Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Suva (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Archbishop of Suva Petero Mataca, writing in the Fiji Times, highlighted two fundamental questions in the life of Fiji as a nation: a government proposal to build a better country for everyone with a social statue for change and progress and the necessity to rebuild democracy. According to the Archbishop the proposal of a social statute will need a profound moral vision to inspire all the people of Fiji to contribute towards the common good of the nation to respect differences in a society free of corruption and racial discrimination. With regard to racial tension he demanded more respect and tolerance for ethnic and religious diversities, for human dignity, equality and freedom as well as the necessity to promote debate on how the future Fiji society should be built. This moral attention, Archbishop Mataca added, must be articulated and written in the heart of every man, woman and child, to give meaning to being part of the Fijian nation and not just citizens.
Therefore the statute, the Archbishop said, should be called social pact or “pact between the people”. The term social pact is similar to a social contract but lives longer and has an inter-generational character. It reminds us that we are guardians of the past for the good of the future and responsible for the consequences of our actions. The word pact also speaks of a spiritual dimension, Archbishop Mataca continued, since the pact we stipulate with others includes God as third party, so that they efforts we make to be faithful to the promises we make to each other are left not to chance but to each individual conscience. (K.P.) (Agenzia Fides 4/7/2007; righe 19, parole 271)
