More
than two years on from the global economic crisis, Pope Benedict and
other top Vatican officials are calling on the world's financial leaders
to break the cycle of selfishness which favours wealthy nations at the
expense of the poor.
In an address to participants at a Justice
and Peace conference in Rome this week, the Pope spoke of a 'worrying'
return to the 'unlimited speculation' over credit, food and natural
resources which fuelled the global recession in the autumn of 2008.
Honduran
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga is president of Caritas
Internationalis and one of the participants at the three day conference,
looking at ways of putting the Church's social teaching into practise.
He spoke with Philippa Hitchen about his concerns....
Card. Maradiaga:
This morning when I was listening to the speakers I said to myself ‘my
goodness, 50 years have passed’. He was like a prophet talking about
things which are very actual even today. I know that the Holy Spiit is
always active in the Church especially in the teachings of the Popes.
Q:This
is not just about looking back though is it? Its also about how to
tackle these very serious problems that are still problems today
Card. Maradiaga:
Especially regarding the financial system. You know its like we have
entered a labyrinth that is taking us from crisis to crisis. I don’t
see us having overcome the financial crisis of two years ago. The Pope
was denouncing that and I agree with him totally. The international
financial system seems to be trapped in a trap of egoism and selfishness
that is only looking to a small amount of countries in the world and
excluding the majority.
Q:And yet you and other Church leaders
are very in trying to make the Churches voice heard at the highest
levels of the international financial system. What else can you do?
Card. Maradiaga:
I think that the main subject of this meeting is to take the social
doctrine of the Church not only to the big leaders but also to the
public opinion – to the voters, who are the ones who really have the
voice – so they may understand this and really put it into practise.
You are also celebrating some really great achievements at the local level, looking at best practise.
Card. Maradiaga:
Yes, and I think that when all the movements, all the schools of social
doctrine all the social pastoral groups of the Church in the world are
capable of building a social network then it will be more influential in
society and we need that.
Q: Can you give us some specific examples of this?
Card. Maradiaga:
Yes , there is an experiment that has been carried out in Mexico and
you see that the entrepreneurs are the ones who supported the Churches
social doctrine. So much so that now this group has started to change
public opinion aware and have given scholarships to lay men and women
from other countries to come there are find new horizons and I learned
that for instance, they had Cubans, people who are receiving these kinds
of scholarships and that will bear fruit.