Catholic News Agency, by Courtney Grogan: Pope Francis called on nations to work toward a global common good Thursday, particularly in confronting climate change, human trafficking and nuclear threats.
“In the current situation of globalization not only of the economy but also of technological and cultural exchanges, the nation state is no longer able to procure the common good of its population alone,” Pope Francis told the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences May 2.
“The common good has become global and nations must associate for their own benefit,” Francis said, noting that some nations today have “a spirit of opposition rather than cooperation.”
The pope called “building the common good of humanity, a necessary and essential element for the world balance.”
“While, according to the principle of subsidiarity, individual nations must be given the power to operate as far as they can, on the other hand, groups of neighboring nations – as is already the case – can strengthen their cooperation by attributing the exercise of certain functions and services to intergovernmental institutions that manage their common interests,” he said.
Pope Francis said that when a “supranational common good” is clearly identified, as in the case of climate change or human trafficking, it necessitates a special legal authority capable of facilitating solutions.
He called for new paths of cooperation among nations to achieve peace today when “multilateral nuclear disarmament appears outdated and does not stir the political conscience of nations that possess atomic weapons.”
“If, now, not only on earth but in space, there are offensive and defensive nuclear weapons, the so-called new technological frontier raised and not lowered the danger of a nuclear holocaust,” he said.
The pope warned against “nationalism that raises walls” or leads to antisemitism or hatred of others.
The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences addressed the revival of nationalism at their plenary session May 1-3, “Nation, State, Nation-State.”
“The Church observes with concern the re-emergence, almost everywhere in the world, of aggressive currents towards foreigners, especially immigrants, as well as that growing nationalism that neglects the common good,” Pope Francis told the professors gathered in Vatican City for the plenary.
Our Comment:
Will worship soon become a matter of the “common good”?
Prophetic Link:
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 13:8.