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MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT
XVI
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
WORLD DAY OF PEACE
1 JANUARY 2008
THE HUMAN FAMILY, A COMMUNITY OF PEACE
1. At the beginning of a New Year, I wish
to send my fervent good wishes for peace, together with a heartfelt
message of hope to men and women throughout the world. I do so by
offering for our common reflection the theme which I have placed at
the beginning of this message. It is one which I consider
particularly important: the human family, a community of peace.
The first form of communion between persons is that born of the love
of a man and a woman who decide to enter a stable union in order to
build together a new family. But the peoples of the earth,
too, are called to build relationships of solidarity and cooperation
among themselves, as befits members of the one human family:
“All peoples”—as the
Second Vatican Council
declared—“are one community and have one origin, because God caused
the whole human race to dwell on the face of the earth (cf. Acts
17:26); they also have one final end, God”(1).
The family, society and peace
2. The natural family, as an intimate
communion of life and love, based on marriage between a man and a
woman(2),
constitutes “the primary place of ‘humanization' for the
person and society”(3),
and a “cradle of life and love”(4).
The family is therefore rightly defined as the first natural
society, “a divine institution that stands at the foundation of
life of the human person as the prototype of every social order”(5).
3. Indeed, in a healthy family life we
experience some of the fundamental elements of peace: justice and
love between brothers and sisters, the role of authority expressed
by parents, loving concern for the members who are weaker because of
youth, sickness or old age, mutual help in the necessities of life,
readiness to accept others and, if necessary, to forgive them. For
this reason, the family is the first and indispensable teacher of
peace. It is no wonder, therefore, that violence, if perpetrated
in the family, is seen as particularly intolerable. Consequently,
when it is said that the family is “the primary living cell of
society”(6),
something essential is being stated. The family is the foundation of
society for this reason too: because it enables its members in
decisive ways to experience peace. It follows that the human
community cannot do without the service provided by the family.
Where can young people gradually learn to savour the genuine “taste”
of peace better than in the original “nest” which nature prepares
for them? The language of the family is a language of peace;
we must always draw from it, lest we lose the “vocabulary” of peace.
In the inflation of its speech, society cannot cease to refer to
that “grammar” which all children learn from the looks and the
actions of their mothers and fathers, even before they learn from
their words.
4. The family, since it has the duty of
educating its members, is the subject of specific rights. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which represents a
landmark of juridic civilization of truly universal value,
states that “the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of
society and is entitled to protection by society and the State”(7).
For its part, the Holy See sought to acknowledge a special
juridic dignity proper to the family by publishing the
Charter of the Rights of the Family.
In its Preamble we read: “the rights of the person, even if they are
expressed as rights of the individual, have a fundamental social
dimension which finds an innate and vital expression in the family”(8).
The rights set forth in the
Charter are an
expression and explicitation of the natural law written on the heart
of the human being and made known to him by reason. The denial or
even the restriction of the rights of the family, by obscuring the
truth about man, threatens the very foundations of peace.
5. Consequently, whoever, even
unknowingly, circumvents the institution of the family undermines
peace in the entire community, national and international, since he
weakens what is in effect the primary agency of peace. This
point merits special reflection: everything that serves to weaken
the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman, everything
that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the
responsible acceptance of a new life, everything that obstructs its
right to be primarily responsible for the education of its children,
constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace. The family
needs to have a home, employment and a just recognition of the
domestic activity of parents, the possibility of schooling for
children, and basic health care for all. When society and public
policy are not committed to assisting the family in these areas,
they deprive themselves of an essential resource in the service of
peace. The social communications media, in particular, because of
their educational potential, have a special responsibility for
promoting respect for the family, making clear its expectations and
rights, and presenting all its beauty.
Humanity is one great family
6. The social community, if it is to live
in peace, is also called to draw inspiration from the values on
which the family community is based. This is as true for local
communities as it is for national communities; it is also true for
the international community itself, for the human family which
dwells in that common house which is the earth. Here,
however, we cannot forget that the family comes into being from the
responsible and definitive “yes” of a man and a women, and it
continues to live from the conscious “yes” of the children who
gradually join it. The family community, in order to prosper, needs
the generous consent of all its members. This realization also needs
to become a shared conviction on the part of all those called to
form the common human family. We need to say our own “yes” to
this vocation which God has inscribed in our very nature. We do not
live alongside one another purely by chance; all of us are
progressing along a common path as men and women, and thus as
brothers and sisters. Consequently, it is essential that we
should all be committed to living our lives in an attitude of
responsibility before God, acknowledging him as the deepest source
of our own existence and that of others. By going back to this
supreme principle we are able to perceive the unconditional worth of
each human being, and thus to lay the premises for building a
humanity at peace. Without this transcendent foundation society is a
mere aggregation of neighbours, not a community of brothers and
sisters called to form one great family.
The family, the human community and the environment
7. The family needs a home, a fit
environment in which to develop its proper relationships. For the
human family, this home is the earth, the environment that God
the Creator has given us to inhabit with creativity and
responsibility. We need to care for the environment: it has been
entrusted to men and women to be protected and cultivated with
responsible freedom, with the good of all as a constant guiding
criterion. Human beings, obviously, are of supreme worth vis-à-vis
creation as a whole. Respecting the environment does not mean
considering material or animal nature more important than man.
Rather, it means not selfishly considering nature to be at the
complete disposal of our own interests, for future generations also
have the right to reap its benefits and to exhibit towards nature
the same responsible freedom that we claim for ourselves. Nor must
we overlook the poor, who are excluded in many cases from the goods
of creation destined for all. Humanity today is rightly concerned
about the ecological balance of tomorrow. It is important for
assessments in this regard to be carried out prudently, in dialogue
with experts and people of wisdom, uninhibited by ideological
pressure to draw hasty conclusions, and above all with the aim of
reaching agreement on a model of sustainable development capable of
ensuring the well-being of all while respecting environmental
balances. If the protection of the environment involves costs, they
should be justly distributed, taking due account of the different
levels of development of various countries and the need for
solidarity with future generations. Prudence does not mean failing
to accept responsibilities and postponing decisions; it means being
committed to making joint decisions after pondering responsibly the
road to be taken, decisions aimed at strengthening that covenant
between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the
creative love of God, from whom we come and towards whom we are
journeying.
8. In this regard, it is essential to
“sense” that the earth is “our common home” and, in our stewardship
and service to all, to choose the path of dialogue rather than the
path of unilateral decisions. Further international agencies may
need to be established in order to confront together the stewardship
of this “home” of ours; more important, however, is the need for
ever greater conviction about the need for responsible cooperation.
The problems looming on the horizon are complex and time is short.
In order to face this situation effectively, there is a need to act
in harmony. One area where there is a particular need to intensify
dialogue between nations is that of the stewardship of the
earth's energy resources. The technologically advanced countries
are facing two pressing needs in this regard: on the one hand, to
reassess the high levels of consumption due to the present model of
development, and on the other hand to invest sufficient resources in
the search for alternative sources of energy and for greater energy
efficiency. The emerging counties are hungry for energy, but at
times this hunger is met in a way harmful to poor countries which,
due to their insufficient infrastructures, including their
technological infrastructures, are forced to undersell the energy
resources they do possess. At times, their very political freedom is
compromised by forms of protectorate or, in any case, by forms of
conditioning which appear clearly humiliating.
Family, human community and economy
9. An essential condition for peace within
individual families is that they should be built upon the solid
foundation of shared spiritual and ethical values. Yet it must be
added that the family experiences authentic peace when no one lacks
what is needed, and when the family patrimony—the fruit of the
labour of some, the savings of others, and the active cooperation of
all—is well-managed in a spirit of solidarity, without extravagance
and without waste. The peace of the family, then, requires an
openness to a transcendent patrimony of values, and at the same
time a concern for the prudent management of both material goods and
inter-personal relationships. The failure of the latter results in
the breakdown of reciprocal trust in the face of the uncertainty
threatening the future of the nuclear family.
10. Something similar must be said for
that other family which is humanity as a whole. The human family,
which today is increasingly unified as a result of globalization,
also needs, in addition to a foundation of shared values, an economy
capable of responding effectively to the requirements of a common
good which is now planetary in scope. Here too, a comparison with
the natural family proves helpful. Honest and straightforward
relationships need to be promoted between individual persons and
between peoples, thus enabling everyone to cooperate on a just and
equal footing. Efforts must also be made to ensure a prudent use
of resources and an equitable distribution of wealth. In
particular, the aid given to poor countries must be guided by sound
economic principles, avoiding forms of waste associated principally
with the maintenance of expensive bureaucracies. Due account must
also be taken of the moral obligation to ensure that the economy is
not governed solely by the ruthless laws of instant profit, which
can prove inhumane.
The family, the human community and the moral law
11. A family lives in peace if all its
members submit to a common standard: this is what prevents
selfish individualism and brings individuals together, fostering
their harmonious coexistence and giving direction to their work.
This principle, obvious as it is, also holds true for wider
communities: from local and national communities to the
international community itself. For the sake of peace, a common law
is needed, one which would foster true freedom rather than blind
caprice, and protect the weak from oppression by the strong. The
family of peoples experiences many cases of arbitrary conduct, both
within individual States and in the relations of States among
themselves. In many situations the weak must bow not to the demands
of justice, but to the naked power of those stronger than
themselves. It bears repeating: power must always be disciplined by
law, and this applies also to relations between sovereign States.
12. The Church has often spoken on the
subject of the nature and function of law: the juridic norm,
which regulates relationships between individuals, disciplines
external conduct and establishes penalties for offenders, has as its
criterion the moral norm grounded in nature itself. Human
reason is capable of discerning this moral norm, at least in its
fundamental requirements, and thus ascending to the creative reason
of God which is at the origin of all things. The moral norm must be
the rule for decisions of conscience and the guide for all human
behaviour. Do juridic norms exist for relationships between the
nations which make up the human family? And if they exist, are they
operative? The answer is: yes, such norms exist, but to ensure that
they are truly operative it is necessary to go back to the
natural moral norm as the basis of the juridic norm; otherwise
the latter constantly remains at the mercy of a fragile and
provisional consensus.
13. Knowledge of the natural moral norm is
not inaccessible to those who, in reflecting on themselves and their
destiny, strive to understand the inner logic of the deepest
inclinations present in their being. Albeit not without hesitation
and doubt, they are capable of discovering, at least in its
essential lines, this common moral law which, over and above
cultural differences, enables human beings to come to a common
understanding regarding the most important aspects of good and evil,
justice and injustice. It is essential to go back to this
fundamental law, committing our finest intellectual energies to this
quest, and not letting ourselves be discouraged by mistakes and
misunderstandings. Values grounded in the natural law are indeed
present, albeit in a fragmentary and not always consistent way, in
international accords, in universally recognized forms of authority,
in the principles of humanitarian law incorporated in the
legislation of individual States or the statutes of international
bodies. Mankind is not “lawless”. All the same, there is an
urgent need to persevere in dialogue about these issues and to
encourage the legislation of individual States to converge towards a
recognition of fundamental human rights. The growth of a global
juridic culture depends, for that matter, on a constant commitment
to strengthen the profound human content of international norms,
lest they be reduced to mere procedures, easily subject to
manipulation for selfish or ideological reasons.
Overcoming conflicts and disarmament
14. Humanity today is unfortunately
experiencing great division and sharp conflicts which cast dark
shadows on its future. Vast areas of the world are caught up in
situations of increasing tension, while the danger of an increase in
the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons causes
well-founded apprehension in every responsible person. Many civil
wars are still being fought in Africa, even though a number of
countries there have made progress on the road to freedom and
democracy. The Middle East is still a theatre of conflict and
violence, which also affects neighbouring nations and regions and
risks drawing them into the spiral of violence. On a broader scale,
one must acknowledge with regret the growing number of States
engaged in the arms race: even some developing nations allot a
significant portion of their scant domestic product to the purchase
of weapons. The responsibility for this baneful commerce is not
limited: the countries of the industrially developed world profit
immensely from the sale of arms, while the ruling oligarchies in
many poor countries wish to reinforce their stronghold by acquiring
ever more sophisticated weaponry. In difficult times such as these,
it is truly necessary for all persons of good will to come together
to reach concrete agreements aimed at an effective
demilitarization, especially in the area of nuclear arms. At a
time when the process of nuclear non-proliferation is at a
stand-still, I feel bound to entreat those in authority to resume
with greater determination negotiations for a progressive and
mutually agreed dismantling of existing nuclear weapons. In
renewing this appeal, I know that I am echoing the desire of all
those concerned for the future of humanity.
15. Sixty years ago the United Nations
Organization solemnly issued the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (1948-2008). With that document the human family reacted
against the horrors of the Second World War by acknowledging its own
unity, based on the equal dignity of all men and women, and by
putting respect for the fundamental rights of individuals and
peoples at the centre of human coexistence. This was a decisive step
forward along the difficult and demanding path towards harmony and
peace. This year also marks the 25th anniversary
of the Holy See's adoption of the
Charter of the Rights of the Family
(1983-2008) and the 40th anniversary of the
celebration of the
first World Day of Peace
(1968-2008). Born of a providential intuition of Pope Paul VI and
carried forward with great conviction by my beloved and venerable
predecessor Pope John Paul II, the celebration of this Day of Peace
has made it possible for the Church, over the course of the years,
to present in these Messages an instructive body of teaching
regarding this fundamental human good. In the light of these
significant anniversaries, I invite every man and woman to have a
more lively sense of belonging to the one human family, and to
strive to make human coexistence increasingly reflect this
conviction, which is essential for the establishment of true and
lasting peace. I likewise invite believers to implore tirelessly
from God the great gift of peace. Christians, for their part, know
that they can trust in the intercession of Mary, who, as the Mother
of the Son of God made flesh for the salvation of all humanity, is
our common Mother.
To all my best wishes for a joyful New
Year!
From the Vatican, 8 December 2007
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
(1)
Declaration
Nostra Aetate, 1.
(2)
Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution
Gaudium et Spes, 48.
(3)
John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation
Christifideles Laici, 40:
AAS 81 (1989), 469.
(4)
Ibid.
(5)
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace,
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the
Church, No. 211.
(6)
Second Vatican Council, Decree
Apostolicam Actuositatem,
11.
(7)
Art. 16/3.
(8)
Holy See,
Charter of the Rights of the Family,
24 November 1983, Preamble, A.
© Copyright 2007 - Libreria Editrice
Vaticana