Unprepared Europe

“European Countries are not enough prepared to handle situations such as those in Lybia, Egypt and Tunisia”. However, “It is necessary to ensure that all human beings are granted hospitality, especially at a time of need, providing life necessities to the local population and to those who have just entered the Country, so that everyone may lead a dignified and peaceful life”. Thus spoke Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (PCJP) in his address delivered at the meeting of presidents and general secretaries of Europe’s Commissions for Justice and Peace, held a few days ago in Rome.Scandalous and massive poverty. “Although in Europe we experience a privileged situation – underlined card. Turkson -, we cannot forget the scandalous and massive poverty, unfortunately surging, in which lives a large part of world population. 2008 figures show that some 85 million people, amounting to 17% of the overall population of Europe, lives below the poverty threshold testifying to a situation of unjustice, with immensely wealthy people and others that are tragically poor, in Europe as elsewhere”. The President of the Pontifical Council said that unemployment “is major cause of social exclusion”, as “it cannot be tolerated that the number of those unemployed continues to grow (23.127.000 in May 2010) while in the European Union working poor, who don’t earn enough to lead a dignified life, amount to 15.000.000 (8%)”. For Cardinal Turkson, “for life to be true life ethics is fundamental also in the financial realm. Economy needs deep renewal in the light of the Social Doctrine of the Church. It is necessary that the people of God are led to acknowledge their the contemporary mission. This will lead to the progress of poor nations and the establishment of social justice at international level”.Stepping up political commitment. For Msgr. Mario Toso, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace “greater attention should be devoted to the politics. Social problems cannot be addressed without a serious reflection on the moral and institutional decadence of the democratic life of our Countries, so as to offer a new line of thought for the establishment of new projects”. Msgr. Toso announced that the Pontifical Council will organize in Rome, on May 16-18 the next International Congress on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the encyclical of Blessed John XXIII “Mater et magistra”. Msgr. Toso said he hopes that the Social Doctrine of the Church “is globalised, notably thanks to the help of lay people, of their associations and movements”, so that everyone may access “humanistic, cultural thinking open to transcendence and fraternity, which is critical to problem-resolution”.Crossing borders. “The heart of our mission is defending the dignity of all human beings”, said Msgr. Gérard Defois, president of the Conference of the Europe’s Justice and Peace Commissions. “In a globalized world action is possible only through a network, for this we work in conjunction with other bodies of the Catholic Church, human rights organizations, justice and peace commissions of religious orders and congregations, without forgetting ecumenical and inter-religious organisms”. Msgr. Defois presented the current situation of the national Commissions and of the European network. “The social Doctrine is a fundamental aspect of the Commissions’ activity, for the promotion of dialogue with society, in order to cross all borders”.