labor market.

He noted that “women are often the first to lose their jobs, especially when working in low paid employment or in the informal sector” where they are often the majority and where, in many cases, financial protection and benefits are lacking. Furthermore, “the burden of homeschooling has increased pressure on women, regardless whether they are in paid work or not,” he added.

Complementarity between men and women

In consideration of these circumstances surrounding women, Monsignor Urba?czyk calls for the “complementary collaboration of men and women,” adding that the empowerment of women in every area of life and work “will not only strengthen women, but will strengthen and empower security, stability and sustainable development."

Cardinal Parolin: Building peace, brick by brick

“I will tell the Pope that peace is being built here, little by little, brick by brick.” These are the words of Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to young people when he paid a brief visit on Tuesday to the tiny medieval hamlet of Cittadella della Pace (literally, “Citadel of Peace”), in the heartland of Italy’s Tuscany region.    

The village is home to the so-called 'Rondine Cittadella della Pace', an association that promotes a culture of peace and dialogue, especially working with people from countries who live or have just experienced wars and conflicts. 

Living with the “enemy”

Simply called Rondine, the non-profit international peace initiative was founded in 1988 by Italian psychologist and academic, Franco Vaccari.  It was inspired by the project called the World House, which hosts young people from countries where, currently or recently, conflicts have assumed violent forms. These young people accept to live with their own “enemy”, in order to learn how to face their conflict and turn it into an opportunity for change.  The World House programme lasts two years during which they experiment with innovation through conviviality, daily activities, non-formal and formal education.

"Speaking with you I discover that you come from areas full of tensions and conflicts and that this effort to build peace here is a beautiful thing,” Cardinal Parolin told the young people who participated in a year of training based on the so-called ‘Rondine Method’ and leadership. 

Making the Mediterranean a frontier of peace

Cardinal Parolin said he would carry their greetings to Pope Francis and talk to him about their commitment.  Among those he met on Tuesday were eleven young men and women chosen for the project "Mediterranean: the frontier of peace, education and reconciliation”, launched by the Italian Bishops' Conference in the southern Italian city of Bari in February 2020.  

“Despite the difficult past year we are very happy to have managed to come to Italy to work on our projects and to demonstrate that it is possible to live together and dialogue” said Amina, a young Bosnian woman, speaking on behalf of the young people of the Mediterranean.  She said that the projects that they will carry out back home in their countries will have as their objective dialogue, reconciliation and peace.  They will continue to develop their network for social cohesion in the Mediterranean which they are building at Rondine Cittadella della Pace.  

Cardinal Parolin stopped by Cittadella della Pace during his visit to Arezzo city, where he celebrated the local feast of Our Lady of Consolation, who is greatly revered in the city.  

On his historic visit to Iraq in March, Pope Francis hopes to encourage his Christian flock, badly bruised by sectarian conflict and brutal Islamic State attacks, while building further bridges to Muslims by extending fraternal peace.

The trip’s papal logo reflects this, depicting Pope Francis with Iraq’s notable Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a palm tree and a dove carrying an olive branch over the Vatican and Iraqi flags. The motto: “You are all brothers,” is written in Arabic, Chaldean and Kurdish languages.

The first-ever papal visit to the biblical land of Iraq March 5-8 is significant. For years, the pope has expressed his concerns publicly for the plight and persecution of Iraq’s Christians and its mosaic of many religious minorities, including the Yazidis, who have suffered at the hands of Islamic State militants and have been caught in the crosshairs of Sunni and Shiite Muslim violence.

Tensions persist between Iraq’s majority Shiite and minority Sunni Muslim communities, with the latter now feeling disenfranchised following the 2003 downfall of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim who marginalized Shiites for 24 years under his minority rule.

“I am the pastor of people who are suffering,” Pope Francis told Catholic News Service at the Vatican ahead of his visit.

Earlier, the pope said he hoped Iraq could “face the future through the peaceful and shared pursuit of the common good on the part of all elements of society, including the religious, and not fall back into hostilities sparked by the simmering conflicts of the regional powers.”

“The pope will come to say, ‘Enough, enough war, enough violence; seek peace and fraternity and the safeguarding of human dignity,'” said Cardinal Louis Sako, the Baghdad-based patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The cardinal reportedly has worked for several years to see the pope’s trip to Iraq come to fruition.

Pope Francis “will bring us two things: comfort and hope, which have been denied to us until now,” the cardinal said.

The majority of Iraq’s Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic Church. Others worship in the Syriac Catholic Church, while a modest number of belong to the Latin, Maronite, Greek, Coptic and Armenian churches. There are also non-Catholic churches like the Assyrian Church and Protestant denominations.

Once numbering about 1.5 million, hundreds of thousands of Christians fled sectarian violence after Saddam’s ouster as churches in Baghdad were bombed, kidnappings took place, and other sectarian attacks erupted.

They either headed north or left the country altogether. Christians were driven out of their ancestral homeland in the Ninevah Plain when Islamic State captured that region in 2014. A record number of Christians fled due to their atrocities until its liberation in 2017. Now, Christian numbers in Iraq have dwindled to about 150,000.

The uprooted Christian community, which claims an apostolic origin and still uses Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, is desperate to see its plight end.

Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Yousif Mirkis of Kirkuk estimates that between 40%-45% of the Christians “have returned to the some of their ancestral villages, particularly Qaraqosh.”

There, rebuilding of churches, homes and businesses is taking place mainly with funding from Catholic and other church institutions as well as the Hungarian and U.S. governments, rather than from Baghdad.

For years, Cardinal Sako has lobbied the Iraqi government, dominated by majority Shiite Muslim politicians, to treat Christians and other minorities as equal citizens with equal rights.

He also hopes that Pope Francis’ message of peace and fraternity in Iraq will cap the pontiff’s interfaith outreach to the Muslim world in recent years, now by extending a hand to Shiite Muslims.

“When the head of the church speaks to the Muslim world, we Christians are shown appreciation and respect,” Cardinal Sako said.

A meeting for Pope Francis with one of Shiite Islam’s most authoritative figures, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, is significant in the papal effort to embrace all of the Islamic world. The meeting has been confirmed by the Vatican.

Iraqi Dominican Father Ameer Jaje, an expert on Shiite relations, said a hope would be for Ayatollah al-Sistani to sign onto a document, “On Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” which calls for Christians and Muslims to work together for peace.

A highlight of Francis’ visit to the United Arab Emirates in February 2019 was the signing of the fraternity document together with Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University and the top authority in Sunni Islam.

Father Jaje told CNS by phone from Baghdad that “the meeting will certainly take place in Najaf, where al-Sistani is based.”

The city is 100 miles south of Baghdad, a center of Shiite Islam’s spiritual and political power as well as a pilgrimage site for Shiite adherents.

Long considered a force for stability despite his age of 90, Ayatollah al-Sistani’s loyalty is toward Iraq, as opposed to some co-religionists who look to Iran for backing. He supports the separation of religion and state affairs. In 2017 he also urged all Iraqis, regardless of their religious affiliation or ethnicity, to fight to get rid of Islamic State on behalf of their country.

Observers believe the pope’s meeting with the ayatollah could be highly symbolic for Iraqis, but especially Christians, for whom the encounter could turn a page in their country’s often fraught interfaith relations.

Pope to diplomats: Fraternity, the true remedy to crises and divisions

In his traditional encounter with the ambassadors to the Holy See, Pope Francis reflected on the numerous crises unleashed by the pandemic, and on other problems affecting the world, stressing that the fraternity is the true cure for them. 

Pope Francis met the ambassadors in the Hall of Benediction in St. Peter’s Basilica, maintaining health protocols. The traditional meeting, originally scheduled for January 25, had to be postponed because of the Pope’s sciatica pain. 

Despite the social distancing demanded by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Holy Father noted, their meeting “is meant to be a sign of hope . . . closeness and mutual support to which the family of nations should aspire”.  And in this spirit, he said, he was making his upcoming visit to Iraq in March.

The Holy Father then reviewed some of the crises provoked or laid bare by the pandemic and examined the opportunities they offer to build a more humane, just, supportive and peaceful world. 

Health crisis

The pandemic, the Pope said, has brought humanity face-to-face with two unavoidable dimensions of human existence: sickness and death. They remind us of the value of every individual human life and its dignity, from conception in the womb until its natural end. He lamented that a growing number of legal systems seem to be moving away from their inalienable duty to protect human life at every one of its phases.

The pandemic has reminded us of the right of each human being to dignified care, and that “each human person is an end in himself or herself, and never simply a means to be valued only for his or her usefulness”. “If we deprive the weakest among us of the right to life,” he asked, “how can we effectively guarantee respect for every other right?” He urged political and government leaders to work above all to ensure universal access to basic healthcare, medicines and treatment, pointing out that “concern for profit should not be guiding a field as sensitive as that of healthcare”. He called for an equitable distribution of the vaccines, based not on purely economic criteria but on the needs of all, especially of peoples most in need. In this regard, he urged that access to vaccines must be accompanied by responsible personal behaviour aimed at halting the spread of the virus, employing the necessary measures of prevention. 

Environmental crisis

The pandemic, the Pope continued, has also demonstrated once again that the earth itself is fragile and in need of care. The ecological crisis caused by the indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, he pointed out, is much more complex and enduring, and requires shared long-term solutions. The impact of climate change, such as extreme weather events of flooding and drought, and malnutrition or respiratory disease, entail consequences that persist for a considerable time.

While stressing the need for international cooperation to overcome these crises of our common home, Pope Francis hopes that the November United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), will effectively address the consequences of climate change. 

In this regard, he recalled the repercussions of climate change on several regions of the world. Numerous small islands in the Pacific Ocean are in danger of gradually disappearing; while floods in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam and the Philippines, have caused many deaths and destroyed livelihoods; and increased temperatures have caused devastating fires in Australia and California.

In Africa, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger faced acute food insecurity last year with millions suffering from hunger. In South Sudan, where there is a risk of famine with over one million undrenourished children, the Pope urged the country’s authorities to overcome misunderstandings and pursue political dialogue for the sake of full national reconciliation.

Economic and social crises

The restrictions on freedom of movement imposed by governments to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the Pope said, have especially harmed medium-sized and small businesses, adversely affecting employment and consequently the life of families and entire sectors of society, especially those that are most fragile. This economic crisis, he noted, has highlighted another illness of our time: that of an economy based on the exploitation and waste of both people and natural resources. What is needed is an economy that is “at the service of men and women, not vice versa”, an economy that “brings life, not death, one that is inclusive and not exclusive, humane and not dehumanizing, one that cares for the environment and does not despoil it”.

Victims of isolation and closed borders

The pandemic, the Pope continued, has particularly hit those in the informal job sector, with many of them exposed to exploitation through illegal or forced labour, prostitution and various criminal activities, including human trafficking. Economic stability, the Pope said, must be ensured for all, so as to avoid the scourge of exploitation and to combat usury, corruption and other injustices. With longer hours before computers and other media due to the isolation, the poor and unemployed are rendered more vulnerable to cybercrime, including fraud, trafficking in persons, prostitution and child pornography. 

Pope Francis also noted that the closing of borders due to the pandemic, combined with the economic crisis, have also aggravated a number of humanitarian emergencies, such as those in Sudan, sub-Saharan Africa, Mozambique, Yemen and Syria. With regard to economic sanctions on countries, he said, they affect mainly the more vulnerable segments of the population rather than political leaders. He hoped that they will be relaxed with an improved flow of humanitarian aid.

He hoped, too, that the current crisis be an occasion for forgiving, or at least reducing, the debt that burdens poorer countries and prevents their recovery and development.

Migrants and refugees

Speaking about the increased number of migrants and their worsening conditions last year because of closed borders, Pope Francis calls for addressing the root causes that force people to migrate and supporting the countries that host them. 

The Holy Father also noted the dramatic increase in the number of refugees and called for renewed commitment to protect them, together with internally displaced persons and the many vulnerable people forced to flee from persecution, violence, conflicts and wars.  In the central region of the Sahel, he noted, the number of internally displaced persons has increased twentyfold.

Crisis of politics

Pope Francis also noted that political crises have worsened in some countries during the pandemic, such as in Myanmar.  While expressing his closeness to the people of the nation, he lamented that that “the path to democracy undertaken in recent years was brusquely interrupted” by the recent coup. He hoped that the detained political leaders “will be promptly released as a sign of encouragement for a sincere dialogue aimed at the good of the country”.

“The democratic process,” he said, “calls for pursuing the path of inclusive, peaceful, constructive and respectful dialogue among all the components of civil society in every city and nation.” This crisis of politics and of democratic values, he pointed out, is also on the international level, with repercussions on the entire multilateral system. But he also noted encouraging signs such as  progress in the prohibition of nuclear weapons and in arms reduction. 

In this context, the Pope wished that 2021 be the year of the end of the Syrian conflict, of the resumption of direct dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, of stability in Lebanon and of peace in Libya. He expressed concern over the situation in the Central African Republic and in Latin America in general, where, he said, political and social tensions are rooted in profound inequalities, injustices and poverty that offend the dignity of persons. He also expressed concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the South Caucasus.

Terrorism

Pope Francis also expressed concern over the scourge of terrorism, whose attacks, he said, have intensified in the last 20 years, with Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia as well as Europe experiencing it. He particularly regretted attacks on places of worship and reminded authorities of their duty to protect places of worship and defend freedom of thought, conscience and religion. 

Crisis of human relationships

According to the Pope, the most serious crisis of them all is that of "human relationship".  It is "the expression of a general anthropological crisis, dealing with the very conception of the human person and his or her transcendent dignity."  He expressed his conviction that "fraternity is the true cure for the pandemic and the many evils that have affected us ".  "Along with vaccines, fraternity and hope are, as it were, the medicine we need in today’s world,” the Pope said.

The isolation and often loneliness due to the pandemic, he said, have brought out the need of every individual for human relationships. With schools and universities shifting to online educational platforms, a marked disparity in educational and technological opportunities has appeared, with many students falling behind in the natural process of schooling. Calling it a “sort of ‘educational catastrophe’”, he called for a renewed commitment to an education that engages society at every level, because education is a natural antidote to the individualistic culture and indifference.

Marriage and family life, the Pope noted, have also been affected, with many experiencing domestic violence. The pandemic has also had adverse effects on fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, with restrictions in public worship and in the educational and charitable activities of faith communities. “Even as we seek ways to protect human lives from the spread of the virus, the Pope said, “we cannot view the spiritual and moral dimension of the human person as less important than physical health.”