Pope's challenge to UN: 'ethical mobilization' against a 'throwaway culture'

May 09, 2014

Pope Francis has challenged UN officials to promote “a true, worldwide ethical mobilization,” to encourage help for the poor and preserve the dignity of human life against the inroads of a “throwaway culture.”

In a May 9 address to executive officers of UN agencies, the Pope praised the international organization for its work to promote the Millennium Development Goals, but urged the UN officials to go further, “with generosity and courage,” to promote human development.”

“Specifically,” the Pontiff said, “this involves challenging all forms of injustice and resisting the “economy of exclusion”, the “throwaway culture” and the “culture of death” which nowadays sadly risk becoming passively accepted.

Underlining his message about the “culture of death,” the Pope went on to say that “an awareness of the dignity of each of our brothers and sisters whose life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death must lead us to share with complete freedom the goods which God’s providence has placed in our hands.” Invoking the example of Zaccheus, the tax collector who was inspired by Jesus to share his wealth with those in need, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of voluntary charity, saying that “above and beyond economic and social systems and theories, there will always be a need to promote generous, effective and practical openness to the needs of others.”

In a report on the Pope’s talk, the Associated Press gave primary importance to the Pontiff’s call for government action to redistribute wealth. In fact, however, the Holy Father made that point in the context of a broader call for personal as well as private and civic charity:

A contribution to this equitable development will also be made both by international activity aimed at the integral human development of all the world’s peoples and by the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.

In that context the Pope asked UN officials to look beyond particular programs, to spur an “ethical mobilization” on behalf of those in need, to resist the “economy of exclusion” and build a culture of solidarity.

In his address to the UN officials, Pope Francis did not mention recent clashes between the Vatican and UN commission monitoring the implementation of international agreements on the rights of children and the prevention of torture.

 

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Further information:

• Pope to UN: Resist the economy of exclusion, serve the poor (Vatican Radio)
• The Pope to the United Nations Executive Board: Challenge All Forms of Injustice (VIS)
• For worldwide ethical mobilization (L'Osservatore Romano)
• Pope Demands 'Legitimate Redistribution' of Wealth (AP)