By John-Henry Westen
VATICAN CITY, December 13, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI’s 2nd Message for the World Day of Peace was released by the Vatican yesterday in anticipation of the day which is commemorated on January 1. “Abortion and embryonic experimentation constitute a direct denial of that attitude of acceptance of others which is indispensable for establishing lasting relationships of peace,” said the Pope in his message.
The Pope referenced unborn children alongside victims of terrorism. “As far as the right to life is concerned,” he said, “we must denounce its widespread violation in our society: alongside the victims of armed conflicts, terrorism and the different forms of violence, there are the silent deaths caused by hunger, abortion, experimentation on human embryos and euthanasia.” He added, “How can we fail to see in all this an attack on peace?”
The Pope stressed that natural law is “a fundamental presupposition for authentic peace.” He explained that “recognition and respect for natural law represents the foundation for a dialogue between the followers of the different religions and between believers and non-believers.”
In his message, Benedict XVI also said that nations which denigrate religion and those in countries which oppress religion by force are both “regimes” guilty of hampering peace. “There are regimes that impose a single religion upon everyone, while secular regimes often lead not so much to violent persecution as to systematic cultural denigration of religious beliefs,” he said. “In both instances, a fundamental human right (religious freedom) is not being respected, with serious repercussions for peaceful coexistence. This can only promote a mentality and culture that is not conducive to peace.”
See the full message online here:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20061208_xl-world-day-peace_en.html