Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Agenzia Fides) – At the close of the meeting held by the Bishops in charge of the various Departments and Commissions in CELAM (Latin American Bishops' Council), which took place in Bogota, February 5 and 6, a statement was released showing their “concern and solidarity in response to the present global financial crisis which is so serious.” The Bishops also recalled the responsibility of all members of society, “in promoting the humanization of the political, economic, and developmental structures so that they may be at the service of the common good, the priority of work over profit and production over finance.”
Making reference to the words of the Holy Father Benedict XVI on January 1, 2009, the Bishops recall that “really, the present crisis is not the result of immediate financial difficulties, but the consequence of the state of the planet's ecological wellbeing and, above all, the cultural and moral crisis in which we live, whose symptoms have been evident in the world for some time.”
According to the Bishops, this crisis involves us all and should lead us to “express our solidarity in actions and concrete works to find solutions to the problems of unemployment, hunger, obligatory migration, decline in health, and the loss of a standard of living for the poor, who as always are the most hurt by the crisis.” It should also be a reason to “combine efforts from Catholic universities and institutions, investigators and agents of the pastoral-social ministry, in order to contribute to the formulation of a new development model for Latin America and the Caribbean, and an economic system for a world with better regulations that can eliminate poverty and promote justice and solidarity on our Continent.”
They also recall the urgent need for “globalization to be guided by ethics, placing everything at the service of the human person,” as this crisis “has unveiled the excessive desire for profit over and above the value of work and employment, converting it into an end in itself.” This inversion of values “perverts human relationships, substituting them for financial transactions that should be used to meet human needs.” They also decry the fact that “the international economy has left power and riches in the hands of an elite few, excluding the underprivileged and augmenting inequality.”
In light of this situation, the Bishops mention the need to “establish a basis for a new international order, founded on new game rules that should take into account the values of the Gospel and the social teachings of the Church.” And in order for this to take place, “we need the presence and collaboration of all men and women of good will, without any discrimination of religion, culture, politics, or ideology.” (RG) (Agenzia Fides 12/2/2009)
