AMERICA/PERU - “The Church sees public office as a great opportunity for disinterested service of others and to work to solve society’s problems”: reflections by Cardinal Cipriani Archbishop of Lima in view of general elections

Lima (Fides Service) - In view of general elections on 9 April in Peru, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop Lima and Primate in Peru, issued a statement “reflections on the electoral process in the light of the Social Doctrine of the Church” pinpointing the main challenges facing the nation. In the introduction the Cardinal says “for the Pope or a bishop to make a statement on Social Doctrine is in no way a privilege, it is a right and it is for the evangelisation of social activity” and he calls on lay Catholics to shoulder their responsibility in society combining “total fidelity to Church teaching and rightful plurality in which it is expressed ”. The Archbishop of Lima says the diffusion of the Church’s Social Teaching is a “pastoral priority at a time when out of ignorance people support programmes which are contrary to Church teaching”, and he stresses the need to “analyse carefully proposals concerning marriage, the family and education”. “The Church - he says - is against these laws which violate the dignity of the individual and the family, children in particular”.
The first part of the document dwells on the “dignity of the human person”, deteriorated when it is reduced to “merely material wellbeing”. The key to overturn this tendency to materialism is education to values. Hence the essential role of the family and concrete example of parents. Part 2 speaks of the duties of the state which must set the example with a regime of austerity, based on a criteria of equity. The State’s principle mission “is to keep order to allow the development of a climate of peace and trust which will encourage a desire to undertake and invest”, Christians have a mission to assume leadership to promote national development.
In the third part the Archbishop of Lima recalls that “the Church teaches that justice is one of the main values to guarantee correct social development”, and avoid “preferential treatment in economic politics and abuse of ‘political friendships’ … which spread corruption and discouragement in society”. National development, the Cardinal continues, depends on the people’s will to work for it, not forgetting “the Christian meaning of life which leads each to play a part in sanctifying everything we do”. Cardinal Cipriani says one important conclusion is that “Peruvians must be informed of the programmes of government, candidates, political groups, their objectives and funding plans.... only then can we exercise the right to vote freely and with responsibility”. Cardinal Cipriani concludes his reflections saying “the Church’s Social Doctrine sees public office as a great opportunity for disinterested service of others and to work to solve problems of society”:”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 25/1/2006 - righe 34, parole 490)