Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Now is the time to act; otherwise it will be too late for everyone. We need to make an immediate response and stop adopting isolated and disintegrated measures that only aim at maintaining or restoring the present system,” says the Declaration issued at the close of the Symposium celebrated in Vatican City on March 6 and 7, which was attended by the Latin American Bishops' Council (CELAM) and the German Bishops' Foundation for Development (MISEREOR), which was entitled “The common good worldwide in light of the lack of resources.” In the Symposium, there was an effort made to analyze the present situation in the context of the climate change, the international financial crisis, and the limitation of the natural resources, to make a contribution to society from a faith perspective.
The Bishops analyzed the present situation, characterized by globalization and the more evident limit to the planet's goods, as well as the severe market crisis. They observe that “the limitation of natural resources and their distribution affects justice in its various dimensions.” Moreover, in several countries, there is a privatization of public goods taking place. In regards to this fact, they firmly state that “access to water for the poor is a human right, regardless of the logic of trade, which should be reflected in the supply systems.” Likewise, the food crisis, “is characterized not so much by a lack of food, but by the difficulties that exist in acquiring it and by speculation phenomena.”
In addition, the world economic crisis is felt more in the developing countries than in the wealthy ones and in this regards, “Latin American countries and others are suffering a reduction in exports and imports, a rise in unemployment, lower prices for raw materials, and the increase of national debt.” The Bishops say that “until now, the national and international policies have not been able to give adequate responses to these great challenges.”
The Bishops also see that “there needs to be a new defining of the concept of the common good,” in this context. The common good is “not simply the sum of particular goods of each person or social group” and “it is based on the dignity of the human person that is created in the image and likeness of God.” “The common good to be protected is no longer something isolated from the good of each nation. Its dimensions, increasingly more universal, allow us to speak of a global common good.”
The Church feels the effects of this reality and from her Social Doctrine, can formulate several ethical demands that offer practical solutions. “Now is the time for a new attitude of the Church within her Mission, called to find paths for a new world order, in collaboration with other groups and organizations. The poor and marginalized should be subjects and actors in the new political, economic, social, and ecological order. En exercising solidarity and subsidiarity with an authentically prophetic voice, changes are imposed in lifestyles and manners of production.”
In light of this fact, they propose that “attitudes be promoted that leave behind consumerism and the wasting of natural resources...within an ethical behavior that places more value on being than having and that surpasses the mere desire for personal comfort and benefits.”
On a national level, they make other proposals: increase the efficiency in the use of natural resources; promote public politics that favor the protection of goods; favor the local and regional markets in equal exchange; guarantee protection of human rights; encourage criteria of efficacy, equanimity, and sustenance in the use of natural resources.
On a worldwide level, they propose promotion of an international accord of reducing emissions to no less than 50% until 2050; defining an ethic for international trade relations; establishing new manners of reducing foreign debt for impoverished nations. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 12/3/2009)
