Reflecting with Pope Benedict

We Pray together Father, your truth is made known in your Word. Guide us to seek the truth of the human person. Teach us the way to love because you are Love. Jesus, you embody God’s Love and Truth. Help us to recognise your face in the poor. Enable us to live out our vocation To bring love and justice to all people. Holy Spirit, you inspire us to transform our world. Empower us to seek the common good for all people. Give us a spirit of solidarity and make us one human family

A reading from the book of Isaiah In the days to come the mountain of the Temple of Yahweh shall tower above the mountains and be lifted higher than the hills. All the nations will stream to it, people without number will come to it; and they will say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the Temple of the God of Jacob That he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths; Since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of Yahweh from Jerusalem.” He will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many peoples; These will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war. O House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of Yahweh. Isaiah 2: 1-5

Reflecting with Pope Benedict “Peace – building requires the constant interplay of diplomatic contacts, economic, technological and cultural exchanges, agreements on common projects, As well as joint strategies to curb the threat of military conflict and to root out the underlying causes of terrorism.

Reflecting with Pope Benedict Nevertheless if such efforts are to have lasting effects, they must be based on values rooted in the truth of human life.” CIV 72

The global economy “ To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the great imbalances that would result. To bring about integral and timely disarmament, Food security and peace;

The global economy... to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: For all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, As [...] Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago.

Subsidiarity and solidarity Such an authority would need to be regulated by law, To observe consistently the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, To seek to establish the common good, And to make a commitment to securing authentic integral human development Inspired by the values of charity in truth. CIV 67

Reflecting together What would it be like to live in the midst of armed conflict? How would your daily life be different? How are peacekeeping and peace-building related to reducing poverty? Pope Benedict emphasises the need for international cooperation to address global issues. What are some of these issues? Can problems be solved more easily in partnership with others, than alone? Why does the Pope encourage countries to address global issues together?