VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI addresses the Diplomatic Corps: “ In this sensitive phase of the history of humanity, marked by uncertainties and questioning, many people expect the Church to exercise clearly and courageously her mission of evangelisation and her work of human promotion”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – During an audience granted on January 8th to members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See for the exchange of good wishes for the new year, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI traced a panorama of the present state of the world highlighting areas of suffering and poverty, and begging God for the “gift of a year rich in justice, serenity and peace”.
The Pontiff began by recalling those who had suffered in the past year, “ whether as a result of grave natural catastrophes, particularly in Vietnam, Myanmar, China and the Philippines, in Central America and the Caribbean, and in Columbia and Brazil; or as a result of violent national or regional conflicts; or again as a result of terrorist attacks which have sown death and destruction in countries like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Algeria.”. Underlining that “ Despite so many efforts, the peace we so desire still remains distant! ”, the Holy Father said “ we must not grow discouraged or lessen our commitment to a culture of authentic peace, but rather redouble our efforts on behalf of security and development.”. The Holy See has continued to reaffirm “ peace cannot be built when military expenses divert enormous human and material resources from projects for development, especially the development of the poorest peoples” the Pope said.
Benedict XVI went on to speak of the “too many poor people on our planet ”, citing his Message for World Day of Peace 2009. “ To build peace, we need to give new hope to the poor” exclaimed the Holy Father, referring to the present world financial and economic crisis, the food crisis and climate warming. “ There is an urgent need to adopt an effective strategy to fight hunger and to promote local agricultural development, all the more so since the number of the poor is increasing even within the rich countries…this goal will only be reached by implementing an ethics based on the innate dignity of the human person” affirmed the Pontiff.
The fight against poverty includes investing in young people, “ setting before them an ideal of authentic fraternity” the Holy Father affirmed, recalling the 23rd World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. “My apostolic journeys, beginning with my visit to the United States, - the Pontiff continued -, also allowed me to assess the expectations of many sectors of society with regard to the Catholic Church. In this sensitive phase of the history of humanity, marked by uncertainties and questioning, many people expect the Church to exercise clearly and courageously her mission of evangelisation and her work of human promotion”.
“ Acts of discrimination and the very grave attacks directed at thousands of Christians in this past year show to what extent it is not merely material poverty, but also moral poverty, which damages peace. Such abuses, in fact, are rooted in moral poverty.” said Benedict XVI, reaffirming “ the lofty contribution which religions can make to the struggle against poverty and the building of peace”, recalling that “ Christianity is a religion of freedom and peace, and it stands at the service of the true good of humanity”. The Pontiff went on to assure the victims of violence especially in Iraq and in India, of his paternal affection and he asked civil and political authorities to be “ actively committed to ending intolerance and acts of harassment directed against Christians, to repairing the damage which has been done, particularly to the places of worship and properties; and to encouraging by every means possible due respect for all religions, outlawing all forms of hatred and contempt”. He said he hoped that in the western world “ prejudice or hostility against Christians will not be cultivated simply because, on certain questions, their voice causes disquiet.”.
Looking towards the Middle East, the Holy Land first of all , “ where, in these days, we have witnessed a renewed outbreak of violence”, the Holy Father repeated that “ military options are no solution and that violence, wherever it comes from and whatever form it takes, must be firmly condemned”. He said he hoped coming elections in the region would produce leaders able to “ guide their people towards the difficult yet indispensable reconciliation”, and stressed the need to make every effort to find a solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, to support dialogue between Israel and Syria and consolidation of institutions in Lebanon. He encouraged the people of Iraq to “ turn the page and to look forward in order to rebuild without discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic group or religion”, and said that with regard to Iran, “ tireless efforts must be made to seek a negotiated solution to the controversy concerning the nation’s nuclear programme, through a mechanism capable of satisfying the legitimate demands of the country and of the international community.”.
On the great continent of Asia, “ while in certain countries acts of violence continue, and in others the political situation remains tense, some progress has been made, enabling us to look to the future with greater confidence” said the Pope, mentioning new peace talks in Mindanao, in the Philippines and “ and the new direction being taken in relations between Beijing and Taipei.”. “ The Christian communities living in Asia are often numerically small, yet they wish to contribute in a convincing and effective way to the common good, stability and progress of their countries, as they bear witness to the primacy of God which sets up a healthy order of values and grants a freedom more powerful than acts of injustice” the Pontiff affirmed.
In view of his first “greatly desired”, pastoral visit to Africa, the Holy Father called attention to the situation of Africa's children: “ Many children have the tragic experience of being refugees and displaced persons in Somalia, Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are waves of migration involving millions of persons in need of humanitarian assistance and who above all have been deprived of their elementary rights and offended in their dignity”. Then Benedict XVI called for the restoration of government in Somalia, he mentioned the critical situation in Zimbabwe and the hope sparked by a peace agreement reached in Burundi, adding “ I ask that it be applied fully, and thus become a source of inspiration for other countries which have not yet found the path of reconciliation.”.
With regard to Latin America, the Holy Father said he hoped “ the needs of emigrants need to be taken into consideration by legislation which would make it easier to reunite families, reconciling the legitimate requirements of security with those of inviolable respect for the person”. He praised the efforts made by some governments “ towards re-establishing the rule of law and waging an uncompromising battle against the drug trade and political corruption”. He recalled successful mediation on the part of the Holy See in talks on the southern areas between Argentina and Chile, and the agreement established between the Holy See and Brazil, hoping it will “ facilitate the free exercise of the Church’s mission of evangelization and further strengthen her cooperation with the civil institutions for an integral human development. ”.
Lastly, referring to countries nearer to Rome, Benedict XVI greeted Christian communities in Turkey recalling that “ during this special Holy Year marking the two-thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle Paul, numerous pilgrims are making their way to Tarsus, his native city, a fact which once more indicates how closely this land is linked to the origins of Christianity”. He mentioned the resuming of talks in Cyprus to find a fair solution to problems connected with the division of the Island, and recalled, with regard to the Caucasus, “ conflicts involving the states of the Region cannot be settled by recourse to arms; ”, thinking of Georgia, he expressed the hope that “ all the commitments subscribed to in the ceasefire of last August – an agreement concluded thanks to the diplomatic efforts of the European Union – will be honoured, and that the return of the displaced to their homes will be provided for as quickly as possible. ”. The Holy See continues its efforts to promote stability in south east Europe “ and hopes that conditions will continue to be created for a future of reconciliation and of peace between the populations of Serbia and Kosovo, with respect for minorities and commitment to the preservation of the priceless Christian artistic and cultural patrimony which constitutes a treasure for all humanity” the Pope concluded. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 9/1/2009; righe 95, parole 1336)