New York: anniversary of Popularum Progressio marked at UN

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland, gave an address at the United Nations headquarters in New York to mark the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's Encyclical "Populorum Progressio." Archbishop Martin began his talk by recalling how "it was the challenge of addressing the needs of the poorest nations and their peoples which led the Pope to write his Encyclical." "Populorum Progressio," said the archbishop, was "the first social Encyclical to be written after Vatican Council II, an event which had among its aims that of establishing a new way of looking at the relationship between the Church and the world." "Authentic development is one of the key concepts of 'Populorum Progressio'," he continued, indicating that such a concept "also touches on the very nature of the human person and the response we need to make to his or her needs." "Were Pope Paul here with us today he would certainly be saying thanks to all those who have given themselves in the service of humanity within the UN system. He would surely also certainly be making remarks on the slow progress of UN reform. We need a well-functioning UN. Today's possibilities for inter-connectivity among peoples offer new and innovative ways of cooperation, also within the UN system." "In talking about responsibility for development and of international cooperation," said Archbishop Martin, "the Encyclical "consistently stresses the role of public authorities. This recalls today's debate about both good governance and the important role of politics." "Politics," he concluded, "is an essential dimension of the construction of society. We need around the world a new revival of politics. Around the world we need a new generation of politicians inspired by ideals, but also capable of taking the risks involved in transmitting those ideals into the 'possible,' through the optimum use of resources and talents to foster the good of all." Source: VIS