Importance of human dignity

Addressing the diplomatic corps in Japan last Monday, the Pope said: “An integral approach to the protection of our common home must also consider its human ecology. A commitment to protection means confronting the growing gap between rich and poor in a global economic system that enables a select few to dwell in opulence while the majority of the world’s population lives in poverty.

“Human dignity needs to be at the centre of all social, economic and political activity; intergenerational solidarity must be fostered, and at every level of community life, concern must be shown for those who are forgotten and excluded.

“I think particularly of the young, who so often feel overwhelmed in facing the challenges of growing up, the elderly and the lonely, who suffer from isolation. We know that, in the end, the civility of every nation or people is measured not by its economic strength, but by the attention it devotes to those in need and its capacity to be fruitful and promote life.

Pope to change Catechism

During his in-flight press conference from his visit to Japan, Pope Francis said: “The use of nuclear weapons is immoral, which is why it must be added to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Not only their use, but also possessing them.”

When asked by a journalist about the concept of legitimate defence, the Pope did not answer directly, saying that “there are issues regarding the international equilibrium that I cannot judge right now”.

“The idea of legitimate defence is always valid,” the Pope conceded; “even moral theology allows for it, but as a last resort.” He stressed: “Legitimate defence with weapons is a last resort.” But he did not amend his statement that nuclear weapons could not be used for defensive purposes.

Pope Francis also expressed misgivings about the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes, such as for the production of energy. He repeated his position that capital punishment can never be morally justified.

Reforms are working

During the same in-flight press conference, the Pope said that the “Vatican administration now has the resources to shed light on the bad things that happen internally”. The Pope rejected criticism that funds from the Peter’s Pence collection should not have been invested in a London real-estate deal. He explained that such funds are always invested prudently, to earn some return until they are used for charitable purposes. “It’s always safe and always moral,” he said of these investments.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)