Vatican
City, 26 September 2013 (VIS) – This morning in the Holy See Press
Office a press conference was held to present the Days commemorating
the 50th Anniversary of John XXIII's encyclical, “Pacem in Terris”,
which was published on 11 April 1963 and offered, as Bishop Mario
Toso explained, “a structure for thought and political planning
that ensured that the Church and believers were committed to social
questions in the years to come, with a truly universal capacity for
foresight and suggestion”.
The
speakers at the conference were Bishop Toso, secretary for the
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah
Turkson, and Vittorio Alberti, respectively president and official of
the same dicastery. The Days will be held on 2, 3 and 4 October.
The
commemoration Days are intended to offer an occasion for reflection
on the current relevance and actualisation of the contents of “Pacem
in Terris” in contemporary reality and to hasten the implementation
of its fundamental teachings in the areas of human rights, the common
good, and politics. These are all fields, Cardinal Turkson said, “in
which the peaceful co-existence of peoples and nations is at stake.
Indeed, to achieve peace, rather than offering theories on peace or
war, Pope John made an appeal to man himself and to his dignity”.
The
three days will focus on three issues. The first is the question the
role of political institutions and global policies, and in facing
this type of problem it was considered necessary “to begin with an
examination of the theme of reform of the largest global institution:
the United Nations”. Other urgent matters that, “due to the
phenomenon of globalisation, have assumed dimensions significant
enough to warrant the commitment and co-operation of the
international community, are those of work, or rather unemployment,
and the protection of human rights”.
“We
have decided to then explain … how international collaboration
takes place within the great regional political institutions: the
European Council, the African Union, the League of Arab States, the
Organisation of American States and the organisation for Asian
Co-operation Dialogue”, added Cardinal Turkson. The contributions
of experts in the field will be heard alongside those of exponents of
the ecclesial world who, on 3 October, will speak about the
institutions which, within the Catholic Church, unite the national
episcopal conferences into entities on a continental scale”.
On
4 October the second matter will be considered: the new frontiers of
peace. “The implementation of 'Pacem in Terris' begins from the
assumption that we currently act in contexts significantly different
to those of fifty years ago, a time in which conflict, not always
merely latent, essentially took the form of the opposition of two
blocs engaged in the 'Cold War'. It was therefore decided to identify
the challenges that currently appear most dangerous for peacekeeping:
religious freedom and, more specifically, the issue of the
persecution of Christians throughout the world; the economic crisis,
which is first and foremost a moral crisis; the emergency of
education, especially acute in the mass media; conflicts, ever more
recurrent, over access to resources; the distorted use of biological
sciences which causes profound harm to human dignity; armaments; and
security measures”.
A
dual approach is taken to the theme of education: formation and
practical experience, to which the first Day, 2 October, will be
dedicated. “Around 60 rectors and lecturers, representing the same
number of pontifical and Catholic universities from all five
continents, will meet to consider in depth one of the most crucial
questions of our time: the formation of new generations of Catholics
engaged in politics”. In response to this need, representatives of
bodies of regional governance will present their experiences,
reflecting upon “the method in use for pursuing the common good at
a continental level”.
The
cardinal concluded by mentioning that, as a corollary to the
three-day event, there will be a presentation of the volume “The
Concept of Peace”, produced with the collaboration of eminent
scholars in the field.