Pope: the development of all of man and all men in his Message for Lent
For the Church, its task is to ask political leaders and those who hold the levers of economic and financial power to promote development based on the respect for the dignity of every individual.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "The fully-rounded development of the whole man and of all men", the Church's concern as manifested in time through the work of many missionaries and many saints, like Mother Teresa, is the backbone around which Benedict XVI wrote his first message for Lent, released today at the Vatican. Picking up in a way where he left off with his encyclical "Deus caritas est", the message begins with the evangelical verse "Jesus, at the sight of the crowds, was moved with pity" (Mt 9:36), developing its logic along the lines of its various consequence on the Church's charitable activities, but also on the activities of government leaders and of the international community.
In the light of this "gaze", "the Church knows that if we are to promote development in its fulness, our own 'gaze' upon mankind has to be measured against that of Christ. In fact, it is quite impossible to separate the response to people's material and social needs from the fulfilment of the profound desires of their hearts. This has to be emphasized all the more in today's rapidly changing world, in which our responsibility towards the poor emerges with ever greater clarity and urgency."
The message recalls that Pope Paul VI had already "accurately described the scandal of underdevelopment as an outrage against humanity. In this sense, in the Encyclical Populorum Progressio, he denounced 'the lack of material necessities for those who are without the minimum essential for life, the moral deficiencies of those who are mutilated by selfishness...oppressive social structures, whether due to the abuses of ownership or to the abuses of power, to the exploitation of workers or to unjust transactions' (ibid., 21). As the antidote to such evil, Paul VI suggested not only 'increased esteem for the dignity of others, the turning towards the spirit of poverty, cooperation for the common good, the will and desire for peace', but also 'the acknowledgement by man of supreme values, and of God, their source and their finality' (ibid.)."
"For this reason, the primary contribution that the Church offers to the development of mankind and peoples does not consist merely in material means or technical solutions. Rather, it involves the proclamation of the truth of Christ, Who educates consciences and teaches the authentic dignity of the person and of work; it means the promotion of a culture that truly responds to all the questions of humanity. In the face of the terrible challenge of poverty afflicting so much of the world's population, indifference and self-centered isolation stand in stark contrast to the 'gaze' of Christ. Fasting and almsgiving, which, together with prayer, the Church proposes in a special way during the Lenten Season, are suitable means for us to become conformed to this 'gaze'. The examples of the saints and the long history of the Church's missionary activity provide invaluable indications of the most effective ways to support development." In this regard, Benedict XVI quoted Mother Teresa: "the worst poverty is not to know Christ." "Therefore," he added, "we must help others to find God in the merciful face of Christ. Without this perspective, civilization lacks a solid foundation."
"Thanks to men and women obedient to the Holy Spirit, many forms of charitable work intended to promote development have arisen in the Church: hospitals, universities, professional formation schools, and small businesses. Such initiatives demonstrate the genuine humanitarian concern of those moved by the Gospel message, far in advance of other forms of social welfare. These charitable activities point out the way to achieve a globalization that is focused upon the true good of mankind and, hence, the path towards authentic peace. Moved like Jesus with compassion for the crowds, the Church today considers it her duty to ask political leaders and those with economic and financial power to promote development based on respect for the dignity of every man and woman. An important litmus test for the success of their efforts is religious liberty, understood not simply as the freedom to proclaim and celebrate Christ, but also the opportunity to contribute to the building of a world enlivened by charity. These efforts have to include a recognition of the central role of authentic religious values in responding to man's deepest concerns, and in supplying the ethical motivation for his personal and social responsibilities. These are the criteria by which Christians should assess the political programmes of their leaders."
Looking back on history, Benedict XVI recognizes that "mistakes have been made in the course of history by those who claimed to be disciples of Jesus. Very often, when having to address grave problems, they have thought that they should first improve this world and only afterwards turn their minds to the next. The temptation was to believe that, in the face of urgent needs, the first imperative was to change external structures. The consequence, for some, was that Christianity became a kind of moralism, 'believing' was replaced with 'doing'." This is a "temptation" against which Pope John Paul II had already warned, as such a route makes us forget that " 'Jesus came to bring integral salvation' (Redemptoris Missio, 11). It is this integral salvation that Lent puts before us, pointing towards the victory of Christ over every evil that oppresses us."
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