Cultivate prudence, Pope encourages Italian magistrates
June 17, 2014
Pope Francis called upon Italian magistrates to set “an example of moral integrity for all of society” in a private audience on June 17.
The Pope emphasized the importance of an independent judiciary and a fair application of legal standards as means to ensure public confidence in the rule of law. Magistrates, he said, should especially cultivate the virtue of prudence.
Pope Francis went on to say that prudence should not be understood to mean avoiding action. “No!” he said; “It is a virtue of governance, a virtue for moving ahead, a virtue that enables one to weight with serenity the reason of law and fact that must be at the base of any judgment.”
During his audience with the High Council for the Italian Magistrature, the Holy Father apologized for having postponed the audience from the previous day. He explained that he had “felt unwell and had a fever” on Monday morning. This was the 3rd time in a week that the Pontiff had altered his schedule because of what the Vatican press office last week described as a “mild indisposition.”
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