VATICAN - Pope calls for “a profound understanding of the social doctrine of the Church...strongly rooted in the affirmation of the transcendent dignity of man, in the defense of human life from its conception to its natural death and of religious liberty.”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “It is necessary to prepare lay faithful capable of dedicating themselves to the common good, especially in the more complex realms such as the world of politics. It is also urgent to have pastors that, with their ministry and charism, are able to contribute to the invigoration and diffusion, in society and in institutions, of the good life according to the Gospel, with respect for the responsible liberty of the faithful and of their own role of pastors.” These are the words of the Holy Father Benedict XVI in the Message he sent to the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, on the occasion of the Dicastery's Plenary Assembly.
The Pontiff recalled what is affirmed in the encyclical Caritas in Veritate - the proclamation of Jesus Christ is "the first and principal factor of development" (No. 8) and says: “It is by living "charity in truth" that we will be able to offer a more profound look to understand the great social questions and indicate some essential perspectives for their solution in a fully human sense. Only with charity sustained by hope and illumined by the light of faith and reason, is it possible to achieve objectives of man's integral liberation and universal justice.” The Holy Father then mentions the upcoming anniversary of the encyclical "Mater et Magistra" of Blessed John XXIII, which “invites us to consider with constant attention the social, sectorial, and national inequalities between resources and poor populations, between technology and ethics,” and reflects on how “in the present context of globalization, these imbalances have not disappeared. The individuals have changed and the dimensions of the problems, but the coordination among the states -- often inadequate, because it is oriented to the quest for a balance of power, more than to solidarity -- leaves room for renewed inequalities, to the danger of the predominance of economic and financial groups that dictate -- and attempt to do so continually -- the agenda of politics, to the detriment of the universal common good.”
Benedict XVI then reveals how “the commitment to the formation of the Catholic laity in the social doctrine of the Church seems particularly urgent. They, as free and responsible citizens, must commit themselves to promote a correct configuration of social life, in respect of the legitimate autonomy of earthly realities. The social doctrine of the Church thus represents the essential reference for the plan and social action of the lay faithful, in addition to one's own lived spirituality, which is nourished and framed in ecclesial communion: communion of love and truth, communion in the mission.”
Lastly, the Holy Father recalls the need for the laity to have by their side “priests and bishops capable of offering a tireless work of purification of consciences, together with indispensable support and spiritual help for the coherent testimony of the laity in the social realm,” and for this reason, “of fundamental importance is a profound understanding of the social doctrine of the Church, in harmony with all her theological patrimony and strongly rooted in the affirmation of the transcendent dignity of man, in the defense of human life from its conception to its natural death and of religious liberty. Understood thus, the social doctrine must also be inscribed in the pastoral and cultural preparation of those who, in the ecclesial community, are called to the priesthood.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 5/11/2010)