The Sala Regia of the apostolic palace at the vatican is packed with the 183 ambassadors accredited to the Holy see for the annual audience granted by the Pope to the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the presentation of wishes for the new year. The event is taking place at a particular time after the strike the american who was killed by general Suleimani. There is waiting in particular for the words of Francis in this regard, after the dialogue of the Vatican with Iran, one of the cornerstones of papal policy in the Middle east – in 2016 there was a historic visit of the iranian president Rohani Oltretevere – has been questioned by the action of Trump, more and more away from the sensitivity of the popes in the matter of the government international. The words of Francis, after the introductory words of the dean of the diplomatic corps, George Poulides, ambassador of Cyprus to the Holy see, arrives with concise but clear: “Particularly worrying are the signals that come from the entire region, following the rise of tension between Iran and the United States and who are at risk, first of all, to put to the test the slow process of reconstruction in Iraq, as well as create the basis of a conflict of a larger scale that we would all want to avoid,” says the Pope. Who insists: “I Renew my appeal to all stakeholders to avoid a rise of the clash and to keep alight the flame of dialogue and self-control, in full respect of the international legality”.
The address to the diplomatic corps was drawn up until the last available minute, by very reason of the sensitivity in the international scenario. Francis, not surprisingly, opens his speech saying that he is bitter because the new year “does not seem to be full of encouraging signs, but rather a heightening of tensions and violence”. However, his gaze is, as always, open to the positivity and hope: “it Is precisely in the light of these circumstances, ” he said, – that we cannot stop to hope.” And again: “And to hope requires courage. It requires the awareness that evil, suffering, and death will not prevail and that even the most complex issues can and must be faced and resolved”.
But before dealing with the problems of the world, before the lunge that gives the pulse of the concerns of the papal in the international sector, Francesco decided to turn to the Church in the inside, remembering how the will of the ecclesial community itself to create a more human world has been sullied by several members of the clergy who “were responsible for serious crimes against the dignity of young people, children and adolescents, violating the innocence and intimacy”. Pope Bergoglio does not discount: “they Are crimes that offend God, and cause damage to physical, psychological, and spiritual victims, and affecting the lives of entire communities,” he says. And to combat this scourge, he decided to call “on the 14th of may next, a global event which will have for theme: Rebuild the pact global” in the face Of such serious wounds, in fact, “however, is even more urgent that the adults do not abdichino to the educational task that falls to them, and indeed take on this commitment with greater zeal to lead the young people to spiritual maturity, human and social”.
The risk of misuse of nuclear weapons is at the top of the concerns of the vatican. Francis a month and a half ago it was in Japan where he had more meetings with the Hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On that occasion, the Pope seemed to be obvious that you can not build a true peace on the threat of possible total annihilation of humanity caused by nuclear weapons.” These are the Hibakusha to keep alive the flame of the collective conscience, “testifying to the next generation the horror of what happened in August of 1945 and the unspeakable suffering that followed until today.” Their testimony “awakens and preserves in this way the memory of the victims, so that the human consciousness will become more and more strong in the face of all desire of domination and destruction, especially that caused by explosive devices at such a high destructive potential, such as the nuclear weapons”.
Francis, the nuclear weapons “not only foster a climate of fear, distrust and hostility, but destroy hope”. Their use, reiterates, “it is immoral, a crime, not only against the human being and his dignity, but also against any possibility of the future in our common home”. A world “without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary, and it is time that those who have political responsibility they become fully aware, because it is not the possession of a deterrent powerful means of mass destruction to make the world more secure, but the patient work of all people of good will who devote themselves concretely, each in their own context, building a world of peace, solidarity and mutual respect”.
The Pope reminds us, in the theme of nuclear power, as 2020 will be a decisive year. From 27 April to 22 may, in fact, takes place in New York the X Conference of Examination of the Treaty of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. “I fervently hope – says Francis – and in that occasion, the international Community will succeed to find a final consensus and proactive on the mode of implementation of this international legal instrument, which reveals to be even more important at a time like the present”.
The concerns of the Pope are also to Latin America, in particular Venezuela, where the bishop of Rome hopes that the political class knows how to “prevent drifts, the anti-democratic, populist and extremist”.
Then his words are for the “blanket of silence that threatens to cover the war that has ravaged Syria in the course of this decade.”
And even Libya, “that for many years through a conflict situation, exacerbated by the incursions of extremist groups, and from a further escalation of violence in the course of the last few days.” The Pontiff explains: “This context is fertile ground for the scourge of exploitation and traffic of human beings, fed by unscrupulous people who exploit the poverty and suffering of those who flee from situations of conflict or extreme poverty. Among these, many fall prey to real mafias that hold in inhuman conditions and degrading treatment and make it the subject of torture, sexual violence, extortion”. In general, “it should be noted that in the world there are several thousands of people, with legitimate claims to asylum and humanitarian needs and protection that is verifiable, that are not properly identified. Many risk their lives in dangerous journeys by land and especially by sea. It is with pain that we continue to see how the Mediterranean Sea remains a vast graveyard. It is ever more urgent, therefore, that all States take on the responsibility of finding durable solutions”.
In his long speech, the Pope speaks also of Europe. At a time when subject to considerable debate and pushed sovraniste seem to drain, line the papal is spornarla to recover herself: Europe must not lose “the sense of solidarity, which for centuries has characterized the city, even in the most difficult moments of its history”. Must not lose that spirit that has its roots, among other things, in the pietas, the roman and the christian caritas, which well describe the soul of the european peoples”.
Finally, the conflicts in africa, in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, “episodes of violence against innocent people, including many christians persecuted and killed for their fidelity to the Gospel”.
Still do not know which Countries Francesco will decide to visit in 2020. But it is certain that the priority, as demonstrated by the hope to go later this year in South Sudan, will be given to Countries who are suffering, and maybe forgotten by the media. The geopolitics of the vatican seeks peace in the world, and pushing, especially where there are populations of forgotten and marginalized and is not the daughter of the other logic.
“The Republic will fight always in defense of the freedom of information, to its readers and to all those who have at heart the principles of democracy and civil coexistence”
Carlo Verdelli SUBSCRIBERS TO REPUBLIC © Reproduction reserved Today For now, Trump wins the bet with the ayatollahs of Tehran and the dream of the new Persia, Because between Iran and the Usa, the conflict is not finished Trump, the war declared via Twitter, and the issue of social media with the politicians “In the bunker under the missiles.” The night of the italians in Erbil
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