Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The year now ending "was unfortunately marked by a growing number of violent conflicts, whether war or terrorism." But "this situation is increasing provoking among mature consciences a non-violent reaction, a reaction that is spiritual and moral”. This is want we hope to and must nourish by all the means available to us and according to our level of responsibility”, said Pope Francis this morning receiving the new ambassador of Guinea, Latvia, India and Bahrain for the presentation of their credentials.
Sending his greetings to the Catholics of those countries, Francis encouraged them "to work constantly and loyally for the common good of society" and "the more their full religious freedom is concretely recognized, the better they can do so".
In his address to the new ambassadors, the Pope said that the Catholic Church, for its part, wants to "spread around the world the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation" and is doing so now, in particular, with the Jubilee of Mercy. This is to defeat "the globalization of indifference that is unfortunately one of the negative trends of our time" and for this we need to "work together to promote a culture of solidarity in the world."
The main cause of this growing indifference, the Pope said, is "a deranged humanism, in which man has taken the place of God and, therefore, in turn has become the victim of various forms of idolatry. Even the serious ecological crisis we are experiencing can be traced back to this anthropological imbalance ".
"The indifference towards God, towards others and towards the environment are linked together and feed off each other; so they can only be countered with a response that addresses them together, that is, with a renewed humanism, restoring the human being in his right relationship with the Creator, with others and with creation".
The media has an incisive role to play in this, given that today it significantly affects our personal and social attitudes." In addition, "it remains essential to continue to invest in schools, not conceived in isolation, but in constant contact with families and within the social context, working together to strengthen an educational alliance that in many countries has been greatly weakened."
The Pope calls on States for "concrete gestures" towards the most vulnerable, such as prisoners, migrants, the unemployed and the sick. "In this Jubilee Year, I wish to make an urgent appeal to the leaders of States to make concrete gestures in favor of our brothers and sisters who suffer for lack of work, land and a roof over their heads".