Leo XIV: defending the weak and natural law are paths to good politics
The pontiff met with elected officials and administrators from 68 countries who came to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Governments. The promotion of religious freedom and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence are among the priorities he indicated. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 is " always relevant” to restore “dignity to those who do not feel respected”.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV met in the Hall of Blessings with a delegation of government officials, lawmakers and public administrators who came to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Governments, which is being celebrated today and tomorrow.
In his address, the pontiff said that, “Natural law, which is universally valid apart from and above other more debatable beliefs, constitutes the compass by which to take our bearings in legislating and acting, particularly on the delicate and pressing ethical issues that, today more than in the past, regard personal life and privacy.”
The pope used this opportunity to reiterate that the Church regards political action as the “highest form of charity”; for this very reason, she asks politicians to ensure that their choices are “a concrete sign and witness of God’s constant concern for the good of our human family”.
Leo XIV stressed this by emphasises three aspects.
The first is promoting what is good for the community by defending, first of all, the weakest and most marginalised. “This would mean, for example, working to overcome the unacceptable disproportion between the immense wealth concentrated in the hands of a few and the world’s poor.”
“Those who live in extreme conditions cry out to make their voices heard, and often find no ears willing to hear their plea. This imbalance generates situations of persistent injustice, which readily lead to violence and, sooner or later, to the tragedy of war. Sound politics, on the other hand, by promoting the equitable distribution of resources, can offer an effective service to harmony and peace both domestically and internationally.
The path to effective promotion of religious freedom, with the values that it entails, is another aspect. “Belief in God, with the positive values that derive from it, is an immense source of goodness and truth for the lives of individuals and communities,” Leo explained, citing Saint Augustine and Cicero.
“In order to have a shared point of reference in political activity, and not exclude a priori any consideration of the transcendent in decision-making processes, it would be helpful to seek an element that unites everyone.
“To this end, an essential reference point is the natural law, written not by human hands, but acknowledged as valid in all times and places, and finding its most plausible and convincing argument in nature itself.”
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, goes in this direction.
“That text, which is always relevant, can contribute greatly to placing the human person, in his or her inviolable integrity, at the foundation of the quest for truth, thus restoring dignity to those who do not feel respected in their inmost being and in the dictates of their conscience.”
Finally, Leo XIV turned his attention to the challenges represented today by artificial intelligence.
“Our personal life has greater value than any algorithm, and social relationships require spaces for development that far transcend the limited patterns that any soulless machine can pre-package.
“Politics cannot ignore a challenge of this magnitude. On the contrary, it is called to respond to many citizens who rightly look with both confidence and concern at the issues raised by this new digital culture.”
In the Jubilee of 2000, Leo noted that Saint John Paul II offered political leaders the example of Saint Thomas More as a model and intercessor.
“The courage he showed by his readiness to sacrifice his life rather than betray the truth makes him, also for us today, a martyr for freedom and for the primacy of conscience. May his example be a source of inspiration and guidance for each of you!”
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