VATICAN CITY, OCT 28, 2004 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon in the offices of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State, inaugurated the first world congress of Ecclesiastical organizations committed to promoting justice and peace. The congress will conclude on Saturday.
According to a communique made public yesterday afternoon, 300 representatives of various Church organizations from 92 countries, as well as delegates from 15 regional episcopal conferences and other international organisms are participating in the conference whose theme is "Announcing the Gospel of Justice and Peace."
"Throughout its history," said Cardinal Sodano, "the Church, as an institution and through its faithful, has always been committed to promoting justice and peace. We have the responsibility to follow this path, announcing the Gospel of Christ which is the Gospel of justice and peace."
After recalling that in his 1967 Encyclical "Populorum progressio," Paul VI wrote that "the world was ill," the secretary of State affirmed: "Since then the illness has gotten worse and the injustices and violence have multiplied; all we have to do is think about the places where humiliation has become a way of life; in the areas where war, guerrilla warfare and terrorism spread; in refugee camps; in those in exile; in racial and religious discrimination; in the work place where people feel like they are being used; in the lack of political freedom and freedom to participate in unions and in so many situations where there is no justice and peace."
Cardinal Sodano indicated that despite this negative outlook, "the economic, health, work, cultural and spiritual conditions have improved in many parts. However, so many people are subject to human exploitation and they must not be seen as another statistic to be studied in a cold way."
In his speech, Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, emphasized that the objective of the congress is to find more suitable and effective ways to present once again the pastoral activity of the Church in society and to be able to confront the great challenges of today."
CON-IP/CONGRESS JUSTICE:PEACE/SODANO VIS 20041028 (360)
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