A century opens up for man

Guido Bossa

Interview with the Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran on international relations in light of the Jubilee message

In his speech to the Diplomatic Corps, the Holy Father defines the century that begins one of solidarity. In your opinion, what are the bases of a culture of solidarity to build in the family of Nations?

It’s sufficient to read the pontifical message for World Peace Day of 1 January 2000: principle of the universal distribution of the world’s goods; attention to the most needy; reduction of the gap between north and south; aid to development; urgency to rethink the economy giving greater value to people, etc. I would also add concrete attitudes within everyone’s reach: never consider the neighbour as a possible opponent but rather as a brother; making an effort to discover the part of truth that always exists in those who do not think or live like us. The Pope also told diplomats that “education, science and quality information represent the best means to develop in each one of us respect for the other, for his riches, his beliefs, as well as a sense of universality deserving of one’s own spiritual vocation”. This way, I think, solidarity also can be built.

The Holy Father also spoke of the need to establish a fruitful dialogue among civilisations, cultures and religions, aimed at building the unity of the family of peoples. At present, is this need in international political relations mature? And what action does the Holy See carry out to reach this objective?

To the first part of the question I would answer saying that there is still a long way to go to reach a “fruitful” dialogue, because differences “scare” many people and structures. But there is one epochal factor which I think favours this progress: the fact that in the inter-dependent world which we have constructed we have all become, in a certain sense, men and women of frontier. Our certainties are continuously shaken and put into question by new ideas, sometimes exalting other times horrifying; by audacious but also disconcerting scientific discoveries; by political situations that fulfil the aspirations of humanity and others that put into question our stability. We are always provoked by the novelty that continuous information proposes us. In a certain sense, we are no longer tranquil in our arm-chair or behind our desk: we are pushed to confrontation. As far as the action carried out by the Holy See is concerned, I would like to mention inter-religious dialogue, theological dialogue with other Christian confessions, dialogue with cultures, without underestimating the important action carried out by our schools and Catholic universities in the world. For some initiatives it may be too much to speak of a “dialogue”, it’s more of a “meeting”. But certainly, the fact that we are prepared to take some steps together is a good sign. Finally, I would like to add, as Secretary for Relations with States, what has been carried out by pontifical diplomacy to allow negotiations to prevail and for the enforcement of what was laid out by the many international conventions to allow dialogue and agreement to prevail over violence and to favour peaceful solutions for the inevitable difficulties among nations.

The Holy Father also evokes the theme of a “new world order” to be constructed or to establish “a true community of Nations”. In your point of view, what are the limits and potentials of the present structure of the United Nations?

For the Pope and the Holy See, the United Nations represent a structure that, in today’s international order, is irreplaceable. Therefore, it is very important, not to weaken it but to strengthen it. We must not forget that it was created at the end of the Second World War to avoid a repetition of the catastrophes of the two world wars with atrocities that still today disturb our collective memory. But this organisation is no more than the uniting of the political will of all the members states and, therefore, if there is no consensus on the fundamental values that are at the basis of international law and the peaceful co-existence among peoples, the structure doesn’t work. When one thinks of the work carried out by the United Nations in recent years: operations for the maintenance of peace; help for the democratic transition in countries that have renounced the single-party regime; the creation of international tribunals for those allegedly responsible of war crimes; large international conferences organised on issues that affect the life of humanity; etc, one cannot but hope that the organisation may equip itself with increasingly suitable and effective instruments, capable of responding to the needs and the challenges of the world of today, in the respect of the values that constitute the common heritage of all men and peoples of the world. And the Popes and the Holy See have never failed to remind those responsible that the respect of human rights, the need for democracy and the compliance of laws are the bases on which the complex world of today needs to be founded, where survival depends on the place recognised to man as the objective of all policies.

The Great Jubilee which recently began is also characterised as a phenomenon which involves men and women from all over the world, on a journey both inside and outside their State. Will its occurrence be able to contribute to strengthening ties within the only human family?

Of course! Because I think that it is very important for pilgrims to concretely experience what it means to be believers today and belong to a great family, to understand that we are the survivors of yesterday’s beliefs but live stones of the Universal Church of today, full of life and initiatives which has a project, something to say to the world, or better, Someone to announce to everyone: Christ yesterday, today and forever. In addition, I believe that we Christians have the grace and duty to put to today’s humanity true questions. Even if many men think, live and work as if God did not exist, they find themselves confronted with their own finiteness. Science imposes choices to them that regard birth and death (think of the research in the field of biotechnology). Man asks himself who he is, where the frontier is between an animal and man, whether the methods of veterinarians can become those of doctors, etc. We believers, thanks to Jesus, know who we are and what is the basis of our dignity as men.