“This document is … geared to the needs of the world – the economic needs, the moral needs …at this particular time….
“He is saying that love itself, which is charity, is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace…. He is proposing now, as a means for the development of peoples, as a means of promoting human dignity, as a means of facing the problems that we’re faced with – all these economic problems and all their consequences – the Pope is saying, we do have a solution and we have to begin with love that expresses itself in truth….
“It’s all about solidarity; it’s all about human beings rising up and being concerned with other people. It’s all about making sure that every human being has dignity and is recognized….
“The Pope is very clear in the fact that he challenges business enterprises, governments, unions, inspaniduals, to reexamine their economic responsibilities but, he’s doing it from…the viewpoint of charity, love, governed by truth – the truth of who we are as people: What is the human being? What is the dignity of the human person?
“Everybody has to benefit from this, but it has to be their total good what takes into account their physical needs, their spiritual needs, the rights they have as human beings, – the right to life, the right to religious freedom, the right not to be oppressed and the right to live a decent life because all human goods are basically given not for the benefit of specific inspaniduals to make billions of dollars, but God has given us the world so that everyone can participate in dignity, at least with frugality, in His creation…
“I think there is going to be a great response of good will… The Pope is talking about realities that really affect everybody’s life…
“He’s talking about the global economy … politics … the environment, but above all he’s is talking about this tremendous force, which is love….
“He’s appealing to the generosity of people…It’s part of the building of a better world – and with greater respect for each person and for all people.”
– Cardinal Justin Rigali
Share this story