VISIT TO
HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL RENATO RAFFAELE MARTINO
PUBLIC LECTURE
ON
“THE HUMAN PERSON, THE HEART OF
PEACE”
PHOENICIA
HOTEL,
1.
I am very pleased to be
here in
2.
The Pope’s Message is
presented in three parts, each of which deals progressively with the
theme of
the human person in relation to various aspects of the promotion of
peace. In the first
part, emphasis is placed on the meaning and
value of the connection
between the human person and peace, both of which are
understood and
presented in the theological-spiritual categories of gift
and task. In
the second
part, the truth of the human person is seen in relation to the new and
innovative concept of an ecology of peace. In the third part, the
truth of the human
person is considered with reference to the complex reality of
respecting
fundamental human rights, international humanitarian law and certain
responsibilities that necessarily arise in the activities undertaken by
international
organizations. The
Message concludes
with an invitation to Christians to become peace-makers.
3.
Following an
introduction, the first part of the
Message runs from Nos. 2 to 7, and opens with a citation from Sacred
Scripture
that affirms that the human person is created
by God, made in his image and likeness:
“God created man in his own image, in the image
of God he created him;
male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27).
In light of these words of the Bible on the truth
about man, the Pope’s Message sees the foundation
of human dignity in the fact that
people
are created in the image of God. In
this
perspective, the human person “is not just something, but
someone, capable of
self-knowledge, self-possession, free self-giving and entering into
communion
with others. At the
same time, each
person is called, by grace, to a covenant with the Creator, called to
offer him
a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his
place” (No.
2). Created by God,
“man too is God’s
gift to man”[1]; but as a creature given to
himself, man
carries within himself a task: he
is, in
fact, charged with the task of fulfilling himself and giving concrete
shape to
a world renewed in justice and in peace.
Our Holy Father quotes here a passage from a homily of
4.
The Pope’s Message
places peace in this anthropological frame, presenting
peace itself as a gift and as a task.
Before
anything else, it is a gift.
The
statement is made in No. 3 of the Message that:
“Peace is an aspect of God’s activity,
made manifest both in the
creation of an orderly and harmonious universe and also in the
redemption of
humanity that needs to be rescued from the disorder of sin. Creation and Redemption thus
provide a key
that helps us begin to understand the meaning of our life on
earth”. Peace
as a gift also entails a task.
Referring to a famous passage of the speech given by John
Paul II to the
General Assembly of the United Nations in 1995, Pope Benedict XVI
states that
“the transcendent ‘grammar’, that is to
say the body of rules for individual
action and the reciprocal relationships of persons in accordance with
justice
and solidarity, is inscribed on human consciences, in which the wise
plan of
God is reflected. As
I recently had
occasion to reaffirm: ‘we believe that at the beginning of
everything is the
Eternal Word, Reason and not Unreason’[3]. Peace is thus also a task
demanding of
everyone a personal response consistent with God’s
plan” (No. 3). Respecting
the grammar of the world and of human nature:
this is the criterion that must guide and
direct the task of peace. Working
together for peace means accepting God’s plan of wisdom for
the world and for
humanity, and striving to make this plan a reality, without pretenses
of
self-sufficiency but in an attitude of obedience to God.
5.
From the perspective
found in the Pope’s Message, interreligious
and intercultural dialogue, if this dialogue is to be aimed at
promoting peace,
must be based on the recognition of the transcendental order of things. In this regard, Pope
Benedict XVI reminds us
of a very important and even decisive point, particularly when this
point is
considered in the overall context of Catholic moral teaching: to make progress in the
area of peace,
today’s humanity must bear in mind that the norms
of natural law “should not be viewed as externally
imposed decrees, as restraints
upon human freedom. Rather, they should be welcomed as a call to carry
out
faithfully the universal divine plan inscribed in the nature of human
beings.
Guided by these norms, all peoples — within their respective
cultures — can
draw near to the greatest mystery, which is the mystery of God. Today
too,
recognition and respect for natural law represents the foundation for a
dialogue between the followers of the different religions and between
believers
and non-believers. As a great point of convergence, this is also a
fundamental
presupposition for authentic peace” (No. 3).
6.
In the context of this
demanding theological and cultural perspective, our Holy Father tells
us that
certain goods are and must remain inalienable;
we are speaking here of the right to life and the right to religious
freedom. In what
sense are these goods to be
considered inalienable? We
can sum up
the Holy Father’s response in the following words: respect of the right to life in all its stages places people
before nature understood
as a gift; people cannot simply do with nature and life what
they please; the right to religious freedom
opens nature
to a foundation that transcends nature itself and, in this
case also,
removes nature from people’s arbitrary will.
Peace needs this inalienability. Respect for life and of
the right to express
one’s faith in God is in fact what makes it possible for
individuals and
peoples to come together concerning those things that lie beyond their
power. On the basis
of a consensus of what is not within their
power, people can
begin to agree on what is within their
power. In
the context of such
considerations, our Holy Father expresses some very concrete concerns: the first has to do with
what he calls the silent deaths
caused by hunger, abortion,
experimentation on embryos, euthanasia; the second has to do with the
difficulties experienced by Christians, and also the followers of other
religions, in exercising the right to the free expression of their
faith. Particularly
interesting in this regard is
the timely reference to situations in which the right to religious
freedom is
either compromised or denied. In
some
cases, obstacles to the exercise of religious freedom are put in place
by
religiously inspired political regimes that impose a sole religious
faith on
people; in other cases, obstacles arise from regimes that are
indifferent to
religion and that foster, not a violent persecution, but a systematic
cultural
disdain of things connected with faith.
In both cases, a fundamental human right is not respected,
with serious
consequences for the peaceful coexistence of peoples.
7.
The first part of the
Pope’s Message concludes with a very important reminder, in
Nos. 6 and 7, of
the equal nature of all human beings. This theme is presented in
two timely
reminders: the
first refers to the
social inequalities present in our world that seem more and more to be
the
modern characteristics of the immense problem of the extreme poverty of
billions of men and women, who — above all on the continent
of Africa — are
denied access to essential goods of life such as food, water, shelter,
health;
the second has to do with the inequalities between men and women. In this regard, the Pope
says in his
Message: “I
think of the exploitation of
women who are treated as objects, and of the many ways that a lack of
respect
is shown for their dignity; I also think — in a different
context — of the
mindset persisting in some cultures, where women are still firmly
subordinated
to the arbitrary decisions of men, with grave consequences for their
personal
dignity and for the exercise of their fundamental freedoms”
(No. 7). Social
inequalities and those of gender are
causes for concern when we consider the present instability of peace.
8.
The second part of the
Pope’s Message is found in Nos. 8 through 11,
and has to do with the innovative concept of an ecology
of peace, which, in this Message of Benedict XVI,
represents an original development of the concept of human
ecology found in John Paul II’s Centesimus
Annus. The
memorable Servant of God wrote: “Not
only has God given the earth to man, who must use it with respect for
the
original good purpose for which it was given to him, but man too is
God’s gift
to man. He must therefore respect the natural and moral structure with
which he
has been endowed”[4].
Benedict XVI teaches that if humanity takes peace to
heart, then it must
always pay closer attention to the
connections between natural ecology, that is, the respect of nature,
and human
ecology, on which society is organized.
One of the most obvious characteristics of our age is the
fact that every attitude that fails to
respect the
natural environment brings harm upon the human and social environment
and
vice-versa. Peace
increasingly shows
itself to be the inseparable bond that unites two different aspects of
peace, peace
with creation and peace among people.
Both of these aspects require peace with God. Saint Francis’ Laude Creaturarum, his poetic prayer
known also as “The Canticle of
Brother Sun”, is an admirable example — and still
very relevant today — of this
twofold ecology of peace.
9.
Our Holy Father illustrates
the concept of the ecology of peace
connecting it with the problem of energy
and energy supplies, a problem that is characteristic of our
modern
age. New, populous
nations, in fact, have
entered into industrial production and thus the need for energy has
also increased. We
are witnessing a new race for energy
resources, a race that is very significant in the vast quantity of
resources
involved. In the
meantime, many of our
planet’s nations are still living as pre-industrial societies
and their
development is hindered by energy costs that are rising because of this
new
race for resources. The
Holy Father
asks: “What
will happen to those peoples?
What kind of
development or
non-development will be imposed on them by the scarcity of energy
supplies? What
injustices and conflicts will be provoked
by the race for energy sources? And
what
will be the reaction of those who are excluded from this
race?” (No. 9). These
questions clearly show how the problem
of the relation with nature is closely connected with the establishment
of ecological human relationships
among
people and nations, that is, relationships that respect human dignity
and
authentic human needs. The
destruction
of the environment, its improper or selfish use, and the violent
hoarding of
the land and its resources cause grievances, conflicts and wars,
precisely
because these are the consequences of poorly built societies and of an
inhumane
concept of development. The
Pope states
that: “Indeed,
if development were
limited to the technical-economic aspect, obscuring the moral-religious
dimension, it would not be an integral human development, but a
one-sided
distortion which would end up by unleashing man’s destructive
capacities” (No.
9).
10.
In Nos. 10 and 11, our Holy
Father gives the foundation of the ecology of peace and the basis on
which the tree of peace is to grow. With trust and hope he
helps us to understand
that it is possible to nurture the growth of this tree, despite the
great
difficulties encountered in the world and the misunderstandings present
among peoples
and nations. It is
possible, provided
that we allow ourselves to be guided by a
correct vision of the human person that is as all-encompassing as
possible,
because when men and women are viewed in a reductive manner, without
their full
value and dignity being acknowledged, the cost is often conflict. The broadest possible
vision of the human
person is a vision that is capable of looking
at people themselves without ideological or cultural prejudices. Peace can be threatened by
opposing visions
of what the human person is.
Important
also is the following statement by the Holy Father:
“Equally unacceptable are conceptions of God
that would encourage intolerance and recourse to violence against
others. This is a
point which must be clearly
reaffirmed: war in God’s name is never acceptable! When a certain notion of God
is at the origin
of criminal acts, it is a sign that that notion has already become an
ideology”
(No. 10). The Pope
points out that it is unacceptable to wage
war in the name
of God and it is unacceptable to wage it in the name of man. War can have no
theological or
anthropological justification. When
a
certain concept of God or a particular vision of man becomes, according
to its
own line of reasoning, a motivation for war, such a concept or vision
has
already been transformed into an ideology.
11.
Today, however, peace is
not only threatened by the conflict between reductive visions of man,
or by
ideologies. The
Pope’s Message tells us
that peace becomes difficult also because of indifference
towards what constitutes the true nature of man. Admitting that a human
nature exist is
already problematic for many people, others absolutely deny that such a
nature
exists at all, giving rise to all kinds of interpretations of man. This type of attitude is
very dangerous for
peace, which cannot be built in a vacuum or in indifference, because in
such cases
mutual recognition will be merely formal, a simple convention,
something
temporary. A
“weak” vision of the human
person may appear to foster peace, inasmuch as it seems to leave room
for all
kinds of viewpoints. The
reality, however,
is that it fosters conflict because it leaves the way open for the
power of
force. The human
person is left
defenseless and, therefore, susceptible to violence.
12.
The third part of the
Pope’s Message is found in Nos. 12 through
15. For clarity of
presentation, I shall
limit myself to making a few brief comments on the more significant
passages.
a)
In
the first place, Pope Benedict states that a true and stable peace
presupposes
respect for human rights, firmly based on a strong
conception of the human person. If
these
rights are founded on a weak conception of the human person, they
themselves
will be weak. Thus,
the greatest
contradiction of a subjectivist and
relativistic, and therefore weak, vision of human rights is the
following: human
rights are put forth as absolute, but
without the weight of a rational foundation that justifies their
absolute
nature. Human
rights are the
expression of what is required by human nature as it originates in
Creation. They tell
us what man needs in his existence
so that he may be himself in dignity.
They tell us how man is to be treated in conformity with
his
dignity. Human
rights cannot resist the
continuous attacks to which they are subjected if their meaning is not
continually
rediscovered. Repeating
a teaching that
is ever present in social doctrine, Pope Benedict says that
“it goes without
saying, moreover, that human rights imply corresponding duties. In this regard, Mahatma
Gandhi said
wisely: ‘The
Ganges of rights flows from
the
b)
In
the second place, Benedict XVI makes an appeal to the original vocation
of
international organizations — and above all of the United
Nations — encouraging
them to be champions of the promotion of human rights, a promotion that
must
constantly draw its inspiration from the 1948 Universal Declaration of
Human
Rights, which has been called the moral
task of all humanity. Our
Holy
Father’s words are of great significance:
“It is important for international agencies not
to lose sight of the
natural foundation of human rights. This
would enable them to avoid the risk, unfortunately ever-present, of
sliding
towards a merely positivistic interpretation of those rights. Were that to happen, the
international bodies
would end up lacking the necessary authority to carry out their role as
defenders of the fundamental rights of the person and of peoples, the
chief
justification for their very existence and activity” (No. 13).
c)
n
the third place, Benedict XVI speaks again this year of the value of
international humanitarian law, ignored in the conflict in
d)
Finally,
we find the Pope’s note of concern at the fact that certain
countries have
shown the desire to obtain nuclear weapons, thus increasing a
widespread
climate of uncertainty and fear because of a possible nuclear
catastrophe. In
this regard too the suggestion put forth
by Benedict XVI is illuminating: “The
way to ensure a future of peace for everyone is found not only in
international
accords for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, but also in the
determined commitment to seek their reduction and definitive
dismantling. May
every attempt be made to arrive through
negotiation at the attainment of these objectives! The
fate of the whole human family is at
stake!” (No. 15).
13.
The conclusion of
Benedict XVI’s Message for the 2007 World Day of
Peace is completely dedicated to Catholics, who are invited to be
tireless
peace-makers and fervent defeders of the dignity of the human person. The task of peace for
Catholics arises from
their belonging to the Church, which, in the world, is “a sign and a safeguard of the
transcendent character of the human person”[5].
The awareness of belonging to the Church is to be lived in
an attitude
of generous dedication to others, especially those who suffer poverty
or
privations and who lack the precious good that is peace. Christians find the
supreme reason for being
authentic men and women of peace and staunch defenders of human dignity
in their
faith in Jesus Christ, who revealed that “God
is love” (1 Jn
4:8) and that love
is the greatest vocation of any person.
The Pope dedicates the final words of his Message to two
great social
encyclicals with the following statement:
“Let every believer, then, unfailingly
contribute to the advancement of a true
integral humanism in accordance
with the teachings of the Encyclical Letters Populorum
Progressio and Sollicitudo
Rei Socialis, whose respective fortieth and twentieth
anniversaries we
prepare to celebrate this year” (No. 17).
Thank you!
Cardinal
Renato Raffaele Martino
President
of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace
Malta, 16 February 2007