AMERICA/PERU - “I am deeply saddened and deplore these acts which dispose of human life as an object to destroy for political or ideological reasons”, said Cardinal Juan Cipriani Primate of Peru commenting the July 7 terrorist attacks on London

Saturday, 9 July 2005

Vatican City (Fides Service) - Appalled by the latest acts of violence on innocent civilians which provoke grief, fear, indignation and many queries, Fides spoke with Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop of Lima and Primate of the Church in Peru, presently making a visit to Rome.
Your eminence what was your reaction to the bomb blasts in London?
Deep grief for the death of so many innocent people and absolute rejection of acts which dispose of human life as an object to use for political or ideological motives. I am sure the great majority of Muslims disapprove these barbaric acts and I ask God to have compassion on humanity that we may learn to live in a more human manner .
Could this act of terrorism refer to a certain cultural tendency to isolate “Christian humanism”?
At this moment humanity expects the Catholic Church to help illuminate the fundamental anthropological aspects of today’s culture. Faced with weakening of the Christian sense of respect for life from the moment of conception, the hiding of the natural presuppositions of the institution of marriage and the family, the manipulation of the reality of the birth of man and women, we see the great danger of humanity being impoverished with a consequent upsurge of inhuman aberrations which fracture relations in civilised society.
But not everyone accepts these ideas…
This is precisely why it is important to make it clear that natural law needs Christian anthropology to face present-day threats. It was Christian humanism which developed the real dimensions and philosophical and political consequences of natural law, although the law existed before. I therefore say once again it is not enough to defend ourselves from attacks from culture, legislators and the media promoting a human being “built” in “ideological laboratories”. It is necessary to explain and proclaim the truth of all the fulness and richness of each and every human person as willed by God.
Could you explain further?
What is at stake is authentic human freedom, threatened by libertinage or cultural anarchy which wants to invade every field. If we de-Christianise, we empty the human person of sense and value. We see how society, its institutions, its laws are being not only de-Christianised but de-humanised. For example the recent decision by the Spanish government to equal same sex unions to the institution of marriage and, now, this new wave of terrorism scorning the value of life and killing so many innocent people.
In this situation is there still hope?
Certainly there is hope. To rebuild the model of “Christian humanesim” we must promote deeper konwledge of Jesus Christ in whom the value of the human person is fully exalted and recognised. It is not a question of fundamentalism - as they would have us believe - of wanting to impose our faith on humanity. On the contrary, we want to protect humanity from the tyranny of relativism which tries to impose its models which have no scientific proof and are based only on passing whims. The generations to come will scold us if we shirk our responsiblity to promote Christian formation. Obstacles can be overcome, the problem is when the apostle fears he will not be accepted. So at this moment we need most of all to heed the words of John Paul II: “Do not be afraid!”. (RZ) (Agenzia Fides 9/7/2005, righe 25, parole 329)


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