"...the poor cannot wait"
Cardinal Angelo Sodano
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary
of state made a passionate plea for the poor during his address to the
60th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in
He
said: "This institution is necessary to promote peace and development
in the world but it must be improved to meet the challenges of the present
day".
"My
voice echoes the voices of the Catholics of the entire world who see
in the United Nations an institution ever more necessary for humanity's
peace and progress" said the Cardinal stressing that the "ordinary
people, the billions of people who form the "we the people"
referred to in the United Nations Charter, say to world leaders: give
us a modern institution with the power to pass resolutions and to make
them respected".
Addressing the meeting which marked the United Nations' 60th anniversary
and was the largest-ever gathering of world leaders, bringing together
more than 150 heads of state and government, Cardinal Sodano
said international legislation lacks adequate juridical tools for dealing
with problems such as disarmament, arms control, the fight against terrorism
and organised crime, while collaboration is improving between the United
Nations and regional organisations to solve conflicts which continue
to cause bloodshed in various parts of the world.
He said: "The Holy See is in favour of the creation of an organisation
to restore peace in countries lacerated by armed conflicts".
After
recalling the "tragedies in the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa,
which should make us reflect on the necessity of a culture for the prevention
of conflict", Cardinal Sodano spoke of
" 'responsibility to protect' a new developing juridical and political
concept" and said "The Holy See calls on the nations to have
the courage to apply decisions made in this regard. This will make it
possible to find solutions to situations in which national authorities
either cannot or will not protect their people".
Besides
peace, another important subject highlighted by Cardinal Sodano
was development. For the Holy See recent decisions reached by the G8
summit in Scotland go in the right direction but it is necessary to
do more especially to reduce foreign debts of poor countries and to
promote the right to health of all people in developing countries, women
and children in particular.
Cardinal Sodano concluded: "The Holy
See is a mission which is first of all spiritual, but it is precisely
for this reason that it has the duty to be present in the life of the
nations and to be committed to promoting justice and solidarity among
nations and individuals. With this conviction the Holy See renews full
support to the goals of this Summit and will do everything in its power
to help it bear the hoped for fruits and that an era of peace and social
justice may soon be installed. A phrase of the late Pope John Paul II
during his apostolic visit to
Source:
Fides
© Independent
Catholic News 2005