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POPE-DIPLOMATS Dec-15-2006 (640 words) With POPE-SYRIA posted Dec. 14. With photos. xxxi
Pope stresses solidarity with poor in talks to diplomats
By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Addressing ambassadors from wealthy and developing nations, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized international solidarity with the poor and the "moral character" of all economic activity.
The pope also spoke about the AIDS crisis in Africa, pledging the church's continuing support for those affected by the disease and endorsing a prevention policy based on sexual responsibility.
The pope spoke separately Dec. 14 to ambassadors from six countries, as he accepted their credentials. In a group talk, he said that economic and social injustices around the globe cannot help but provoke disorders and "an escalation of violence."
In a speech to Lesotho's new ambassador to the Vatican, the pope noted that the southern African country was facing the challenges of poverty and food shortages.
"Economic activity has a moral character, and to the degree that every person is responsible for everyone else, the wealthier nations have a duty in solidarity and justice to promote the development of all," the pope said.
He added that in a world of globalized communications and trade this duty is "all the more evident" and the means of achieving it are more readily available.
The pope said AIDS had brought untold suffering to millions of people in Africa, including Lesotho, where approximately one in five adults is infected with HIV, the AIDS-causing virus. He said the church will continue to "do all it can to bring relief to those affected by this cruel disease, and also to their families."
"At the same time, it is vitally important to communicate the message that fidelity within marriage and abstinence outside it are the best ways to avoid infection and to halt the spread of the virus," he said.
The pope made a similar point speaking to the Ugandan ambassador. He said statistics confirm the practical value of a policy of AIDS prevention based on sexual responsibility and the promotion of faithfulness in marriage.
In remarks to the African diplomats and to the ambassador of Denmark, the pope emphasized that the Vatican firmly supports the Millennium Development Goals and similar efforts to distribute economic resources more fairly.
He praised Denmark for pushing for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The goals were adopted by almost 200 U.N. member nations in 2000, and seek to slash global poverty in half by 2015 by increasing richer countries' spending on development aid for poorer nations.
At the same time, the pope urged governments that receive assistance to cultivate honesty and accountability, so that the aid ends up benefiting those who need it.
The pope returned to the theme of economic justice in remarks to the ambassador of Kyrgyzstan, a struggling republic in Central Asia. He said economic development contains a crucial moral aspect, because it involves human dignity and the common good.
"The right to meaningful work and an acceptable standard of living, the assurance of a fair distribution of goods and wealth, and the responsible use of natural resources all depend upon a concept of growth which is not limited to merely satisfying material necessities," he said.
In remarks to the ambassador of Mozambique, the pope said the African country today faces improved prospects after ending its long civil war. Mozambicans today enjoy political stability and significant economic progress, he said.
He also praised the Mozambican government for introducing legislation to protect the traditional family based on marriage. But he warned that tendencies were circulating throughout Africa that would empty marriage of its true meaning.
A basic element of marriage, he said, is the complementary relationship between husband and wife.
The pope also spoke to the new ambassador from Syria, encouraging the country to use its influence in the Middle East to counter terrorism and help bring an end to the "cycle of death and destruction" in the region.
END
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