JUBILEE OF WORKERS: "BLESS, O LORD, THE WORK OF OUR HANDS"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 1, 2000 (VIS) - Tens of thousands of workers from around the world who represented a wide spectrum of labor and management participated this morning in the Jubilee of Workers, celebrated at Rome's Tor Vergata University, where the day began with a Mass presided over by Pope John Paul.

"In God's plan," the Pope said in his homily, "work appears as a right and duty. Necessary to make the goods of the earth useful for the life of every man and of society, it contributes to orienting human activity to God in fulfilling His command to 'subjugate the earth'."

"The Jubilee Year," he continued, "invites to a rediscovery of the meaning and value of work. It also invites us to face the economic and social imbalances which exist in the world of work, re-establishing the just hierarchy of values, with, at the top, the dignity of the men and women who work, their freedom, responsibility and participation."

John Paul II stated "I cannot fail to express my solidarity with all those who suffer because of unemployment, an insufficient wage or for lack of material means. I am well aware of those populations who are forced to live in a poverty which offends dignity." Remedying such situations "is a work of justice and peace."

"The new realities," he affirmed in conclusion, "such as the globalization of finances, the economy, trade and work, must never violate the dignity and centrality of the human person nor the freedom and democracy of peoples." There must be solidarity, he added, "so that persons and peoples become, not tools, but rather the protagonists of their future."

Following Mass, there were brief addresses from Juan Somavia, director general of the International Labor Organization and Paola Bignardi, president of Italian Catholic Action, and a concert in the Pope's honor for May Day and the Jubilee of Workers. A delegation of 18 workers, representing various fields of endeavor, was presented to the Holy Father.

Greeting all those gathered at Tor Vergata, Pope John Paul highlighted the "fresh possibilities emerging" from "the new technologies and global computerized communications," pointing out, however, that "there is no shortage of new problems. ... Realities such as unemployment, exploitation of minors and low wages persist, and are even getting worse in some parts of the world. ... Globalization is a reality present in every area of human life, but it is a reality which must be managed wisely. Solidarity too must become globalized."

"The Jubilee," concluded the Holy Father, "offers a suitable opportunity to open our eyes to the poverty and marginalization, not only of individuals but also of groups and peoples. In the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee I recalled that 'some nations, especially the poorer ones, are oppressed by a debt so huge that repayment is practically impossible'. To reduce or indeed to remit this debt, here is a Jubilee gesture which would be so desirable!

"This appeal is addressed to the rich and developed nations, but also to people of great wealth who are in a position to foster solidarity among peoples. May it ring out at this historic encounter at which Christian workers and non-confessional labor organizations have united in a common effort."

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