Vatican conference for the 50th anniversary of Populorum Progressio

The great social encyclical of Paul VI, who for the first time extended  the social teaching of the Churc hworldwide, is the focus of a meeting which will also be attended by representatives of the episcopal conferences and their social and "Justice and Peace" committees representatives of the international Catholic charity organizations and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The "Populorum Progressio" of Paul VI will be the subject of an international conference to be held at the Vatican on April 3 and 4, organized by the Department for the service of integral human development 50 years after the publication of the great social encyclical. Pope Francis will also intervene on the topic on Tuesday, when he will receive the attendees.

The Paul VI document, which for the first time extended the social teaching of the Church worldwide, stated that development cannot be reduced to mere economic growth, but it must be thought of in terms of overall development, that promotes all men and the whole man. In a climate of prevailing cold war, the Montini Pope  affirmed that the real Iron Curtain was not between East and West but between North and South of the world, because "the peoples in hunger call out dramatically today to the peoples of 'opulence. " "The development of peoples - were the first words of the encyclical - especially of those who are striving to escape from hunger, misery, endemic diseases and ignorance; looking for a wider share in the benefits of civilization, a more active improvement of their human qualities; that move decisively toward the goal of their heyday, is closely watched by the church. "

“A Church which must have  "a renewed awareness of the demands of the Gospel message", "to be at the service of mankind" and which calls for a concerted effort so that everyone in their own place, with their rights and duties, be fully responsible to foster universal collaboration among nations, an international social justice.

The conference, which has the title "Prospects for the integral human development: 50 years after Populorum Progressio" will be held in the New Synod Hall in the Vatican. It aims to deepen the theological, anthropological and pastoral encyclical, in particular in relation to the work of those working for the promotion of the person, and to formulate guidelines for the work of the new dicastery.

The meeting will be attended, in particular, members of the Pontifical offices that were included in the Department (Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, Migrants and Itinerant People, Health Professionals), the representatives of the episcopal conferences and their social and "Justice and Peace" committees, the representatives of the international Catholic charity organizations and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

The congress, after the introduction of Monday, 3 from Card. Peter K. A. Turkson, prefect of the Congregation for integral human development, and the theological presentation of the anthropological theme from Card. Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is divided according to three fundamental tensions of the person: body-soul, man-woman, person-society. In addition to presentations by experts from different sectors, there will be  testimonies of how the Church operates directly in favor of the weakest.