Vatican Calls For Radical Economic Reform Of World's Financial Systems
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican called Monday for radical reform of the world's financial systems, including the creation of a global political authority to manage the economy.
A proposal by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace calls for a new world economic order based on ethics and the "achievement of a universal common good." It follows Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 economic encyclical that denounced a profit-at-all-cost mentality as responsible for the global financial meltdown.
The proposal acknowledges, however, that a "long road still needs to be traveled before arriving at the creation of a public authority with universal jurisdiction" and suggests the reform process begin with the United Nations as a point of reference.
Vatican pronouncements on the economy are meant to guide world leaders as well as the global church. United States Roman Catholic bishops, for example, have released a voter guide for the 2012 election that highlights social concerns such as ending poverty.
"It is an exercise of responsibility not only toward the current but above all toward future generations, so that hope for a better future and confidence in human dignity and capacity for good may never be extinguished," the document said.
It highlights that reforms must assure that financial and monetary policies will not damage the weakest economies while also achieving fair distribution of the world's wealth.
The proposal also called for a "minimum, shared body of rules to manage the global financial market," lamenting the "overall abrogation of controls" on capital movements.
While past Vatican pronouncements have condemned unfettered capitalism, the latest criticized "an economic liberalism that spurns rules and controls."
It also attacked "utilitarian thinking," saying what is useful to the individual does not always favor the common good. SOURCE:
Vatican City, Dec 11 : Secret US diplomatic cables released by the whistleblower website `Wikileaks' have revealed that Pope Benedict XVI is responsible for the Vatican''s growing hostility towards Turkey, the Muslim state, joining the European Union (EU).
The Guardian quoted the cables as saying that in 2004, Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, was the leading voice behind the Holy See''s unsuccessful drive to secure a reference to Europe''s "Christian roots" in the EU constitution.
The cables also said Ratzinger "clearly understands that allowing a Muslim country into the EU would further weaken his case for Europe''s Christian foundations".
In 2004, after the pope spoke out against letting a Muslim state join the EU, Vatican''s acting foreign minister, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, responded by telling US diplomats that Ratzinger''s comments were his own rather than the official Vatican position, the paper said.
However by 2006, Parolin was working for Ratzinger, and said: "Neither the pope nor the Vatican have endorsed Turkey''s EU membership. Rather, the Holy See has been consistently open to accession, emphasising only that Turkey needs to fulfil the EU''s Copenhagen criteria to take its place in Europe," he added.
The cables further revealed that the American government had lobbied within Rome and Ankara for Turkish EU membership.
"We hope a senior department official can visit the Holy See and encourage them to do more to push a positive message on Turkey and integration," the 2006 cable said.
However by 2009, the American ambassador briefed ahead of US President Barack Obama''s visit, said: "the Holy See''s position now is that as a non-EU member the Vatican has no role in promoting or vetoing Turkey''s membership. The Vatican might prefer to see Turkey develop a special relationship short of membership with the EU."
The Vatican has diplomatic relations with 177 countries and has used its diplomatic status to lobby the US, United Nations and European Union to impose its moral agenda through national and international parliaments, the paper added. (ANI) SOURCE:
No comments:
Post a Comment