09 Oct ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PRE-COP26 PARLIAMENTARY MEETING

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I offer you a cordial welcome and I thank Mrs Casellati and Mr Fico for their kind
words.
Several days ago, on 4 October, I joined various religious leaders and scientists
in signing a Joint Appeal in view of COP26. The inspiration for that Meeting,
which was preceded by months of intense dialogue, was, in the words of the
Appeal, an “awareness of the unprecedented challenges that threaten us and life
on our beautiful common home… and the necessity of an even deeper solidarity
in the face of the global pandemic and of the growing concern” in that regard
(Faith and Science: Towards COP26, Joint Appeal, 4 October 2021).
At our Meeting, we affirmed, in a spirit of fraternity, an impressive convergence
of all our different voices on two points. First, our sorrow at the grave harm
inflicted on the human family and its common home; and second, the urgent
need for a change of direction, in order to move decisively and firmly away from
the throwaway culture, prevalent in our society, towards a culture of care.
That challenge is complex and demanding, but humanity has the means to effect
this change, which calls for genuine conversion and a steadfast determination to
meet it. This is especially incumbent upon those called to positions of great
responsibility in the various sectors of society.
The Joint Appeal, which I am symbolically presenting to you through the
Presidents of the two Houses of the Italian Parliament, includes a number of
commitments that we intend to make in the realm of action and example, as
well as in education. Indeed, we find ourselves facing a significant educational
challenge, since “all change requires an educational process aimed at developing
a new universal solidarity and a more welcoming society” (Message for the
Launch of the Global Compact on Education, 12 September 2019). The challenge
to promote an education for an integral ecology is one to which we, the
representatives of the religions, are firmly committed.
At the same time, we appeal to governments to adopt without delay a course of
action that would limit the average global temperature rise and to take
courageous steps, including the strengthening of international cooperation.
Specifically, we appeal to them to promote a transition towards clean energy; to
adopt sustainable land use practices, preventing deforestation and restoring
forests, conserving biodiversity, favouring food systems that are environmentally
friendly and respectful of local cultures, working to end hunger and malnutrition,
and to promote sustainable lifestyles and patterns of consumption and
production.
This means a transition towards a more integral and inclusive model of
development, one grounded in solidarity and responsibility, whose effects on the
world of work will also have to be taken into careful consideration.
To meet this challenge, everyone has a role to play. That of political and
government leaders is especially important, and indeed crucial. This demanding
change of direction will require great wisdom, foresight and concern for the
common good: in a word, the fundamental virtues of good politics. As political
leaders and legislators, you are responsible for influencing people’s actions by
those means provided by the law, “which lays down rules for admissible conduct
in the light of the common good” (Laudato Si’, 177), and with respect for such
other fundamental principles as the dignity of the human person, solidarity and
subsidiarity (cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 160ff.). Care
for our common home naturally falls within the scope of these principles. To be
sure, it is not just a matter of discouraging and penalizing improper practices,
but also, and above all, of concretely encouraging new paths to pursue, paths
better suited to the objectives we seek to achieve. These are essential elements
to be considered as we strive to meet the goals set out in the Paris Agreement
and to contribute to the positive outcome of COP26.
It is my hope that your work and commitment in the process of preparing for
COP26 and beyond will be illuminated by the two important principles of
responsibility and solidarity. We owe this to the young, to future generations,
who deserve our best efforts to ensure that they can live in hope. For this to
happen, there is an urgent need for wise and just laws that transcend the
narrow confines of a certain politics and quickly reach a fitting consensus,
through the use of trustworthy and transparent means.
Once again I thank you for your visit. May God bless you, your families and your
work.

07 Oct ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS AT THE MEETING OF RELIGIONS FOR PEACE “PEOPLES AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS, FUTURE EARTH. RELIGIONS AND CULTURES IN DIALOGUE”

Dear brothers and sisters!
I greet all of you – heads of Churches, political authorities and representatives of
the great world religions – and I thank you for your presence. It is good that we
have gathered here, carrying in our own hearts and in the heart of Rome the
faces of those entrusted to our care. Above all, it is important to pray and share,
clearly and sincerely, our deep concern for the present and future of the world.
Many, many believers have come together in these days to show how prayer is
that quiet source of strength which brings peace and disarms hate-filled hearts.
In the various meetings, we shared our conviction that a change is needed in
relationships between peoples, and between peoples and the earth. That is why,
here today, together we dream of peoples as brothers and sisters and a future
earth.
Peoples as brothers and sisters. We proclaim this against the backdrop of the
Colosseum. Long ago, this amphitheatre was the site of brutal mass
entertainment: fights between men or between men and beasts. Spectacles of
fratricide, deadly games played at the cost of human lives. Today, we too can be
spectators of violence and war, of brothers killing brothers, like games we watch
from a safe distance, indifferent, certain that they will never affect us. The
suffering of others scarcely troubles us. Not even the sufferings of victims of war,
migrants, young boys and girls trapped in conflicts and robbed of the carefree
games of childhood. The lives of peoples and young children are not playthings.
We may not be indifferent onlookers. On the contrary, we need to empathize
with those who share our humanity, its aspirations, its struggles and its frailties.
We need to realize, “All of this affects me, it could have happened here too, even
to me”. Today, in a globalized society that sensationalizes suffering, yet remains
incapable of sympathizing with it, we need to “construct compassion”. We need
to listen to others, make their sufferings our own and look into their faces. This
takes real courage: the courage of compassion, a courage that goes beyond
complacency, beyond the mindset of “it doesn’t concern me” and “it has nothing
to do with my life”. We cannot allow the lives of entire peoples to become mere
pawns in a game of power. The life of peoples is not part of a game: it is
something serious and of concern to everyone. The life of peoples cannot be
subject to the interests of a few, or prey to sectarian and nationalistic fervour.
War plays games with human lives. So does violence and the bane of a
burgeoning arms trade, often moving in the shadows, fed by underground
streams of money. I can only reiterate that “war is a failure of politics and of
humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil”
(Fratelli Tutti, 261). We cannot continue to accept wars with the detachment
with which we watch the evening news, but rather make an effort to see them
through the eyes of the peoples involved. Two years ago in Abu Dhabi, along
with my dear brother, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, present here, we appealed to
human fraternity for the sake of peace. We spoke “in the name of peoples who
have lost their security, peace and the possibility of living together, becoming
victims of destruction, calamity and war” (Document on Human Fraternity for
World Peace and Living Together, 4 February 2019). As representatives of
different religious traditions, all of us are called to resist the lure of worldly
power, to be the voice of the voiceless, the support of the suffering, advocates of
the oppressed and victims of hatred, people discarded by men and women on
earth, yet precious in the sight of the One who dwells in heaven. Today they are
fearful, because in all too many parts of the world, rather than dialogue and
cooperation prevailing, military confrontation is once again becoming the
decisive means for imposing one’s own ends.
Consequently, I would repeat my words in Abu Dhabi about the urgent task of
religions “in this delicate historical situation: to demilitarize the human heart”
(Address at the Interreligious Meeting, 4 February 2019). Dear brothers and
sisters, as believers it is our responsibility to help eradicate hatred from human
hearts and to condemn every form of violence. Let us unambiguously urge that
arms be set aside and military spending reduced, in order to provide for
humanitarian needs, and that instruments of death be turned into instruments of
life. May ours not be empty words, but insistent appeals for the welfare of our
brothers and sisters, opposing war and death in the name of the One who is
peace and life. Fewer arms and more food, less hypocrisy and more
transparency, more vaccines distributed fairly and fewer weapons marketed
indiscriminately. Our times demand that we be the voice of all those believers,
ordinary people, defenceless and weary of violence, so that those who have
responsibility for the common good will commit themselves not only to condemn
wars and terrorism, but also to create the conditions to prevent them from
flaring up.
If peoples are to remain brothers and sisters, prayers must rise unceasingly to
heaven, and one single word constantly echo on earth. That word is peace. Saint
John Paul II dreamed of a common journey of believers, starting from the Assisi
meeting and advancing towards the future. Dear friends, we are making that
journey, each with his or her own religious identity, to cultivate peace in the
name of God and to acknowledge that we are brothers and sisters. Pope John
Paul II raised this challenge when he said, “Peace awaits its prophets. Peace
awaits its builders” (Address to the Representatives of the Christian Churches
and Ecclesial Communities and of the World Religions, 27 October 1986). To
some this seemed empty optimism. Over the years, however, sharing and forms
of dialogue between different religious worlds have increased, thus creating
paths to peace. This is the true way forward. If there are those who work to
foment division and conflict, we ourselves believe in the importance of
journeying together for peace: with one another, and never again against one
another.
Brothers and sisters, ours is a journey that demands a constant purification of
the heart. Francis of Assisi asked his followers to see others as “brothers and
sisters, for they were created by the one Creator”. He told them: “The peace that
you proclaim with your lips, you should possess even more abundantly in your
hearts” (The Legend of the Three Companions, XIV, 5: FF 1469). Peace is not
primarily an agreement to be negotiated or a value to be celebrated, but mostly
an attitude of the heart. It is born of justice; it grows in fraternity and it
flourishes in gratuitousness. It summons us to “serve the truth and declare what
is evil when it is evil, without fear or pretence, even and especially when it is
committed by those who profess to follow the same creed as us” (Message to
the Participants in the G20 Interfaith Forum 2021, 7 September 2021). For the
sake of peace, please, in every religious tradition let us defuse the temptation to
fundamentalism and every tendency to view a brother or sister as an enemy. If
there are those in the grip of hostility, factions and partisan games, we ourselves
repeat the words of the Imam Ali: “There are two types of people: your brothers
and sisters in faith, and those who are your fellow human beings”. There is no
other distinction.
Peoples as brothers and sisters who dream of peace. Today the dream of peace
is linked to another dream, that of the future earth. This is a commitment to
care for creation, for the common home that we will leave to the young who will
come after us. By cultivating a contemplative and non-predatory approach, the
religions are called to listen to the groans of mother earth, which suffers
violence. My dear brother, Patriarch Bartholomew, present here, has helped us to
realize that “to commit a crime against the natural world is a sin against
ourselves and a sin against God” (Address in Saint Barbara, 8 November 1997,
cited in the Encyclical Laudato Si’, 8).
Let us remember what the pandemic has shown us, namely that we cannot
remain healthy in a world that is sick. In recent times, many people have
contracted the sickness of forgetfulness, forgetfulness of God and of our brothers
and sisters. This has led to unbridled individualism and the desire for
self-sufficiency, which has overflowed in insatiable greed. The earth we inhabit
bears the scars of this, while the air we breathe is rich in toxins but poor in
solidarity. We have thus poured the pollution of our hearts upon creation. In this
climate of deterioration, it is encouraging to think that the same concerns and
commitments are increasingly becoming the shared patrimony of many religions.
Prayer and action can change the course of history. Brothers and sisters, be
courageous! We have before us a vision, the same vision shared by so many
young people and men and women of good will: the earth as a common home,
in which peoples dwell as brothers and sisters. Yes, let us dream of religions as
sisters and peoples as brothers! Sister religions to help peoples be brothers and
sisters living in peace, reconciled stewards of creation, our common home.
Thank you.

05 Oct ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING “RELIGIONS AND EDUCATION: TOWARDS A GLOBAL COMPACT ON EDUCATION”

[…] If we desire a more fraternal world, we need to educate young people “to
acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity,
regardless of where he or she was born or lives” (Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, 1). The
fundamental principle “Know yourself” has always guided education. Yet we
should not overlook other essential principles: “Know your brother or sister”, in
order to educate in welcoming others (cf. Encyclical Fratelli Tutti; Document on
Human Fraternity, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019); “Know creation”, in order to
educate in caring for our common home (cf. Encyclical Laudato Si’) and “Know
the Transcendent”, in order to educate in the great mystery of life. We are
concerned to ensure an integral formation that can be summed up in knowledge
of ourselves, our brothers and sisters, creation and the Transcendent. We cannot
fail to speak to young people about the truths that give meaning to life.
Religions have always had a close relationship with education, accompanying
religious activities with educational, scholastic and academic ones. As in the
past, so also in our day, with the wisdom and humanity of our religious
traditions, we want to be a stimulus for a renewed educational activity that can
advance universal fraternity in our world.
If in the past, our differences set us at odds, nowadays we see in them the
richness of different ways of coming to God and of educating young people for
peaceful coexistence in mutual respect. For this reason, education commits us
never to use God’s name to justify violence and hatred towards other religious
traditions, to condemn all forms of fanaticism and fundamentalism, and to
defend the right of each individual to choose and act in accordance with his or
her conscience.
If in the past, also in the name of religion, discrimination was practiced against
ethnic, cultural, political and other minorities, today we want to be defenders of
the identity and dignity of every individual and to teach young people to accept
everyone without discrimination. For this reason, education commits us to accept
people as they are, not how we want them to be, without judging or condemning
anyone.
If in the past, the rights of women, children and the most vulnerable were not
always respected, today we are committed firmly to defend those rights and to
teach young people to be a voice for the voiceless. For this reason, education
impels us to reject and denounce every violation of the physical and moral
integrity of each individual. Education must make us realize that men and
women are equal in dignity; there is no room for discrimination. […]

27 Aug ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING PROMOTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC LEGISLATORS NETWORK

Honourable Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased once more to meet with you, lawmakers and political and civic leaders from various nations, at this critical moment in our history – a critical moment. I thank Cardinal Schönborn and Dr Alting von Geusau for their kind words of greeting and introduction. I am also happy that His Holiness Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syro-Orthodox Church, is present with us.

From its founding in 2010, the International Catholic Legislators Network has accompanied, supported and promoted the work of the Holy See, bearing witness to the Gospel in the service of your individual countries and the international community as a whole. I am grateful for your love for the Church and for your readiness to cooperate in her mission.

Our gathering today takes place at a very troubled moment in time. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage. Although significant progress has been made through the creation and distribution of effective vaccines, much work remains to be done. There have been more than 200 million confirmed cases and 4 million deaths due to this terrible scourge, which has caused immense economic and social devastation.

As a result, your work as lawmakers and political leaders is more important than ever. Charged with serving the common good, you are now being challenged to direct your efforts to the integral renewal of your communities and of society as a whole. This entails more than simply combatting the virus or seeking to return to the status quo prior to the pandemic; that would be a setback. No, it demands confronting the deeper causes that the crisis has laid bare and aggravated: poverty, social inequality, widespread unemployment, and the lack of access to education. Brothers and sisters, we never emerge from a crisis the same: we will emerge either better or worse. Moreover, we do not emerge from a crisis by ourselves: we must either emerge together or we will not be able to emerge from it at all.

In an age of upheaval and political polarization, legislators and politicians in general are not always held in high esteem. Yet what loftier vocation can there be than that of serving the common good and placing the welfare of the community before our personal advantage? That must always be your goal, for a good politics is indispensable for universal fraternity and social peace (Fratelli Tutti, 176).

In our age particularly, one of the greatest challenges confronting us is the administration of technology for the common good. The wonders of modern science and technology have increased our quality of life. “It is right to rejoice in these advances and to be excited by the immense possibilities that they continue to open up before us, for science and technology are wonderful products of a God-given human creativity” (Laudato Si’, 102). At the same time, left to themselves and to market forces alone, without suitable guidelines provided by legislative assemblies and public authorities guided by a sense of social responsibility, these innovations can end up becoming a threat to the dignity of the human person.

This has nothing to do with curbing technological advances. By means of policies and regulations, lawmakers can protect human dignity from whatever may threaten it. I think, for example, of the scourge of child pornography, the misuse of personal data, attacks on critical infrastructures such as hospitals, and the spread of false information on social media, among other issues. Prudent legislation can guide the development and application of technology in the service of the common good. Brothers and sisters, I heartily encourage you, therefore, to make every effort to undertake serious and in-depth moral reflection on the risks and possibilities associated with scientific and technological advances, so that the international laws and regulations governing them may concentrate on promoting integral human development and peace, rather than on progress as an end in itself.

Legislators and political leaders naturally reflect the strengths and weaknesses of the people they represent; each has his or her own specific gifts to offer in service to the welfare of all. The involvement of citizens in the various sectors of social, civic and political life remains essential. All of us are called to foster the spirit of solidarity, starting with the needs of our weakest and most disadvantaged brothers and sisters. If we are to heal our world so harshly tried by the pandemic, and build a more inclusive and sustainable future in which technology serves human needs without isolating us from one another, we need not only responsible citizens, but also capable leaders inspired by the principle of the common good.

Dear friends, may the Lord enable you to become a leaven for the renewal of minds, hearts and spirit, witnesses of “political love” (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 180ff.) for the most vulnerable, so that, in serving them, you may serve him in all that you do.

To you, your families and your work, I cordially impart my blessing. And I ask you, please, to pray for me. Thank you.