Speed up the Reform of U.N., says Archbishop

New York, Oct 18, 2007 (CNA).- The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, was in New York yesterday addressing the U.N., where he delivered a speech calling for reform of the “world authority”. “Were Pope Paul here with us today he would certainly… be making remarks on the slow progress of U.N. reform,” the primate of Ireland said.

On the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Populorum Progressio, his only social encyclical, Archbishop Martin spoke of how the world needs the U.N. to be a body which promotes peace around the world through development. He used the dominant theme of Pope Paul’s encyclical that “development is the new name for peace” to make his point. The archbishop also explained that “the biblical notion that peace is more than the absence of war,” is key to understanding development. This development cannot be based solely on building infrastructure. “For Populorum Progressio, the measuring stick [of true development] is the human person,” he said.

Having called for true development, Archbishop Martin explained its importance for the U.N. and politics in general. "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 U.N. system. He would surely also certainly be making remarks on the slow progress of U.N. reform. We need a well-functioning U.N. Today's possibilities for inter-connectivity among peoples offer new and innovative ways of cooperation, also within the U.N. 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."
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Millions Join U.N. Events to Mark Poverty Fight

UNITED NATIONS Oct. 17th (Reuters) - Millions of people marked an annual International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Wednesday by joining a mass "stand up" around the world aimed at promoting U.N. targets on reducing poverty.

In New York participants led by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon crouched down on their knees and, on a count of three, stood up to demonstrate support for the fight against poverty. World leaders committed themselves in 2000 to a set of Millennium Development Goals including reducing hunger, halving extreme poverty, combating HIV and boosting primary education. Still, 980 million people are living on less than $1 a day. Organizers said around 7,000 "Stand Up" events had been registered around the world, from New York to Nairobi, and they were hoping to break last year's figure of 23 million people participating -- in itself a world record. "I don't want to jinx it but I think we can say that we will at least break the record," Mandy Kibel, deputy director of communications for the U.N. Millennium Campaign, said at U.N. headquarters where several hundred people took part. "Our global scorecard is mixed," Ban said, noting that the world had just passed the half-way point towards the target date of 2015 outlined in the Millennium Development Goals.

While parts of Asia have made good progress on eradicating poverty, he said Sub-Saharan Africa was not on track. "We are standing because every day 50,000 people die needlessly as a result of extreme poverty, and the gap between rich and poor is getting wider," Ban said, leading participants in reading a pledge to work to end poverty. Kibel said similar events were held in schools in Africa and Asia, in a prison in Kenya, at a soccer stadium in Japan and at churches in the United States. The aim, she said, was to show governments that people want them to take action. "From a political point of view obviously at the end of the day what we're looking for is change of policy," she said.

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert said the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, marking its 20th anniversary this year, had helped put the issue on the international agenda but there was much still to be done. "The situation is not getting better and we need to mobilize much more energy and much more money to fight effectively against poverty," Ripert told a news conference. "Reducing poverty by half by 2015 -- probably we won't make it, let's be clear," he said. "Therefore more than ever we need to increase our efforts." A report in July marking the mid-point of the campaign said the world would struggle to meet the targets by 2015 but it could be done if rich countries boost international aid budgets.
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New Cardinal for Ireland

Pope Benedict announced today (Oct. 17th.) that Archbishop Sean Brady would be made a Cardinal at the next consistory. For the first time in Irish history, Ireland will have three living Cardinals, although Archbishop Brady will be the only one young enough to vote for the next Pope

Press Conference ADDRESS BY ARCHBISHOP SEÁN BRADY Archbishop of Armagh & Primate of All Ireland

Armagh Ireland: Ladies & Gentlemen, First of all, thank you for coming here. This is a day of great joy for the Archdiocese of Armagh, for the Church in Ireland and for me personally, and I am very grateful to you for carrying the news of this announcement by Pope Benedict XVI. Last Sunday, when I was leaving to celebrate the 11 o’clock Mass in the Cathedral, I received a telephone call from the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Lazarrotto. He said that he wanted to tell me some good news. When we met later that evening he informed me that the Holy Father Pope Benedict would soon announce a Consistory and that the news would bring great joy to Ireland. When he confirmed that my name was to be among those announced, I was taken aback. I had heard the usual speculation about a Consistory, but I did not expect it to take place so soon. I certainly did not expect Ireland to be included on this occasion. After all, this will be the first time in history that Ireland will have three Cardinals.

As I began to take in what the Nuncio had said, my thoughts turned to those many, many people I know throughout the Church in Ireland – priests and lay faithful, young and old, religious and bishops, married people and missionaries – those who give their lives on a daily basis to make God’s love more visible in the world. My sincere hope is that they will see this announcement as a recognition by the Holy Father of their faith, life and work.

Anyone who knows Pope Benedict will be aware that he is a man of transparent humility and gentleness. On the day he was elected Pope he described himself as “a simple and humble worker in the Lord's vineyard.” In my own visits to Rome I have come to know him as someone who lives this out in every aspect of his daily life and work. He has a profound sense of the importance of the particular vocation of each and every person in the Church. This is why I have no hesitation in saying that in honouring me in this way the Holy Father wishes to honour the whole Church in Ireland, especially those whose service of the Lord is lived out in the ordinary and often hidden circumstances of everyday life. This announcement is about them – about the families and individuals who in spite of the great challenges faced by the Church in Ireland in recent years, of the many reasons to feel hurt or unheard or uncertain, have remained faithful to the message of Jesus in their everyday lives. I hope that all who are persevering in living the faith will find new heart in this expression of confidence by the Holy Father, not so much in me as in the whole Church in Ireland at this time.

I would like to acknowledge the many expressions of support and good wishes received from across Ireland today. I am very grateful to the President of Ireland, Mrs Mary McAleese, to An Taoiseach and the Irish Government, to the various members of Dáil Éireann and the Seanad. I am also grateful to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and the various members of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly for their warm congratulations. I also gratefully acknowledge the kind sentiments of support conveyed by the British Government. I feel humbled in the face of such compelling good wishes and support on the part of our political community. I assure all those with political and civic responsibility of my continued commitment to working with them for the common good of the whole of this island, with due regard for our distinct areas of responsibility.

I hope that those who have worked so hard to establish peace in recent years will see in this honour a further expression of Pope Benedict’s confidence in what has been achieved in Northern Ireland. Recently the Holy Father expressed his hope that the peace which is already bringing renewed hope in Northern Ireland will inspire others across the world to recognise that only forgiveness, reconciliation, and mutual respect can bring lasting peace. I know that the continued success of the political institutions in Northern Ireland and the effort to move to the deeper dimensions of reconciliation, are matters close to the heart of the Pope. I believe this announcement is in part an expression of his desire to see that process continue to succeed and become a model for the rest of the world.

I have learnt so much in recent years about the importance of dialogue, listening to others and showing respect. I wish to take this opportunity to thank all those from the Protestant community who have sent me their good wishes today. I thank the other Archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop Alan Harper who telephoned me this morning to convey his good wishes. I also thank the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Dr John Finlay, and the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev Roy Cooper, for their good wishes. It has been a privilege for me to have been part of the work of the four main Church Leaders over the past eleven years. I hope that they will see in this announcement a renewed expression of the commitment of the Catholic Church to the vital work of ecumenical dialogue, and greater understanding and reconciliation between the various traditions of Northern Ireland.

In making this announcement I believe the Holy Father wishes to acknowledge what he described in his address to the Bishops of Ireland last October during our Ad Limina visit as the ‘outstanding contribution that Ireland has made to the life of the Church’. In honouring the See of St. Patrick I believe he wishes to pay tribute to what he described on that same occasion as ‘the constant witness of countless generations of Irish people to their faith in Christ and their fidelity to the Holy See.’ For my part, as successor to Patrick in the historic See of Armagh, may I quote Patrick from his fifth century Confession: `Who am I, 0 Lord, and to what have you called me, you who assisted me with such divine power that today I constantly exalt and magnify your name… So indeed I must accept with serenity whatever befalls me, be it good or evil, and always give thanks to God, who taught me to trust in Him always without hesitation, and who must have heard my prayer so that I… dared to undertake such a holy and wonderful work.’

I am deeply humbled and at the same time honoured that the Holy Father has called me to such a holy and wonderful work in service of the Universal Church. In the words of Pope Benedict to the Bishops of Ireland last year, my constant mission must be to “be bold in speaking of the joy that comes from following Christ.” With my fellow bishops here in Ireland I echo the Pope’s call to “correct the idea that Catholicism is merely a collection of prohibitions” and to “emphasize the Good News, the life-giving and life-enhancing message of the Gospel.” My hope is that this appointment will in some sense help people to appreciate again the value of the heritage of their Christian faith. I hope it will bring a renewed sense of the unity we share in Baptism, especially among the young. The future belongs to those who speak with authentic hope. The Christian message offers that hope to the world. That hope calls us to a deeper solidarity as a human family.

Today’s announcement further deepens the bonds of communion between the Universal Church and the Church in Ireland. That communion is expressed in the first instance through the vital relationship between the Pope and each Bishop across the world. As President of the Irish Bishops’ Conference, I want to thank all my brother Bishops in the Conference for their good wishes and support as well as their prayers, not just today but since I first came to Armagh. They perhaps more than others will understand how much I will need such prayers as I undertake my new responsibilities on behalf of the Church. On this day when I give thanks to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the privilege of being a priest of the Catholic Church, I wish to acknowledge with love and gratitude the people who played a profound part in forming whatever human and spiritual values have led me to this day. I am thinking first of my late mother Annie and father Andrew Brady. I am thinking of the priest who baptised me and brought me into the life of the Church, of the other priests who inspired me and taught me the joy of following Christ. I want to thank my brother Con and my sister Kitty and their spouses Bernadette and Gus, and my niece and nephews. As well as keeping my feet firmly on the ground, my family’s support and common sense have been a tower of strength to me throughout my priestly life. I want to express my particular gratitude to the priests and people of my home Parish of Laragh in County Cavan, to the community of St. Patrick’s College, Cavan, where I was student and teacher, to St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth where I studied, and to the Pontifical Irish College where I was both student and Rector. I hope that priests, religious and seminarians, and young people across Ireland will find renewed encouragement in this expression of confidence by the Holy Father in the faith and future of the Church in Ireland. I salute the people of Ballyhaise where I was Parish Priest. And finally, I thank the priests and people of the Archdiocese of Armagh, who have been so welcoming and supportive over these past twelve years. I cannot adequately express what a privilege it is for me to serve as their Bishop. They are represented here today by my faithful co-worker and Auxiliary Bishop, Gerard Clifford, Ms Kate Acton, Armagh Diocesan Youth Director, and Mr Peter Gildea of the Armagh Parish Pastoral Council.

Finally, as I prepare to be created a Cardinal in Rome next month by Pope Benedict on the weekend of the Solemnity of Christ the King, I would appeal to everyone of goodwill to remember me in their prayers. Pray that this good work which the Lord has begun, through his grace and not mine, may be brought to fulfilment. Pray that I may be a worthy shepherd of the Lord’s flock. Pray also that Ireland will be renewed in its faith and that the Kingdom of God will reign among us – an eternal and universal kingdom:
a kingdom of truth and life,
a kingdom of holiness and grace,
a kingdom of justice, love, and peace (Preface of Christ the King).
Thank you.
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Pope Urges Governments to do More to End World Hunger

VATICAN CITY - 17 Oct. The lives of millions of people are in danger because they do not have enough to eat, Pope Benedict said yesterday, in a message to Jacques Diouf, director general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the occasion of World Food Day. The Holy Father writes: "The theme chosen for this year's Day, is inviting the international community to face up to one of the most serious challenges of our time: freeing from hunger millions of human beings, whose lives are in danger because of a lack of daily bread. We must realize that the efforts made thus far do not seem to have significantly diminished the number of hungry people in the world," the Pope observes, "despite the fact that everyone recognizes that food is a primary right. ... The available data shows that the lack of fulfillment of the right to food is due not only to natural causes but, above all, to situations provoked by human behavior which lead to a generalized social, economic and human deterioration."

The Pope goes on to recall how "an ever greater number of people - because of poverty or bloody conflicts - find themselves obliged to abandon their homes and their loved ones in order to seek sustenance outside their own lands, Despite international agreements, many of them are rejected" he adds, highlighting the "pressing" need for a concrete undertaking in which "all members of society, both in the individual and the international spheres, feel committed to cooperating in order to make the right to food possible." The lack of fulfillment of this right, he says, "constitutes an evident violation of human dignity and of the rights deriving therefrom."

The Holy Father then goes on to praise the FAO's expert understanding of "the problems of the agricultural world and of food insecurity, and its proven capacity to present plans and programs for their solution" as well as the organization's "acute sensitivity to the aspirations of those calling for more human living conditions." He concludes: "The Catholic Church feels closely involved ... in this task and, through her various institutions, wishes to continue collaboration in order to support the desires and hopes of those individuals and peoples towards whom the activity of the FAO is directed."
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Current Pace on UN anti-poverty Goals too Slow

By THABO MBEKI, President of Sth Africa
Seven years ago, in 2000, in its Millennium Summit in New York, the United Nations General Assembly addressed the challenge of global poverty. As part of its Millennium Declaration, it identified various Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that had to be achieved by 2015. Effectively this year’s General Assembly is the half-way point on the journey towards the realisation of the MDGs. The General Assembly will therefore have to pose the critical questions: What progress has been made towards the achievement of the MDGs, and what more should be done to ensure that the world
community of nations realises this objective? CORRECT AND honest answers to these questions are of vital importance to the billions across the globe who continue to suffer from the terrible scourges of poverty, hunger and underdevelopment.

When it was adopted in 2000, the Millennium Declaration brought great hope to these masses. It communicated the message that the international community, combining both developed and developing countries, had, at last, resolved to make poverty history, everywhere in the world. In moving words, the Millennium Declaration said: “We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected. We are committed to making the right to development a reality for everyone and to freeing the entire human race from want. We resolve therefore to create an environment — at the national and global levels alike — which is conducive to development and to the elimination of poverty.”

Of great importance to us as Africans, the Millennium Declaration made it a point specifically to recognise and acknowledge the special needs of the African continent. In this regard it said: “We will support the consolidation of democracy in Africa and assist Africans in their struggle for lasting peace, poverty eradication, and sustainable development, thereby bringing Africa into the mainstream of the world economy.” These pledges were fully in keeping with the objectives set by the African Union and its development programme, the Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad). We therefore welcomed them as a firm signal that the peoples of the world were fully committed to walk the long and hard road to Africa’s renewal, side by side with us. THIS COMMITMENT was further confirmed when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to formally support Nepad, which has been followed by practical steps to give effect to this resolution.

However, it is commonly agreed that between now and 2015, the second half of the period the General Assembly had set for the achievement of the MDGs, far more will have to be done than was the case during the first half. Indeed, the 2007 General Assembly will have to make the honest admission that the world community of nations has so far not lived up to the solemn undertakings it made to the poor in Africa and the rest of the world. A clear sense of the challenge ahead of us can be found in the assessment made by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) about how many of the 53 African countries are likely to achieve the MDGs.

With regard to MDG 1, to halve extreme poverty and hunger by 2015, the ECA says only 13 African countries are likely to reduce poverty to the required degree;
— only 14 countries are likely to achieve MDG 2 of providing universal primary education;
— only seven countries are likely to achieve MDG 3, promoting gender parity at the level of secondary school education and promoting equality of women;
— a mere eight are likely to achieve MDG 4 of reducing child mortality;
— just nine countries are likely to achieve MDG 5, cutting the maternal mortality rate;
— for MDG 6, only eight countries are likely to meet the HIV and Aids reduction targets, and only 13 with regard to malaria;
— only 11 countries are likely to meet the water requirements in rural areas and only seven, the urban sanitation requirements of MDG 7, ensuring environmental sustainability;
— MDG 8 targets the development of a global partnership for development

The Economic Commission for Africa thus tells a dismal and distressing story: the overwhelming majority of countries on our continent will, for the foreseeable future, remain mired in a deeply dehumanising state of poverty, misery, and underdevelopment.
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Darfur Bishop to Visit Ireland

- MEDIA RELEASE -

For Release on October 7^th 2007

Darfur Bishop seeks more
Irish Missionaries for Sudan

Bishop Macram Gassis of the Diocese of El Obeid in Sudan, which includes the territory of Darfur, will visit Ireland from October 19^th to 26^th. Bishop Gassis has been invited to Ireland by the Irish Missionary Union (IMU) to heighten our awareness of the great suffering endured for so many years by the people of Sudan and especially today, by those living in Darfur. Bishop Gassis appeals to the various Irish missionary organizations to send more personnel to help with the reconstruction of Sudan.

“His visit will remind all Irish people of the suffering in Darfur and the great service rendered by missionaries in so many troubled spots of the world.” said Sr. Miriam Duggan, President of the Irish Missionary Union. A Franciscan Missionary for Africa and a medical doctor herself, Sr. Miriam spent over 30 years working in neighbouring Uganda. She added “October will be a time for all to pray for our suffering brothers and sisters throughout the world. The presence of Bishop Gassis, is a concrete reminder to all of us of how fortunate we are here in Ireland and of our responsibility to respond to the situation in Sudan”.

During the month of October and especially on Mission Sunday October 21^st. , the Irish Church proudly celebrates its long missionary tradition of Gospel witness. The 2,183 Irish born missionaries still serving in 84 different countries across the world, represent Ireland’s largest emigrant grouping abroad, people who are bringing hope, aid and assistance to so many marginalized people in our world.

END

For further information contact; Fr. Eamon Aylward, ss.cc,
St. Paul’s, Mt. Argus, Lower Kimmage Road, Dublin 6W Tel: 4923325/6.
Website www.imu.ie E/mail executive@imu.ie

NOTES FOR EDITORS
Irish Missionary Union: The Irish Missionary Union is an umbrella organisation representing approximately 87 Irish missionary sending organizations, both religious and lay.

Sr. Miriam Duggan FMSA: President of the Irish Missionary Union and Congregational Leader of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa, can be contacted at 01-2838376.
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Mozlink’ for any or all of the articles/images placed here. The placing of an article does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
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