Injustice, inequality threaten world peace, Pope tells diplomats

May 29, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI met with a group of 8 new ambassadors to the Holy See on Friday, May 29. The Holy Father spoke to the diplomats as a group, then gave each new ambassador a written message regarding the affairs of his own country. The new ambassadors were from Benin, Burkina Faso, India, Mongolia, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, and South Africa.

In his address to the group, the Pope said that international diplomacy should be guided by the desire to root out injustices, which are "attacks against peace and create a grave risk of conflict." Both on the international scene and in their own national politics, he said that world leaders should "intervening firmly to eliminate the inequality engendered by unjust systems, and so allowing everyone a standard of living that enables them to live a dignified and prosperous existence." That mandate is particularly important today, the Pontiff said, because the world's economic slump has aggravated inequalities.

In an apparent reference to terrorism, Pope Benedict called for a united front against "new forms of violence that have arisen over recent years and that, alas, seek support from the Name of God to justify dangerous acts." Such ideological movements, he said, have "sometimes led to the view that religions are a threat to societies"-- a misconception that should be eliminated with the help of responsible religious leadership.

 

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Further information:

• Injustices among nations are threats to peace (VIS)