Pope: multilateral agreements should defend the weak
In his meeting with members of the Leaders pour la Paix foundation, Francis said that demands and proposals to deal with current crises come from the ‘grassroots’. He urged political leaders to avoid getting “mired in theoretical discussions”; instead, they should “touch the wounded flesh of the victims”.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis this morning met with a delegation of Leaders pour la Paix (Leaders for Peace), a foundation set up by former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, which brings together former government officials dedicated to peace education.
For the pontiff, at this "particularly critical" time in history, it is more urgent than ever to “promote dialogue and multilateral collaboration”, which can best guarantee “a truly universal common good and the protection of the weakest states”.
Citing some of the issues included in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Francis urged his audience to look at the grave situation that the whole world is experiencing.
“The pandemic, unfortunately, has not yet been overcome and its economic and social consequences, especially for the life of the poorest, are heavy. It has not only impoverished the human family of many lives, each one precious and unrepeatable; it has also spread desolation and increased tensions.”
So many “convergent crises, political and environmental – hunger, climate, nuclear armament, to mention a few " make the commitment to peace even more urgent. Serious issues like the environmental crisis require a greater sense of responsibility, “first and foremost on the part of the highest leaders”.
For Francis, “we also see, not infrequently, that solicitations and proposals come from the ‘grassroots’. This is very good, although at times such initiatives are exploited for other interests by ideologized groups.”
“You can also play a constructive role in this socio-political dynamic, mainly by fostering a good knowledge of the problems and their root causes. This is part of the education for peace that is rightly close to your hearts.”
The Pope noted that the pandemic “has inevitably put political action itself [. . .] in crisis. But even this fact can become an opportunity to promote ‘better politics,’ without which it is not possible to develop ‘a global community of fraternity’.”
Politics must be “the art and architecture of peace”. This “means working simultaneously at two levels: cultural and institutional. At the first level, it is important to promote a culture of faces, which place[s] at the centre the dignity of the person, respect for his or her history, especially if wounded or marginalized. And also a culture of encounter, in which we listen to and welcome our brothers and sisters, ‘with confidence in the reserves of goodness present in human hearts’.”
Within institutions, “it is urgent to promote dialogue and multilateral collaboration, because multilateral agreements are better than bilateral ones at guaranteeing ‘the promotion of a truly universal common good and the protection of weaker states’.”
In concluding his address to the delegation, Francis said: “In any case, ‘let us not remain mired in theoretical discussions, but touch the wounded flesh of the victims’.”
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