Jews and Catholics see roots of the financial crisis in moral crisis
Vatican City
(AsiaNews) - There are many factors that have caused the financial crisis, but
"its roots lies a crisis of moral values in which the importance of
having, reflected in a culture of greed, eclipsed the importance of being;"this
is why, in the opinion of Catholics and Jews," it is imperative that
institutes and academies of economic studies and policy formation include ethical
training in their curricula".
The
statement is in the joint statement of the the Bilateral Commission of the
Delegations of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Holy See's Commission for
Religious Relations with Jews, released today at the conclusion of the meeting
held at the Vatican March 27 to 29, which had the theme "Religious
perspectives on the current financial crisis: vision for a just economic order".
The
document also affirms principles such as the need to ensure basic human needs,
especially those of the "weakest", such as foreigners as well as the
countries and societies most in need of aid. In
reaffirmation of the universal destination of all earthly goods a culture of
"restraint" should be promoted and the "partial remission of
debts" of individuals and families considered.
" At the heart of Jewish and Catholic visions for a just economic
order - reads the statement - is the affirmation of the sovereignity and
providence of the Creator of the world with whom all wealth originates and
which is given to humankind as a gift for the common good.. ccordingly,
the purpose of an economic order is to serve the wellbeing of society,
affirming the human dignity of all people, each created in the Divine Image.
While this concept of dignity affirms the value of the person, it is
antithetical to egocentricity. Rather, it requires the promotion of the
wellbeing of the individual in relation to community and society, emphasizing
human obligations and responsibilities accordingly and thereby affirming human
solidarity and fraternity"
This
posits the obligation to guarantee certain basic human needs, such as the
protection of life, sustenance, clothing, housing, health, education and
employment.
Particular attention must therefore be given to the vulnerable - the poor,
the orphan, the widow the sick and disabled; and the stranger, which in today's
society is particularly relevant to migrant and foreign workers - whose
condition serves as a measure of the moral health of society or lack thereof,
and the degree of solidarity within it.".
"Furthermore,
just as the Divine gift of wealth places obligations upon the recipient in
relation to those less fortunate materially; similarly countries with developed
economies have the obligation to recognize their responsibilities and duties
towards countries and societies in need - especially in this era of
globalization.
"Concepts
highlighted for the promotion of a more just economic order included: the
universal destination of the goods of the earth; a culture of "enough" that
implies a degree of self-limitation and modesty; responsible stewardship; an
ethical system of allocation of resources and priorities; and the critical
importance of honesty, transparency, gratuitousness and accountability".
"Just as the crisis has required partial remission of debts on national
and international levels, there is a need to extend this to families and
individuals for their economic self-rehabilitation.
"The members of the bilateral commission underscored the role that the
faith communities must play in contributing to a responsible economic order and
the importance of their engagement by government, educational institutions, and
the media, to this end.. In addition to the ethical wisdom drawn from
our spiritual heritages, religious communities are an integral part of civil
society, which must play a central role together with politics and business, in
ensuring the subsidiarity necessary for a just social and economic order"
"The
crisis has revealed the profound lack of the ethical component in economic thinking.
Hence, it is imperative that institutes and academies of economic studies and
policy formation include ethical training in their curricula, similar to that
which has developed in recent years in the field of medical ethics; and also
ethical counselling to decision makers on a national and international level".
The
meeting was chaired by Rabbi Shear-Yashuv Cohen, co-moderater of the Jewish
delegation, and Cardinal Peter Turkson, new co-moderator of the Catholic
delegation.
"The
guest of honor at the opening was Professor Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, president of
the Vatican's
Institute for Religious Works, who delievered an analysis of the causes of the
financial crisis and suggested possible ways to overcome it. Doctor Meir Tamari
,
former chief economist of the Bank of Israel, and Professor Stefano Zamagni,
Department of Economics, University
of Bologna, also made
interventions on the theme".
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