VATICAN, June 18, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pope John Paul II stressed today that the Catholic Church encourages participation in creating an “international order” such as the European Union or the United Nations, so as to have the right to life respected.
The Pope affirmed that the Church “makes an effort to invite all men and women of good will to build up a society based on fundamental and irreplaceable values for a just national and international order, worthy of mankind.” In this sense, he stressed the “incoherent nature of certain tendencies in our time that, while on the one hand increase the well-being of people, also attack their dignity and their most fundamental rights, as happens when the fundamental right to life is limited or converted into a tool as in the case of abortion.” He continued, “Protecting human life is a duty for all, since the questions of life and its promotion are not only a prerogative for Christians but also a duty which pertains to every human conscience that aspires to the truth and is concerned about humanity’s plight. In terms of guaranteeing everyone’s rights, public officials are obliged to defend life, especially the life of the weakest and defenseless.”“In this field,” he said, “some poorly-called ‘social advances’ are in reality only for some people at the cost of the sacrifice of others, and public leaders, who guarantee rights but are not the origin of the innate rights of all, must consider these ‘advances’ with concern and alarm.” The remarks were made in an address to the new Ambassador of Spain to the Holy See , Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo. To see the full address (in Spanish): https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2004/june/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20040618_ambassador-spain_sp.html