Pope: the marginalised have rights that must be respected and not trampled upon
“The rights of workers, migrants, the sick, unborn children, those at the end of their life and the poorest are ever more frequently neglected and or denied in this throwaway culture. Those who do not have the capacity to spend and to consume seem to be worth nothing. But to deny fundamental rights, to deny the right to a dignified life, to physical, psychological and spiritual care, to a fair wage, is to deny human dignity.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis today met with members of the Italian Union of Catholic Jurists who are holding their 70th National Study Congress in Rome, centred on The last. Legal protection of the weak.
In his address, the pontiff said that respect for the rights of the last is an "intrinsic call to our faith”. The weak, the marginalised, the discarded by a society for which only the ability to spend and consume seems to be important “have rights that must be respected and not trampled upon”, and Catholic jurists are called “to contribute to 'reversing the course', favouring awareness and a sense of responsibility.”
The topic of the congress was “very close to my heart”, Francis said. During his visit to migrants on the island of Lesbos (Lesvos) he saw “Abuse, violence, negligence, omissions only increase the culture of rejection. And those who have no protection will always be marginalised. You, as Catholic lawyers, are asked to contribute to ‘reversing the course’, promoting, according to your skills, awareness and a sense of responsibility.”
“Never as in these days, as in these times, have Catholic jurists been called to affirm and protect the rights of the weakest, within an economic and social system that pretends to include diversity but in reality, systematically excludes those without a voice.
“The rights of workers, migrants, the sick, unborn children, those at the end of their life and the poorest are ever more frequently neglected and or denied in this throwaway culture. Those who do not have the capacity to spend and to consume seem to be worth nothing.
“But to deny fundamental rights, to deny the right to a dignified life, to physical, psychological and spiritual care, to a fair wage, is to deny human dignity. We are seeing this: how many labourers are - excuse the word – ‘used’ to pick fruit or vegetables, and then paid miserably and thrown out, without any social protection.
“Recognising rights in principle and guaranteeing them in practice, protecting the weakest, is what makes us human. Otherwise, we allow ourselves to be dominated by the law of the strongest and we give free rein to abuse.
“For this reason, the recognition of the rights of the weakest does not derive from a government concession. No. And Catholic jurists do not ask for favours on behalf of the poor, but firmly proclaim those rights that derive from the recognition of human dignity.
“The role of the Catholic jurist, in whatever capacity he or she works, as consultant, lawyer or judge, is therefore to contribute to the protection of the human dignity of the weak by affirming their rights. In this way he or she contributes to the affirmation of human fraternity and not to deface the image of God imprinted in each person.”
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11/08/2017 20:05
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