ZENIT, Daily dispatch
The World Seen From Rome
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VATICAN DOSSIER
* Martyrdom A Real Possibility, Says Pope
* Church Celebrates Historical Beatification
ANALYSIS
* Evangelizing a Digital World
WORLD FEATURES
* Cardinal Urges Religious to Get Blogging
* Holy See Hopes U.N. Can Aid Treaty-Enforcement
* Cardinal Supports Proposed "Improvement" of Abortion Law
NEWS BRIEFS
* Iraqi Leader Congratulates Cardinal-Designate
INTERVIEW
* A Turn to the Fathers: Interview With Father Robert Dodaro
ANGELUS
* On the Call to Martyrdom
DOCUMENTS
* Holy See Statement on the Rule of Law
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VATICAN DOSSIER
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Martyrdom A Real Possibility, Says Pope
Encourages All Christians to a Life of Daily Sacrifice
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- After noting the beatification of 498 Spanish martyrs, Benedict XVI affirmed that all Christians should be ready to give their lives for Christ.
The Pope said this today before leading the midday Angelus, and after the largest beatification ceremony in the history of the Church, held today in St. Peter's Square. In the celebration, presided over by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, the Church recognized as blessed 498 martyrs from the religious persecution in 1930s Spain.
The Holy Father said, "Adding such a great number of martyrs to the list of beatified persons shows that the supreme witness of giving blood is not an exception reserved only to some individuals, but a realistic possibility for all Christian people. It includes men and women of different ages, vocations and social conditions, who pay with their lives in fidelity to Christ and his Church."
The Pontiff said that fidelity to Christ, even to the point of giving one's life, is rooted in baptism.
"Their example gives witness to the fact that baptism commits Christians to participate boldly in the spread of the Kingdom of God, cooperating if necessary with the sacrifice of one's own life," he said. "Certainly not everyone is called to a bloody martyrdom. There is also an unbloody 'martyrdom,' which is no less significant, such as that of Celina Chludzinska Borzecka, wife, mother, widow and religious, beatified yesterday in Rome: It is the silent and heroic testimony of many Christians who live the Gospel without compromises, fulfilling their duty and dedicating themselves generously in service to the poor.
"This martyrdom of ordinary life is a particularly important witness in the secularized societies of our time. It is the peaceful battle of love that all Christians, like Paul, have to fight tirelessly; the race to spread the Gospel that commits us until death. May Mary, Queen of Martyrs and Star of Evangelization, help us and assist us in our daily witness."
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Church Celebrates Historical Beatification
Martyrdom of 498 a "Message of Faith and Love"
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The 498 Spanish martyrs proclaimed blessed today marked the largest number to be beatified simultaneously in the history of the Church.
Some 50,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square for the celebration of the martyrs who died in the 1930s in Spain.
"The message of the martyrs is a message of faith and love," affirmed the Pope's representative, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes.
In contrast to the practice of celebrating beatifications in the home country of the blessed, today's ceremony was held in the Vatican, as 15 dioceses were home to the new blessed, and 23 of their causes of beatification were based in Rome.
The martyrs came from almost all the Spanish territory, as well as Cuba, France and Mexico.
Several hundred of those in St. Peter's Square were family members of the martyrs. The official Spanish delegation was presided over by the minister of foreign affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos.
Nov. 6
After Cardinal Antonio Rouco Valera, archbishop of Madrid, the diocese to which the largest number of martyrs belonged, asked the Pope to add the martyrs to the number of the blessed, Cardinal Saraiva Martins read the apostolic letter of beatification. The letter sets the feast day of the martyrs on Nov. 6.
"What message do the martyrs transmit to each one of us here present?" asked Cardinal Saraiva Martins. "That we should examine ourselves boldly, and make concrete resolutions, in order to discover if this faith and love show themselves heroically in our lives.
"To be coherent Christians implies that we not fail in our duty of contributing to the common good and molding society according to justice."
This means, he added, defending the dignity of the person, life from conception until natural death, the family founded on the sacramental and unbreakable union between a man and a woman, and the right and primary duty of parents in educating their children.
With today's celebration, the Catholic Church has already beatified almost 1,000 people martyred during the religious persecution that took place in Spain in the 1930s.
According to the secretary of the Spanish bishops' conference, Jesuit Father Juan Antonio Martínez Camino, there are still many more cases that could be recognized in the future. Of these 2,000 are already in process.
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ANALYSIS
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Evangelizing a Digital World
How Churches Can Communicate With Youth Today
By Father John Flynn, LC
ROME, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Passing on the faith to the next generation is harder than ever in a world that is more and more secularized. A recent book offers recommendations on how to get the message across to a new mentality strongly influenced by changes in media technology.
"Googling God: The Religious Landscape of People in Their 20s and 30s," published by Paulist Press, is written by Mike Hayes, associate director of Paulist Young Adult Ministries. In the introduction, Hayes explains that while some had doubted if young people were religious at all, there is a religious awakening among at least some youth.
Hayes provides an interesting examination of young people in the United States, with many points worth reflecting on. His book is also useful for the tips it offers on how to use the Internet and other media to communicate.
A limitation that does need to be noted, however, is his superficial rejection of what he characterizes as overly orthodox Catholic groups. His cursory dismissal of these groups in a few of the book's passages offers an incomplete vision of the very real benefits, and considerable success, they are having among young people.
Young Catholics in the United States, Hayes notes, live in a time of revolutionary technological changes, uncertainty about the future, and a desire for instant gratification. Regarding communications, Hayes comments that many young adults are subject to an information overload. In the midst of the competing claims for attention, it is difficult for the Church to make its message heard, or to know how to adapt to changes in mentality.
He distinguishes between Generation X, born between the years 1964 to 1979, and the Millennials, born from 1980 onward. The former, he argues, tend to view the world in a more pluralistic and explorative manner. The latter are looking for something solid to base their lives on. Nevertheless, Hayes warns against reading too much into generalizations, as there are many differences within each generation.
Search for the sacred
One thing the two generations have in common is a desire for contemplation and a liturgy that provides a sense of mystery and sacredness. For example, Hayes notes the renewal of interest in Eucharistic adoration and some forms of contemplative prayer.
"In a world where life seems very fleeting, young adults search for things they can depend on, things that have stood the test of time, things they regard as true, and things that are greater than themselves," Hayes explains.
The creation of a spirit of community through liturgy is also a point of attraction particularly for Generation X, who in many cases have experienced a lack of family bonds, due either to divorce or to being in a household where both parents work.
There are, however, also many young people who are not active in their faith. Large numbers have received little formation in their faith, others are caught up in the demands of work and family life, and some prefer a private form of spirituality, outside of participation in formal Church-based activities.
Many of those who are not regulars at church will, however, come into some contact at critical moments such as marriage, the death of family members or friends, and times of personal crisis. Hayes recommends using these opportunities to reach out to young people.
As well as more tried and true methods such as Eucharistic adoration, the rosary and Mass, Hayes also devotes a section of the book to explaining how to use modern media. We need to make better use of Web sites, e-mail newsletters, blogs and other ways to reach out to young people, he recommends.
Virtual efforts
Churches are indeed active in using the latest media technology to evangelize. Prior to the recent visit by Benedict XVI to Austria, the Archdiocese of Vienna provided a free service via mobile phone offering excerpts of the Pope's sermons and writings, the Associated Press reported July 30.
On Sept. 21, the London-based Times newspaper reported that the Churches' Advertising Network bought an island in the popular Internet site Second Life.
The virtual island is constructed as a replica of life in first-century Palestine. The aim is for it to become a center for religion on Second Life.
Then, on Sept. 25, the Washington Post reported that last year, churches in the United States spent $8.1 billion on audio and projection equipment. Around 80% of churches apparently have elaborate video and audio systems, together with a variety of online materials.
The article cited a report by TFCinfo, a Texas-based audiovisual market research firm, according to which 60% of churches have a Web site, and more than half send e-mails to their members. Other means now increasingly used include podcasts and text messages.
A number of services are already available for the Bible, and on Oct. 2, the BBC reported on one of the latest, called Ecumen, that will deliver daily prayers, ring tones and photos to mobile phones.
The more recent phenomenon of social networking sites is not exempt from religion, as the New York Times reported June 30. A number of Christian social sites now exist, where believers can have social contact without having to immerse themselves in sites where all sorts of morally undesirable content is present.
Religious video podcasts are also available, as the weekly newspaper National Catholic Register reported May 27. Earlier this year the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Cardinal Justin Rigali debuted on the popular YouTube site, with a series of videos containing reflections on the Gospel.
The archdioceses of Philadelphia and Boston have also used streaming video to make broadcast some events, thus making them accessible to greater numbers of people, the article reported.
Baptizing the Internet
In 2002 the Pontifical Council for Social Communications published a document titled: "The Church and Internet."
"Since announcing the Good News to people formed by a media culture requires taking carefully into account the special characteristics of the media themselves, the Church now needs to understand the Internet," the council explained (No. 5).
The Internet offers many advantages, such as direct access to spiritual resources along with a capacity of overcoming distances. It thus offers the Church new possibilities for communication.
New media technologies also offer many possibilities for two-way communication and social interactivity. While these means are new the social aspect of the Church as a community is a long-standing principle, the document comments.
The Church is, in fact, "a communion of persons and Eucharistic communities arising from and mirroring the communion of the Trinity" (No. 3). Therefore, communication is part of the essence of the Church. This communication, the Council specified, should be characterized by truthfulness, accountability, and sensitivity to human rights.
The council also warned that the virtual world has its limitations and that pastoral planning is needed to enable people to make the transition from cyberspace to a personal community, where they can come into contact with the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and participate in the celebration of the sacraments.
The Church should make full use of the potential offered by new communications technology in carrying out its mission, the document recommended. At the same time we need to keep firmly in mind, the council exhorted, that for all types of media, Christ should be both our model and the source of the content of what we communicate. A model as valid in the 21st century as it was for the first Christians.
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WORLD FEATURES
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Cardinal Urges Religious to Get Blogging
Says Internet Youth Forums Need Real Christian Message
ROME, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's vicar for the Diocese of Rome expressed his hopes that religious men and women increase their use of information technology, and thus take advantage of what he called a new form of apostolate.
Cardianl Camillo Ruini spoke to the religious at the Pontifical Urbanian University during the diocesan gathering of the Union of Major Superiors of Italy, which represents 1,287 communities and 22,000 religious in Rome.
According to the Roman diocesan weekly RomaSette, Cardinal Ruini said: "A priest from Novara told me that the theme of 'Jesus' is very much discussed by youth in blogs. The focus, though, comes from destructive books that are widespread today, and not from Benedict XVI's book 'Jesus of Nazareth.'
"What will the idea of Christ be in 10 years if these ideas triumph?"
The true Jesus
The 76-year-old prelate admitted, "I don't understand the Internet, but especially young religious ought to enter blogs and correct the opinions of the youth, showing them the true Jesus."
"The teaching emergency is central in Benedict XVI's concerns," the cardinal said. "For him, education in the faith coincides with service to society, because to form someone in the faith means to form the human person.
"Simply giving motivations for living defeats nihilism and gives value to the human person, a value that is based on Christ himself, the fact that God became a man."
The cardinal asserted that an educator's testimony and content can matter more than pedagogical techniques.
He called for catechists to be creative in finding occasions for promoting Benedict XVI's book, saying it shows the solidity of faith in the historical Jesus of the Gospels, and bases the identity of the Christian in a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
Cardinal Ruini said that in Catholic schools, "the religious can witness to Christ in all their lessons, in the sciences, in history and even in Italian literature, in an inseparable union of faith and culture. Your creativity ought to find new techniques for the vocational challenge, which ought to develop in step with society."
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Holy See Hopes U.N. Can Aid Treaty-Enforcement
Says Organization Is Key for Relations Among States
NEW YORK, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See expressed its hopes that the United Nations can play a key role in ensuring that international treaties are respected.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said this Friday to the 62nd U.N. General Assembly, when delivering his address on the topic of the rule of law at the national and international levels.
He said: "The role of the United Nations in the creation and implementation of international treaties is vital. By ensuring that the principles of free consent, good faith and 'pacta sunt servanda' are respected, this organization guarantees that relations between states are regulated by applicable international treaties and governed by reason, justice and fair negotiations, rather than by fear, force or manipulation.
"In enforcing these treaties, the United Nations must be a neutral arbitrator and must respect the contracting intent and desire of the parties. A treaty body system that becomes opaque and unaccountable to states parties runs the risk of undermining the basic tenants of the rule of law and diminishes the credibility and legitimacy of the United Nations as a promoter and guarantor of international law."
However, Archbishop Migliore noted that some states lack the "technical capacity to cope with all their international obligations."
"Thus technical assistance to these countries is of utmost importance if observance of international law and treaties is to be had," he said.
Terrorists
With regard to terrorism, the archbishop affirmed, "The rule of law at times is difficult to apply to terrorists who have little or no respect for it."
But, he contended, "states must not engage in measures antithetical to the very principles that give them legitimacy through the rule of law."
Archbishop Migliore said the Holy See delegation believes there is need to continue debate about dealing with states or organizations that commit crimes against humanity.
He said: "[F]urther progress has also been made in the World Summit Outcome Document by which, among others, all member states affirmed the collective international responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and their willingness to take timely and decisive collective action for this purpose, through the Security Council, when peaceful means prove inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to do it.
"My delegation believes there is need to pursue the debate and juridical codification along this very line, wherein sovereignty is not understood as an absolute right and used as a shield against outside involvement, but as a responsibility not merely to protect citizens, but also to promote their welfare. Through the creation of legal norms, arbitration of legal disputes and the establishment of safeguards, especially when states fail in their responsibility to protect, the United Nations is called to be the propulsive forum for the rule of law in all corners of the globe."
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Cardinal Supports Proposed "Improvement" of Abortion Law
But Affirms Sacredness of All Human Life
LONDON, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- As British Parliament considers lowering the age limit for abortions, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor weighed in, supporting any vote that ushers in what he called incremental improvements to an unjust law.
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster, noted his support for a lowering of the age limit in a statement published today by the Telegraph newspaper.
The Abortion Act of 1967 originally set at 28 weeks the legal limit for abortions. Then, in 1990, Parliament agreed to lower the time limit to 24 weeks. An inquiry into the age limits commenced Oct. 15 by the House of Commons committee on science and technology. Improvements in survival rates for babies born prematurely have led to pressure for the limit to be lowered.
"While upholding the principle of the sacredness of human life, I believe it is both licit and important for those in public life who oppose abortion to work and vote for achievable and incremental improvements to an unjust law," the cardinal said. "That is why I would support in any way I can MPs [members of Parliament] who take this stance and are pushing for a reduction in the upper time limit and opposing the removal of existing safeguards."
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor spoke out about various aspects of the current debate.
"I think we need to reflect deeply about the consequences of removing, as has been proposed, the need for at least two medical signatures before an abortion can take place," he said. "To relax oversight and accountability puts us on the road to unlimited access to abortion. I do not think this leads necessarily to a greater freedom. It may also expose people to greater pressure and manipulation. Reducing the need for medical consent leaves the whole burden of responsibility with a woman who may already be vulnerable.
"No decision is taken in a vacuum. Freedoms cannot be claimed or achieved independently of their impact on others. If they are, they become a tyranny. There is a tension between the principle of personal autonomy and the public good that we urgently need to negotiate for all concerned. I believe we can do this by recovering some of our most fundamental convictions about the value of human life at every stage of its growth and development."
Legal or right?
The cardinal affirmed that a "law may make an action legal but it does not necessarily make it right."
"No one is compelled to have an abortion, but unfortunately many women still do not believe they have a viable alternative," he contended. "No woman should have to suffer the trauma of abortion or abandon the principle that a child, from the beginning of its existence, is entitled to live its own life. To achieve a situation where there are real alternatives and practical, effective long-term support which make abortions unnecessary may take time."
Finally, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor affirmed the position of the Church regarding abortion.
"The Catholic Church does not oppose abortion because it opposes human progress or fails to understand the struggles and difficulties that people have to cope with," he said. "How could the Church not believe in humanity when its whole faith is cantered on God becoming human? The Church's 'no' to abortion is simply the reflection of its unconditional 'yes' to all human life, its 'yes' to a society in which the innocent and vulnerable growing life in the womb is cherished and protected. A society that protects all its children, especially the fragile child in the womb, is a society in which we can all feel at home.
"If abortion is to become a thing of the past, it will not be because the Catholic Church has succeeded in imposing its views on anyone. It will be because people, of their own volition, have come to see that there is a better way. This gives me reason for hope. We can say 'yes' to life."
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NEWS BRIEFS
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Iraqi Leader Congratulates Cardinal-Designate
BAGHDAD, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Iraqi prime minister congratulated Patriarch Emmanuel Delly III, head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and in the world, one of those named to be a cardinal by Benedict XVI on Oct. 17.
A government communiqué published Thursday quoted the prime minister, Nuri Al-Maliki, saying that Emmanuel Delly's nomination "honors all Iraqis and represents a victory for Iraq in its fight against terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism."
The prime minister said that the government will support the new mission of the Chaldean patriarch and will carry ahead his efforts to defend Christians in Iraq.
For his part, the Patriarch Emmanuel Delly III has expressed his appreciation for the efforts put forth by the Iraqi government "to establish a climate of security," adding that he is at the service of all Iraqis.
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INTERVIEW
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A Turn to the Fathers: Interview With Father Robert Dodaro
ROME, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- There is a need to bridge a gap between the Fathers of the Church and the modern developments in theology, says a patristics scholar.
Father Robert Dodaro, director of the Augustinian Patristic Institute at the Pontifical Lateran University, sees cause for optimism in this field, as he detects a trend toward more scholarly attention on the Church Fathers.
In this interview with ZENIT, Father Dodaro says that the study of the Fathers is the way to discover the answers to the problems the Church faces today.
Q: What are the difficulties limiting the number of students at the Augustinian Institute?
Father Dodaro: The greatest problem is the insufficient knowledge of Greek and Latin, and the lack of familiarity with classical studies. To prepare the students to take on the texts of the Fathers in their original languages, we began a prerequisite course of intensive Latin and Greek three years ago.
This year there are also supplementary classes on ancient Roman history, classical literature and ancient philosophy. As you can imagine, students do not study these subjects adequately in institutes and universities. Thus, the low levels in classical studies are for us the greatest challenge.
Q: What do you think about the relationship between patristic and modern theology?
Father Dodaro: During Vatican II it was decided that the updating of theology and Church praxis demanded a turning toward the wise patrimony of the Fathers of the Church. For this reason, the Servant of God Pope Paul VI wanted an institute of patristic studies in Rome. But today's theology seems to have set out on another path distinct from the ever-more-distant gate of tradition and, therefore, while the scholars of the Church Fathers investigate the historical context of the theology of the Fathers, today's theology withdraws from its origins. The Church today needs to confront the question of the relationship between patristic and dogmatic theology.
Q: Perhaps the Fathers existed too long ago?
Father Dodaro: No, the Fathers are very current. Theirs is a beautiful spirituality, and a liturgical and theological fashion. The general public is fascinated with it, and sales of the patristics -- even with translated texts -- are high. There is a living interest. The problem is that the theologians are unconvinced about the Fathers' teachings.
Q: You confirm that, among readers, there is an interest in the Church's origins and especially in the patristic era, although many of these works are academic and little known. The challenge is, perhaps, maintaining a high academic level while making the content of the Fathers accessible?
Father Dodaro: This is another of the challenges to which we are trying to respond. The question is how we can offer the treasure of Patristic theology and spirituality to Catholics. From this point of view, I feel proud when I see many of our graduates dedicated to translating, even after earning licentiates and doctorates.
These students and alumni work with publishing houses well-known for these types of works. I'm also surprised at the blooming of patristic studies in Italy. Today, Italy is on the forefront in researching, studying and disseminating the patristic authors not only because we find in Rome the Patristic Institute, but also because there is widespread interest among the state universities, where we have friends and collaborators.
For example, Italy's Città Nuova publishes a collection of patristic books, something that doesn't exist in all Western countries, although the trend is spreading throughout the world. Some alumni are dedicated to translating patristic texts even into Korean. I think the spread of these works can help local Churches respond to pastoral demands.
Therefore, we need texts translated into the many languages so people can study and deepen their knowledge of the Fathers. Then, courses are needed in the various spirituality and theology institutes. Bishops should challenge seminarians and young priests to study the Fathers of the Church.
Q: If you had to persuade youth to study the Fathers, what argument would you use?
Father Dodaro: I would speak about St. Augustine. But apart from that example, I would say: Take the 10 greatest and most difficult problems in today's Church, choose whichever ones you want, and then try to compare them to those the Church Fathers develop. In the classic patristics, you will find the roots and responses to whatever controversy the Church must confront today. This is the importance of the Church Fathers.
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ANGELUS
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On the Call to Martyrdom
"Not an Exception Reserved Only to Some Individuals"
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today before leading the recitation of the midday Angelus. The address followed the beatification ceremony of 498 Spanish martyrs from the 20th century, celebrated by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes.
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My dear brothers and sisters:
This morning, here, in St. Peter's Square, 498 martyrs, assassinated in Spain during the decade of the '30s in the last century, were beatified. I thank Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, who presided over the celebration, and I cordially greet the pilgrims gathered for this joyful occasion.
Adding such a great number of martyrs to the list of beatified persons shows that the supreme witness of giving blood is not an exception reserved only to some individuals, but a realistic possibility for all Christian people. It includes men and women of different ages, vocations and social conditions, who pay with their lives in fidelity to Christ and his Church.
The expression of St. Paul in today's liturgy adequately applies to them: "Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith" (2 Timithoy 4:6-7). Paul, detained in Rome, saw death approaching and balances this awareness and hope. At peace with God and himself, he serenely confronted death, with the knowledge that he had surrendered his life totally to the service of the Gospel, without sparing anything.
October, the month dedicated in a special way to missionary commitment, ends with the luminous testimony of the Spanish martyrs, who join the martyrs Albertina Berkenbrock, Emmanuel Gómez Gonzáles and Adilio Daronch, and Franz Jägerstätter, who were beatified recently in Brazil and Austria.
Their example gives witness to the fact that baptism commits Christians to participate boldly in the spread of the Kingdom of God, cooperating if necessary with the sacrifice of one's own life. Certainly not everyone is called to a bloody martyrdom. There is also an unbloody "martyrdom," which is no less significant, such as that of Celina Chludzinska Borzecka, wife, mother, widow and religious, beatified yesterday in Rome: It is the silent and heroic testimony of many Christians who live the Gospel without compromises, fulfilling their duty and dedicating themselves generously in service to the poor.
This martyrdom of ordinary life is a particularly important witness in the secularized societies of our time. It is the peaceful battle of love that all Christians, like Paul, have to fight tirelessly; the race to spread the Gospel that commits us until death. May Mary, Queen of Martyrs and Star of Evangelization, help us and assist us in our daily witness.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[After the Angelus, the Pope greeted the people in several languages. In English, he said:]
I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Angelus, including the group from the Oratory Prep School in Oxfordshire, England. The Gospel invites us to leave aside all arrogance and pride, and to walk in humility before God and with our neighbour. The Beatifications today remind us of the importance of humbly following our Lord even to the point of offering our lives for the faith. May your stay in Rome renew your love of Christ, and may God bless you all!
© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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DOCUMENTS
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Holy See Statement on the Rule of Law
"Guarantees Respect for Even the Smallest of Nations"
NEW YORK, OCT. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a statement by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, delivered Friday to the 62nd U.N. General Assembly, on the topic of the rule of law at the national and international levels.
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Mr. Chairman,
The mutually reinforcing values of peace, development and human rights are both the guiding principles and the goals of this organization. Their nexus and effectiveness is guaranteed by the proper implementation of the rule of law. It is the rule of law that creates the mechanisms to promote justice and peace, ensures predictability and security to allow for the foundation of a stable economy, and protects the dignity of every person regardless of one's social, economic, or political status.
In an increasingly globalized society, where people from different cultures meet more frequently, migration occurs on a global scale and international trade propels rapid global development, regulating the relations between and among states is of utmost importance to ensure peaceful coexistence.
At the international level, the rule of law guarantees respect for even the smallest of nations. It safeguards the ability of all states to voice their legitimate concerns as equals in a forum of equals. Its rule restrains powerful nations from lording it over the weaker ones. These principles are very relevant to the ongoing reform of the Security Council and the revitalization of the General Assembly.
The role of the United Nations in the creation and implementation of international treaties is vital. By ensuring that the principles of free consent, good faith and "pacta sunt servanda" are respected, this organization guarantees that relations between states are regulated by applicable international treaties and governed by reason, justice and fair negotiations, rather than by fear, force or manipulation.
In enforcing these treaties, the United Nations must be a neutral arbitrator and must respect the contracting intent and desire of the parties. A treaty body system that becomes opaque and unaccountable to states parties runs the risk of undermining the basic tenants of the rule of law and diminishes the credibility and legitimacy of the United Nations as a promoter and guarantor of international law.
Surely states have a primary duty to ensure that treaties are respected. Selective enforcement and selective observance of treaties are antithetical to the rule of law. It would be preposterous to claim observance of the rule of law at a national level if international treaties and international law are not observed.
Moreover, the benefits and value of faithful treaty implementation go beyond the rule of law. Respect for treaties is also an excellent confidence-building measure, as it promotes trust among parties. This is particularly true in the area of disarmament, in which the fear of treaty noncompliance on the part of even just one state party paralyzes the disarmament and nonproliferation agenda. In fact, it is easier to make others comply with their commitments if one complies with one's own.
However, not all states have the technical capacity to cope with all their international obligations. There is a growing gap between the development of international law and the capacity of individual states to incorporate it into national legislation and implement it. Thus technical assistance to these countries is of utmost importance if observance of international law and treaties is to be had. To this end, we note with interest the establishment of the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group and we look forward to following its work in promoting the rule of law.
Mr. Chairman,
The struggle against terrorism is necessary, but at the same time it must be established through the drafting, adoption and effective enforcement of juridical instruments designed to tackle this violent menace with right reason. The rule of law at times is difficult to apply to terrorists who have little or no respect for it. However, states must not engage in measures antithetical to the very principles that give them legitimacy through the rule of law.
The last few years have seen a greater focus on the rule of law at all levels. Though this focus has not always been accompanied by action, some progress has been achieved, particularly in the area of international criminal justice. Individuals and peoples whose rights have been violated, such as in cases of crimes against humanity, are given access to a justice system that serves the truth and banishes fear, revenge, impunity and inequality before the law.
In the same vein, further progress has also been made in the World Summit Outcome Document by which, among others, all member states affirmed the collective international responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and their willingness to take timely and decisive collective action for this purpose, through the Security Council, when peaceful means prove inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to do it.
My delegation believes there is need to pursue the debate and juridical codification along this very line, wherein sovereignty is not understood as an absolute right and used as a shield against outside involvement, but as a responsibility not merely to protect citizens, but also to promote their welfare. Through the creation of legal norms, arbitration of legal disputes and the establishment of safeguards, especially when states fail in their responsibility to protect, the United Nations is called to be the propulsive forum for the rule of law in all corners of the globe.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[Text adapted]
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