Concrete measures

BENEDICT XVI has made an appeal to the G8 which opened at Heiligendamm, in Germany, on 6 June. During his Wednesday General Audience the Pope asked the leaders of the G8 “to fulfil their pledges to substantially increase their aid to development in support of the populations most in need, especially those of the African continent”. In particular the Pope asked them to pay “special attention” to the second great Millennium Goal, namely, “the achievement of primary education for all” children” by 2015. In a joint letter to heads of government, the European Bishops’ Conferences of GERMANY, ENGLAND and WALES, FRANCE, and THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION together with those of JAPAN, CANADA and the USA have appealed for “concrete measures” in terms of the fight against poverty, medical assistance, climate change, peace and security, and education. “Our commitment to these objectives is based on our religious and moral obligation to foster life and human dignity and safeguard the creation”, write the heads of the Bishops’ Conferences. The letter lists current emergencies in Africa, ranging from the battle against HIV/Aids to the “tragedy of Darfur”, to which the countries of the G8 are called to respond with greater commitment, since, say the bishops, “we are convinced that Africa’s journey from despair to hope will also bring with it greater security for all nations”. The poor are also a priority for the climate emergency: “The costs to prevent and alleviate the damaging consequences of climate change must be borne especially by the rich countries and those that have most benefited from harmful gas emissions and overheating”. A COURAGEOUS EFFORT. Riccardo Moro, director of the “Justice and Solidarity” Foundation of the CEI, the ITALIAN BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE , points out that there is “one great absentee: the theme of debt” at the summit of the G8 in Germany. This is one of the issues to which the Italian Church has long been committed with particular visibility since the Great Jubilee of 2000 and the birth of the movement “Sentinels of the Morning” which saw over 60 lay associations present a petition to the G8 in Genoa in 2001. This experience is being continued by the “Justice and Solidarity” Foundation and by the campaigns on the Millennium Goals. The experience of the Italian Church is particularly “in tune” with that of other European and non-European Churches, as testified by the recent journey of bishops from the Northern and Southern hemispheres to the various capitals of the G8 to ask for greater commitment to the Millennium Goals and international justice. “One of the participants of the Italian leg of the journey, during which the delegation visited Premier Prodi in early May, was – recalls the director of the CEI Foundation – Bishop Arrigo Miglio, chairman of the competent CEI Commission. The delegation of bishops also met the President of the CEI, Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco, who had underlined the commitment of the Italian Church to human rights, debt remission, the development of the poor countries and the safeguard of the environment”. “NO” TO VIOLENCE. Other bishops have appealed for moderation after the violent clashes during the anti-G8 demonstration in Rostock on 2 June. The Archbishop of Hamburg WERNER THISSEN thus appealed for calm in a statement released by the German Catholic press agency KNA. The demonstrators, said Monsignor Thissen, must continue to “express their opinions, though distancing themselves from those whose sole interest is causing violence”. The archbishop said he was concerned by the “scale” of this violence; “however it would be deplorable if demonstrations were to be banned”. Criticisms of the violence have also come from the diocese of Hildesheim, which was present at the demonstration with its own joint delegation with the Evangelical Church of Hannover. Several Protestant Churches all over Germany rang their bells eight minutes last night at 6 pm, to coincide with the opening of the G8 in Heiligendamm. “Calling the international leaders to their responsibility for the fight against world poverty”: the promoters explain that this was the purpose of “Eight minutes for justice”, an initiative of the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Mecklembourg, of the Service of the Evangelical Churches of Germany for Development (Eed), and “Bread for the World”, a program of the Church for aiding the developing countries. NO NEED FOR NEW PLEDGES. Placing climate policy and development policy at the centre of the consultations: that is the priority indicated by the KJG (the German Catholic youth association) in a statement released in the run-up to the G8. Only thus can world leaders “respond to global responsibility for children, the young and future generations”. The KJG asks the states of the G8 to strive “with all their means to achieve the millennium goals”. “What’s important is not to make new pledges, but to realize those that have already been agreed”. The key issues at the summit, policies to tackle climate change and the sustainable fight against poverty, “are inseparably linked”, says the German association (with a membership of 80,000 children and adolescents in 24 diocesan associations). The KJG is convinced that “youth are ready to contribute to the realization of these objectives also by curbing their own lifestyles. The economy is not an end in itself to which man and the environment should be subordinated”.