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UDIENZA
ALLA NUOVA AMBASCIATRICE DELLE FILIPPINE (27 OTTOBRE 2008)
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Radio
Vaticana 27 ottobre 2008
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Distinguere
tra religione e politica è una specifica
conquista della Cristianità: così il Papa alla
nuova ambasciatrice delle Filippine
“La
distinzione tra religione e politica è una
conquista specifica della Cristianità” ed è
“tra i suoi fondamentali contributi storici e
culturali”. Così il Papa ricevendo, stamane, le
Lettere credenziali della nuova ambasciatrice
delle Filippine, Cristina Castañer-Ponce Enrile.
Il servizio di Roberta Gisotti.
“La Chiesa è convinta che Stato e religione
sono chiamati a supportarsi reciprocamente” per
“servire insieme il benessere personale e
sociale di tutti”. Benedetto XVI ha colto
l’occasione di questa udienza per ribadire che
l’“armoniosa cooperazione tra Chiesa e Stato
richiede ai leader ecclesiali e civili di
assolvere i loro doveri pubblici con costante
preoccupazione per il bene comune”.
“Coltivando uno spirito di onestà e
d’imparzialità e mantenendo il fine della
giustizia – ha spiegato il Papa - i leader
ecclesiali e civili guadagnano la fiducia del
popolo ed accrescono un senso di responsabilità
condivisa fra tutti i cittadini per promuovere una
civiltà dell’amore. Tutti dovrebbero essere
motivati dal desiderio – ha sottolineato ancora
il Santo Padre - di servire piuttosto che
guadagnare personalmente o beneficiare pochi
privilegiati”, partecipando inoltre al
rafforzamento delle pubbliche istituzioni
tutelandole dalla corruzione della faziosità e
dell’elitarismo.
A tale proposito Benedetto XVI ha lodato
le numerose iniziative avviate nella società
filippina per proteggere i deboli, specialmente i
bambini non nati, i malati e gli anziani. Ha poi
raccomandato al Governo di Manila particolare
sollecitudine verso i lavoratori immigrati, perché
siano rispettati i loro diritti e siano integrati
nella società, facilitando anche i
ricongiungimenti familiari. Il Papa ha infine
auspicato che la riforma agraria approvata nelle
Filippine, allo scopo di migliorare le condizioni
dei poveri possa portare la sperata crescita
economica e l’espansione sui mercati
internazionali, pregando che i benefici siano
condivisi dai contadini e dalle loro famiglie.
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ADDRESS
OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
TO H.E. CRISTINA CASTAÑER-PONCE
ENRILE,
NEW AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
TO THE HOLY SEE
Madam
Ambassador,
I am
pleased to receive you today as you present the Letters of
Credence accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the
Holy See. I reciprocate the warm greetings which you have
graciously extended to me on behalf of Her Excellency,
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and I would ask you to
convey my own best wishes for her well-being and that of
all your fellow citizens.
The
Filipino people are renowned for their warm generosity and
the high value they place on friendship and family life.
The Catholic faithful in your country-through their hunger
for prayer, their lively devotion, and their eagerness to
serve others-demonstrate a firm trust in God’s loving
providence. I am grateful for the unique contribution they
have made and continue to make to the life of the local
and universal Church, and I encourage all men and women of
goodwill in your nation to devote themselves to forging
bonds of peace and social harmony within your borders and
across the globe.
For its
part, and in a special way through its diplomatic activity,
the Holy See seeks to engage the world in dialogue so as
to promote the universal values that flow from human
dignity and advance mankind on the road to communion with
God and one another. The Catholic Church is eager to share
the richness of the Gospel’s social message, for it
enlivens hearts with a hope for the fulfilment of justice
and a love that makes all men and women truly brothers and
sisters in Christ Jesus. She carries out this mission
fully aware of the respective autonomy and competence of
Church and State. Indeed, we may say that the distinction
between religion and politics is a specific achievement of
Christianity and one of its fundamental historical and
cultural contributions. The Church is equally convinced
that State and religion are called to support each other
as they together serve the personal and social well-being
of all (cf. Gaudium
et Spes, 76). This harmonious cooperation
between Church and State requires ecclesial and civic
leaders to carry out their public duties with undaunted
concern for the common good. By cultivating a spirit of
honesty and impartiality, and by keeping justice their aim,
civil and ecclesial leaders earn the trust of the people
and enhance a sense of the shared responsibility of all
citizens to promote a civilization of love. All should be
motivated by the desire to serve rather than to gain
personally or to benefit a privileged few. Everyone shares
in the task of strengthening public institutions so as to
safeguard them from the corruption of factionalism and
elitism. In this regard, it is encouraging to see the many
initiatives undertaken at various levels of Filipino
society to protect the weak, especially the unborn, the
sick and the elderly.
Your
Excellency, I appreciate the concern you have expressed on
behalf of your Government for the well-being of Filipino
migrant workers. Indeed, the Meeting of the Global Forum
on Migration and Development hosted in Manila clearly
attests to the Philippines’ solicitude for all who leave
their homeland in search of employment in a foreign land.
Initiatives such as the Global Forum are fruitful when
they recognize immigration as a resource for development
rather than as an obstacle to it. At the same time,
government leaders face numerous challenges as they strive
to ensure that immigrants are integrated into society in a
way that acknowledges their human dignity and affords them
the opportunity to earn a decent living, with adequate
time for rest and a due provision for worship. The just
care of immigrants and the building up of a solidarity of
labour (cf. Laborem
Exercens, 8) requires governments, humanitarian
agencies, peoples of faith and all citizens to cooperate
with prudence and patient determination. Domestic and
international policies aimed at regulating immigration
must be based on criteria of equity and balance, and
particular care is needed to facilitate the reunification
of families. At the same time, conditions that foster
increased work opportunities in peoples’ places of
origin are to be promoted as far as possible (cf. Gaudium
et Spes, 66).
In this
regard, Madam Ambassador, the leaders of your nation have
passed legislation for comprehensive land reform with the
aim of improving the living conditions of the poor.
Carefully planned agrarian reforms can benefit a society
by instilling a sense of common responsibility and
stimulating individual initiative, making it possible for
a nation both to feed its own and expand its participation
in international markets so as to enhance opportunities
for growth in the process of globalization. I pray that by
implementing measures that foster the just distribution of
wealth and the sustainable development of natural
resources, Filipino farmers will be granted greater
opportunities for increasing production and earning what
they need to support themselves and their families.
Your
Excellency, it is encouraging to see that your nation will
continue to participate actively in international forums
for the advancement of peace, human solidarity and
interreligious dialogue. You have indicated how these
noble goals are intimately related to human development
and social reform. In light of the Gospel, the Catholic
Church has always been convinced that the transition from
less humane to more humane conditions is not limited to
merely economic or technological dimensions, but implies
for each person the acquisition of culture, respect for
the life and dignity of others, and acknowledgment of
“the highest good, the recognition of God Himself, the
author and end of these blessings” (Populorum
Progressio, 21). I am confident that the Republic
of the Philippines will continue to offer this holistic
vision of the human person in world forums, and I join all
Filipinos in praying that the peace of God may reign in
the hearts and homes of all people.
Madam
Ambassador, your presence here today is a pledge that the
bonds of friendship and cooperation between your nation
and the Holy See will continue to grow stronger in the
years ahead. I assure you that the various agencies and
dicasteries of the Roman Curia will always be ready to
assist you in fulfilling your duties. Offering you my best
wishes and prayers for the success of your mission, I
invoke the blessings of Almighty God upon Your Excellency,
your family and the beloved people of the Philippines.
From
the Vatican, 27 October 2008
©
Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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