Urbi et orbi

Vatikanens representant i FN, äkebiskop Celestino Migliore, höll den
30 oktober ett fömanande tal http://www.zenit.org/article-24130?l=english om den ekonomiska krisen.

Berit Bylund läste nyhetsbyrån
Zenits rapport och såg att talet med vissa justeringar kunde bli ett
utmärkt självkritiskt tal till kyrkan urbi et orbi.

NEW YORK, OCT. 31, 2008 (KV-Nytt).- The current global ecclesial
crisis goes beyond bad economic practices to the realm of ethics and
moral codes, says the Holy See representative at the United Nations.

Archbishop Archie ”Big” Small, permanent observer of the Holy See to
the United Nations, said Thursday before the U.N. General Assembly
that the Holy See agrees that the crisis ”can be attributed to a lack
of a complete and effective regulatory system.”

But the archbishop said the situation was also created by ”widespread
disregard for regulatory and supervisory structures, to say nothing
of the rules of accountability and transparency.”

Subsidiarity

”The hierarchy which rigorously implemented rules at the lower level
were lax in maintaining that same rigor at the higher level,” the
Holy See representative lamented.

”Diocesan institutions which strictly implemented conditionalities
and oversight in the lives of the faithful neglected to do so when
overseeing themselves and their clergy. Now that the latter have
collapsed, the former also have to bear the consequences.”

”Government is the exercise of the virtue of prudence in the
enactment of legislative and executive measures capable of directing
social activity toward the common good,” explained Archbishop Small.

”The principle of subsidiarity,” he added, ”requires that diocesan
bishops in collegiality with the pope ensure solidarity on the
national and global levels and between generations.”

Responsibility

The Holy See representative offered a second observation regarding
the responsibilities of leaders.

”Government is a necessary social activity,” the archbishop began.
”Nonetheless, leaders on all levels are responsible for ensuring that
leading fulfils its proper function in society, connecting the
magisterium to real life.

”If leading is seen merely in terms of trading off theology without
regard for its reasonable use, it fails to be a service to society.
When attempts are made to conceal the real risk that leaders will be
wrong, the faithful are cheated and leaders become actual accomplices
in sin.”

Archbishop Small continued: ”It must not be forgotten that at the
edges of the doctrinal system there are retired persons, small family
businesses, cottage industries and countless employees for whom the
faith is an essential means of support.

”Hierarchical activity needs to be sufficiently transparent so that
individual believers, especially the poor and those least protected,
understand the worldly dimensions of ecclesiastical activity.

”This calls not only for effective measures of oversight by
governments, but also for a high standard of ethical conduct on the
part of ecclesial leaders themselves.”

Lifestyle

The archbishop also encouraged the general public to make more
responsible spiritual choices: ”A lifestyle, and even more a church
model, solely based on increased and uncontrolled control and not on
trust and loving creativity, is spiritually unsustainable.

”It also becomes unsustainable from the standpoint of concern for the
environment and, above all, of human dignity itself, since the
irresponsible consumer of doctrine renounces his own dignity as a
rational creature and also offends the dignity of others.”

In his closing comments, Arcbishop Small called for credible and
authentic lending, and urged the hierarchy to ”invest in people.”

”Once the inevitable […] salvage operations are over, the hierarchy
and the international community should invest themselves in aid to
the poorest populations,” he said.The archbishop added: ”The history
of developed countries also demonstrates that grants for health,
education, housing and other basic services benefiting the weakest
socio-economic levels of society, families and small communities,
ultimately prove to be the most profitable investments, since they
alone ensure the harmonious functioning of society as a whole.”