Pope Francis writes a letter to participants in a seminar on “The Common Good: Theory and Practice” organized by the Pontifical Academy of Life at the Vatican, saying that the common good is the cornerstone of Catholic social teaching and, Therefore, life’s issues must always be taken into account.
vatican city
Vatican City, Friday, November 15, 2024 (Rei, Vatican Radio): Pope Francis writes a letter to participants in a seminar on “The common good: theory and practice” organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Vatican City. Vatican, saying that the common good is a cornerstone of Catholic social teaching, so life issues must always be kept in mind.
In a letter to participants in the seminar held at the Vatican on November 14, Pope Francis stressed that “it is of utmost importance to remember the common good, which is the foundation of the social teaching of the Catholic Church.”
Archbishop Vincenzo Palia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, opened the symposium by reading a message from Pope Francis. Scientists from many other countries, including Italy, Great Britain and Barbados, participated in the symposium.
keep the common good in mind
The symposium reflected on how the new public good economy can help us take urgent action to address our economic and social problems related to health, the environment, biodiversity, climate, water and the future of artificial intelligence.
The Pope wrote in his letter that, amid the wide range of opinions on the common good, he considers this symposium particularly important for at least two reasons. First of all, it is carried out under the auspices of the Pontifical Academy for Life. He said: “If we truly want to protect human life in every context and situation, we must place life issues, even the most classic issues in bioethical debates, within those social and cultural contexts.” occur.”
“A defense of life that is limited to certain aspects or moments, and that does not comprehensively consider all the existential, social and cultural dimensions, runs the risk of being ineffective and ideological in nature,” warned the Pope, who defends principles more abstract. than the real ones.”
In this vision he said that the common good and the search for justice are central and essential aspects for the protection of all human life, especially the most fragile and defenseless, in relation to the entire ecosystem in which we live.
social norms and needs
Pope Francis said that the second thing he wanted to highlight was that women with different responsibilities and origins were present at the event. “We need to listen to the voices of women, both in society and in the Church,” the Pope urged. “We need different forms of knowledge to contribute to the development of a comprehensive and intelligent reflection on the future of humanity.”
At the same time, he said, “we need the genuine contribution of all the world’s cultures, allowing them to express their needs and resources.” He suggested that only in this way can we “think and build a generous world,” something that, the Pope recalled, was encouraged in his encyclical on human fraternity, Fratelli Tutti.
cornerstone of church education
Furthermore, Pope Francis recalled that the common good is, “above all,” a “practice built on fraternal acceptance and the shared search for truth and justice.” He lamented that “there are so many conflicts and divisions in our world, which are often the result of an inability to see beyond individual interests, which is why it is so important to remember the “common good,” which is central to social teaching. of the Church is one of its cornerstones.
