The subject of the Pope Francis message to be on "political responsibility” which “belongs to every citizen, and in particular to those who have received the mandate to protect and govern".
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The theme chosen by Pope Francis for the message for the 52nd World Day of Peace celebrated on January 1, 2019 is "Good politics is at the service of peace".
In today's news, the Holy See Press Office also issued a comment stating that "Political responsibility belongs to every citizen, and in particular to those who have received the mandate to protect and govern. This mission consists in safeguarding the law and encouraging dialogue between the actors of society, between generations and between cultures. There is no peace without mutual trust. And trust has as a first condition respect for the word given,” the statement said, adding that the political commitment of citizens “is one of the highest expressions of charity,” and as such, it brings with it concern for “the future of life and of the planet, of the young and the weakest, in their thirst for fulfillment.".
"When man is respected in his rights - as St. John XXIII recalled in his Encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963) - the sense of the duty to respect the rights of others is born within him. The rights and duties of man boost the awareness of belonging to the same community, with others and with God (cf. ibid., 45). We are therefore called to bring and announce peace as the good news of a future where every living being will be considered in his dignity and in his rights ".