moral rating of terrorism in Spain, its causes and its consequences for
English Episcopal Conference Introduction
To live in freedom Christ has set us free (Ga 5, 1)
1. Proclaiming the Gospel to all peoples, irrespective of language, race or nation (cf. Rv 5, 9), and bring all men and women to meet Christ Way, Truth and Life (Jn 14, 6), is the mission of the Church in the world. Christians, who know that Christ is life and life is the light of men (cf. Jn 1, 4), they feel as their own joys and sufferings of every human person. "There is nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts" [1]. So when the dignity is outraged because it threatens their life, their freedom or against your ability to know the truth, Christians can not remain silent. The bishops, as successors of the apostles, we have a unique way the responsibility of providing all men, believers or not, the light of the gospel, announcing that to live in freedom, Christ has set us free (Ga 5, 1). He released the sin that divides men, we can all find ourselves in a real living Jesus Christ is our peace (Eph 2, 14). From the insight and prosecute the ways of genuine peace while violence and injustice that make it impossible.
2. In Spain, ETA terrorism has become for years the most serious threat to peace because it threatens human life cruelly, restrict freedom of blind people and knowledge of the truth of the facts and our history . On this painful subject, the Plenary Assembly of the English Episcopal Conference, in communion with the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II [2] and in continuity with previous statements of the Conference itself and various members of the English episcopate [3], offers this Pastoral Statement for Catholics and all who wish to pay attention. We thus fulfilling one of the measures envisaged in the Pastoral Plan of the English Episcopal Conference for the quadrennium 2002-2005 [4] and encourage all to work sincerely, according to the possibilities of each, to eliminate the social evil of terrorism and consolidate the coexistence in freedom and respect for human rights [5].
3. The prophet Isaiah warned against the darkening of conscience in its ability to discern right: Woe to those who call evil good and call good evil, who make darkness light and light for darkness! (Is 5, 20). Jesus Christ himself warns: if the only light you have is dark, how will the dark! (Mt 6, 23).
view a moral dilemma, consciously takes an ambiguous attitude closes the road to determine the goodness or badness of a reality or a behavior. The Church considers one of its basic obligations to enlighten consciences, as a teacher and witness of the Gospel, so they can reach safely and without error that truth can guide moral life [6].
Proceeding now to the moral analysis of terrorism, including the ETA, we provide this service to the Church first and also to society. Despite repeated condemnations that the vast majority of people and social groups make of terrorist violence, sometimes concealing ambiguities observed coherent moral prosecution of terrorist association.
4. We present a moral evaluation of ETA terrorism beyond the condemnation of terrorist acts, trying to discover its root causes. Requires us to do our ministry, one of whose main tasks is to help the formation of conscience of Christians and all people seeking a light in the church for life. We rightly expect those who feel anxious and helpless before the problem seriousness of our society.
analyzed ETA terrorism in the light of Revelation and the Doctrine of the Church, and that really qualify as a particularly evil, never justifiable, and as a fact that, as consolidated and presented themselves Likewise, it is a structure of sin. We make judgments about the moral totalitarian nationalism is in the background of ETA terrorism, because you can not understand one without the other.
I. Terrorism, specifically of armed violence
5. We understand terrorism in order to kill and destroy indiscriminately men and goods, through the systematic use of terror to a totalitarian ideological intent. Speaking of terror, we refer to criminal violence indiscriminately seeking an effect much greater than the evil directly caused by a threat directed at the entire society. Terrorist actions are not confined to an act or some isolated actions, but to a complex strategy in the service of an ideological end. John Paul II has stated that:
"You can not close our eyes to another painful wound in today's world: the phenomenon of terrorism, understood as the intention to kill and destroy indiscriminately men and goods, and create a climate of terror and insecurity, often including the taking of hostages. Even when adduced as the motivation for this inhuman action any ideology or the creation of a better society, acts of terrorism are never justifiable "[7].
This approach allows us to grasp that the evil of terrorism is more profound than that of their criminal acts, already horrendous. There is an intention recorded in those acts seeking a greater effect in order to terrorize society and today even the whole world. Terrorism seeks a "utility" beyond their crimes, tries to make a very small group of people hold in tension the whole society, obtaining a broad political impact, enhanced by the publicity they get their nefarious actions. The terrorists have their criminal activity is 'profitable' in political terms and, therefore, justify it as "necessary" under their own objectives. They can not hide the unfortunate nature of his actions, but try to give them a "sense" policy that would, in his view, legitimate.
The use of terror, along with the attempt of political justification to the society that is terrified of giving a specific character to the terrorist violence that distinguishes it from other types of violence.
6. The nature of terrorism is therefore different from the war or guerrilla. This difference has been recognized by various international organizations who understand that even in war should be pursued terrorist acts [8]. If the actions of war, never desirable, can be recognized in some cases as a legitimate response, when provided against unjust aggression, terrorism can never be considered a form of self-defense, precisely because it is a proportionate response, but the exercise of indiscriminate violence against all people. It is, in principle, a threat to all, as all are, in fact, considered as "guilty", and could be sacrificed for political goals "superior." Hence there is no way to accept the equation of terrorism with action war. This equation does not correspond to reality and is not fair.
7. Terrorism is also different from mere organized crime. Terrorist organizations often maintain contacts with various criminal groups. But while other criminal groups are intended to only their own profit, terrorism is fundamentally a political purpose presented as justification for their actions, which tries to give maximum publicity, unlike what the ordinary crime .
8. Within the Marxist-revolutionary, which are ascribed many terrorists, including ETA, it is normal to want to justify their violence as the answer necessary to an alleged structural violence ahead of him, exercised by the State. In his view, state violence would be the original violence, the true blame for the conflict situation, as it is before all others and can be achieved with more resources. We must condemn this view unequivocally unjust, contrary to Christian morality, which seeks to equate the terrorist violence to the legitimate exercise of coercive power that the authority exercised in the performance of their duties. At the same time should also show the immorality of a possible use of force by the state, regardless of the moral law and without the required legal guarantees for the rights of individuals.
II. The object of moral trial, criminal terror ideological
9. Once the phenomenon of terrorism, we can see what their specific and final evil, namely, in attacking the life, safety and freedom of individuals, premeditated and indiscriminate way, to get to impose his political project, presenting their criminal acts - the terror - as justified by its ideological interpretation of reality. Terrorism does not deny that their activities are violent and loaded with consequences that are regrettable, but justified as necessary under the supposed greatness of the aim pursued. It is an ideological explanation of criminal violence the worst sense of the word "ideology", ie, concealing something unjustifiable [9].
Terrorism seeks the extension of terror to produce a situation of weakness of legitimate political order, which allow it to impose their views by force, at the expense of trampling of basic human rights such as the right to life and freedom. This purpose can not ever be shared.
10. Therefore, it is very important to accurately describe an organization as terrorist. Because of the relevance of ideology present in any terrorist organization, these groups are aimed at making plausible an ideological argument by distortion of language, using a speech which, when disseminated systematically, seriously hampers the sober analysis of the reality of terrorism and recognition of the moral object in question. It is necessary to "give every thing its own name [10] and speak with clarity and precision of terrorism as a specific problem irreducible. We must have a clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhat terrorism is to be a proper trial on the morality of it.
III. Moral judgments about terrorism
11. Am I my brother's keeper? (Genesis 4, 9). With this phrase Cain refuses to accept responsibility for the fate of Abel and hides the tragedy of a murder you want to hide. If Adam sought to hide from God after having sinned, Cain seeks to escape responsibility for his crime. A key element of terrorist activity is to try to circumvent the moral judgments of ideologically justifying their actions. This is done in particular by the method called transfer of guilt, which is to blame those who oppose terrorism if the perpetrators of terrorist violence that they exercise.
The Doctrine of the Church gives us light at this point and allows us to clearly classify terrorism as a perverse reality in itself, which can never be justified by appealing to other social ills, real or imagined. Moreover, it enables us to appreciate the extent to which terrorism is a structure of sin itself generating new and grave evils [11].
a) Terrorism is inherently evil, never justifiable
12. The Magisterium of the Church is unanimous in declaring that terrorism, as defined above, is inherently wrong and therefore can never be justified by any circumstances or for any outcome [12]. In this regard, we repeat the sentence did in 1986, the Pastoral Statement Peace Builders:
"Terrorism is inherently evil, because it has arbitrarily of life of people, tramples the rights of the population and tends to impose violently the intimidation, the submission of the adversary and, ultimately, the social deprivation of liberty "[13].
terrorism deserves the same moral absolutely negative rating that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being forbidden by natural law and by the fifth commandment of the Decalogue: Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20, 13). Catholics know they can not deny or ignore, this view not contradict his Christian conscience, and therefore, without going against the logic of the communion of the Church [14]. Report
the immorality of terrorism is part of the mission of the Church as a way to defend the dignity of the person in a matter of the highest social impact. We can not accept in the case of terrorism, the possibility given by the Social Doctrine of the Church of the legitimacy of a violent revolution when it is considered the only means of defense against an unjust and prolonged systematic oppression [15].
13. The moral evaluation of terrorism, absolutely not, extends in due proportion to the acts or omissions of those who, without directly intervening in the commission of attacks make them possible, as those who are part of the information or its command organization, covering up to terrorists or collaborate with them, who theoretically justify their actions or verbally approved. It should be clear that all these actions are objectively a grave sin that cries to heaven (Gen. 4, 10) [16].
The so-called low-intensity terrorism "or" street violence "also deserves the negative moral judgments. First, because its agents are driven by the same totalitarian intentions of terrorism itself. Second, because the terrorist actions in this low intensity are often coordinated with the terrorism of ETA, as in street fighting agents are preparing their future, as experience shows, and with it improperly destroyed common heritage, it disturbs the peace of the citizens and threaten their security and freedom. No consideration can justify this violence, artificially maintained in order to sustain the impact of terrorism and extend their ideas socially.
14. The presence of political reasons at the roots and in the argument of terrorism can not make anyone forget the moral dimension of the problem. It is this which must guide and illuminate the political reason to address the problem of terrorism. The neglect of the moral dimension causes a serious disorder that has devastating consequences for social life. There will always be alleged or real political reasons that are capable to seduce the view of some presented as understandable and even plausible recourse to terrorism. But what is necessary to clarify is that there can never be moral grounds for terrorism. Who, rejecting the terrorist action, wished to use the phenomenon of terrorism to their political interests would commit a grave immorality. This would once again accept the principle immoral: "The end justifies the means" [17] (cf. Rm 3, 8).
15. Nor is it permissible to silence systematic terrorism. This forces everyone to responsibly express rejection and condemnation of terrorism and any form of collaboration with those who exercise or warrant, particularly those with a public performance or exercise some responsibility in society. You can not be "neutral" to terrorism. Wanting to be is a way of acceptance of and a public scandal. The moral necessity of convictions is not measured by their short or long term, but a moral obligation to preserve one's own personal dignity and a society assaulted and humiliated.
b) Terrorism is a structure of sin
16. In issuing the opinion of morality on terrorism, it is necessary to specify - as we have done - it is an intrinsically evil act. But this claim is not yet sufficiently explicit moral evil of terrorism.
Multiplication and continuity of criminal actions, the attempt to justify them through political propaganda and the transfer of guilt, which aims to make such actions in response to an original violence, giving rise to a structure of violence morally perverse. This conjunction between terror and ideology goes beyond the specific criminal acts perpetrated by terrorists. In addition, it seeks and, unfortunately, often get a systematic perversion of conscience. Therefore, when talking about terrorism, we must understand it as a structure of sin. "Structures of sin are the expression and effect of personal sins. Induce their victims to commit a wrong turn. In an analogous sense constitute a social sin "[18]. Following the doctrine of John Paul II, a structure of sin is the result of an effective social outreach intended to be directed not only to commit intrinsically evil acts, but seeks general deformation of consciences to the extent of his evil stable manner. Or in the words of the Pope, the structure of sin is:
"the sum of the negative factors working against a true awareness of the universal common good and the need to further it, and seems to create in people and institutions, an obstacle difficult to overcome [19].
17. More specifically, terrorism can be applied to the following statements of John Paul II, referring to the "culture of death", he repeatedly denounced. The evil of terrorism is not confined only to acts done,
"also questioned, in a sense, the" conscience "of society. This is somehow responsible, not only because it tolerates or encourages conduct contrary to life, but also because it encourages the "culture of death", arriving at creating and consolidating actual "structures of sin" against life. Conscience, both individual and social, is today subjected, also because of the penetrating influence of social media, a serious and mortal danger, that of confusion between good and evil in relation to the fundamental right to life " [20].
The presence of terrorism spreads around him a true "culture of death" to the extent that disregards human life, breaks the sacred respect for the lives of people with unjust and violent death of innocent people as a profitable means to achieve specific purposes and thus encourage a false social development. Human life is thus degraded to a mere object, whose value is calculated relative supposedly superior to other goods [21].
In short, terrorism is a cruel face of the "culture of death" that despises human life by pretending the power "at any price" [22], which colonizes the minds settled on them as if they were a normal and human to see things.
c) The spread of evil, hatred and fear systematic
18. Terrorism seeks two direct and negative impact on society: the fear and hatred. Fear weakens people. Forcing people to abdicate their responsibilities, to become subject to possible violent actions. Refers not only to murder, but also threats, insults and violence that make it impossible in everyday life living together in peace and freedom, to the point of compromising the very legitimacy of democratic procedures. Not a few are victims of a spiral of terror or economic extortion, suffered painfully. Giving in to blackmail of violence, fear, leads society (individuals, groups, institutions, political parties) not clear enough to cope with terrorism and its surroundings, so that terrorists monopolize often the dynamism of social and political significance of certain events. In addition, it comes to accept violence as inevitable under that extend the climate of tension and confrontation.
19. Fear fosters silence. In a society where violence and tension accumulate close presence, certain issues can not be addressed in public for fear of serious consequences. This is especially noticeable in the distorted use of language. The worst is that silence is kept before the lie [23], it has enormous power to dissolve the social structure. A Christian can not remain silent to overt manipulation. The permanent assignment to the lie involves the progressive deformation of consciences.
20. Along with the fear, terrorism seeks to intentionally provoke and to grow hatred to fuel a spiral of violence to facilitate their purposes [24]. First, fueling hatred in their own environment, presenting opponents as dangerous enemies. Strongly promotes the memory of the grievances and exaggerated the possible injustices suffered. Everyone knows that submitting an enemy to hate is an effective way to join forces with a sense of common defense group.
In this context, self-suppression of acts of terrorism by the state is interpreted as an intolerable oppression of a violent power or of a foreign power. On the contrary, the truth to remember is that legitimate authority must employ all means fair and adequate for the protection of peaceful coexistence from terrorism.
21. Beyond their own environment, terrorists also seek to provoke hatred of those who consider their enemies, in order to trigger a reaction in them that they can use immoderate self-justification and allow them to continue with its strategy of expansion and transfer of terror of guilt.
The spiral of hatred and terror manifested, in particular, heightened sensitivity to them is difficult to analyze reality. Generates a climate of tension in any detail gives rise to a violent response, also verbal violence. The implementation of hatred and tension in social life is obviously a remarkable triumph of terrorism. Reacting indiscriminate hatred against ETA's crimes, to the extent that divides society into irreconcilable warring parties is to promote the aims of the terrorists, to accept its thesis of insoluble conflict, prepare and facilitate the acceptance and recognition of claims breakthrough.
22. Another pernicious consequence of the spiral of hatred and fear that terrorism generates is the "politicization" of the social evil, namely, the consideration of social life solely in terms of power interests. This tension extends to the most minute facts of daily life: everything is relevant to the disqualification of those whose choice policy approaches may not match sponsored by terrorists. This pressure of everyday life plays a role in the deformation of consciences that leads to relativize the moral view that terrorism deserves.
A particularly important that evidence is perverse "politicization" is forgetting that, often suffered by victims of terrorism and its human drama. Caring for people hit by violence is an exercise in social justice and charity and a necessary path to peace. Neither prisoners of terrorism are no longer subject to a "politicization" ideology that obscures its human problem. The Church fully recognizes the legitimacy of punishment just imposed on them for their crimes, while he defends, with no less force, respect for personal dignity inadmissible:.
23. Terrorism is shown as a structure of sin, and it is a culture, a way of thinking, feeling and acting, even in the most ordinary of daily living, unable to assess the man as the image of God (cf. Gn 1 , 27, 2, 7). And when that culture is rooted in a people, everything seems possible, even the most abject, because nothing will be sacred to conscience.
Delivering our moral judgments we show that it is possible a final net valuation and terrorism, over the short-term circumstances of a historical moment.
IV. The ETA must judge it morally as "terrorism"
24. A first approach to ETA shows the complexity of the phenomenon. The group known as ETA is a terrorist, Marxist revolutionary ideology, embedded in the political-cultural context of a particular totalitarian nationalism pursued by the Basque independence by all means. If you want to succeed in the moral evaluation of ATS, will be necessary to take into account this reality in its entirety.
25. ETA expresses a hurtful cruelty in all its activities. In memory of all are the cases of kidnappings and murders in cold blood and time marking, and aggression and crimes against people of every kind and condition. It is not "miscalculation" or events that they have "gotten out of hand." Nor can we admit that the diversification of the victims assume that some of them were "just military targets", while others would only be unwanted side effects.
The cruelty of ETA's strategy is always useful to terrorists that we have described and qualified above: the introduction of terror in the service of an ideology in society and creating a spiral of death, hatred and fear and numbing reagent of conscience. Applying
ETA and other organizations with similar characteristics the adjective moral ideological "terrorist" state that are intrinsically evil as an organization, as their way of judging reality, the direction of its actions and its internal structure, are oriented to the provocation and spreading of terror.
V. Totalitarian nationalism, ETA terrorism matrix 26. This Pastoral Instruction is not intended to value judgments on nationalism in general. We stick to the moral view of totalitarian nationalism, insofar as it constitutes the background of ETA terrorism. You can not expose, in fact, the evil of ETA without offering a moral clarification on the political and cultural backdrop of terrorism ETA and its impact on the coexistence between the peoples of Spain.
27. "The nation - says John Paul II - is the great community of men who are united by various ties, but above all, precisely by culture" [25]. However, cultures are never watertight compartments per se, and should be able to open up to each other. Are formed and in advance on the basis of rich historical dialogue exchange between them. All need to impregnate the Gospel [26].
28. Nations in cultural areas of the development of people, are equipped with a 'sovereignty' own spiritual and therefore not they can prevent the exercise and cultivation of the values \u200b\u200bthat shape their identity [27]. This "sovereignty" of nations spiritual can also be expressed in political sovereignty, but this is not a necessary implication. When certain nations or national realities are legally bound by historical ties, family, religious, cultural, political and other nations within a single State can not say necessarily that these nations enjoy a right to political sovereignty [28].
29. Nations, considered individually, do not enjoy an absolute right to decide their own destiny. This concept would mean, for people, unsupportive individualism. Similarly, it is morally unacceptable that nations seek to unilaterally political configuration of reality itself, in particular, the claim of independence under its sole discretion. The "virtue" of solidarity policy, or, if you will, social charity, requires people's attention to the common good of the cultural and political community to which they belong. The Social Doctrine of the Church recognizes a property right and a native of political self-determination in the case of a settlement or an unjust invasion, but not of secession.
30. Consequently, it is not moral in any way to advocate the independence of any group and the creation of a new state, and that the church feels an obligation to speak to the faithful and men of good will [29]. When the desire for independence becomes an absolute principle of political action and is imposed at any cost and by any means, is comparable to an idolatry of the nation itself that seriously distorts the moral and social life [30]. So immoderate "cult" to the nation is an especially serious when you lose the Christian meaning of life and feeds a nihilistic conception of society and its political articulation. This form of "worship" is relative direct totalitarian nationalism is in the background of ETA terrorism.
31. Nationalism is defined by a particular policy option that makes the defense and the development of a nation's identity the focus of its activities. The Church, mother and teacher of all peoples [31], accepts the options nationalistic policies that conform to the moral norm and the demands of the common good. This is an option that can sometimes be especially convenient. Love for one's nation or country, which must be cultivated, can manifest itself as a nationalist political choice.
nationalist option, however, like any option policy can not be absolute. To be legitimate, must remain within the confines of morality and justice, and avoid double jeopardy: first, to think of itself as the only consistent way to propose love to the nation, the second, to defend their own values excluding national and belittling those of other state or national realities.
nationalisms, like other policy options should be ordained to the common good of all citizens, based on real arguments and taking into account the rights of others and values \u200b\u200bborn of coexistence.
32. When the conditions specified are not met, nationalism degenerates into an ideology and a political exclusion, unable to recognize and protect the rights of citizens, totalitarian aspirations tempted affecting any policy option absolutizes their own objectives. Of the pernicious nature of this nationalism has warned the Magisterium of the Church on numerous occasions [32].
The nationalism underlying the ETA terrorist organization does not meet the conditions for moral legitimacy, since its objectives need absolutize to justify their terrorist acts intended to impose by force their own political convictions trampling the freedom of citizens; and comes to eliminate those who have other legitimate policy options. Therefore, the nationalism of ETA is a totalitarian and idolatrous nationalism.
totalitarian nationalism ETA considered an absolute value 'independent people, socially and linguistically euskaldun ", all played well in key ideologically Marxist ideology to which ETA puts all other human values, individual and collective, despising the will repeatedly expressed by the vast majority of the population.
33. The terrorist organization ETA took up the cause of freedom and the rights of the Basque Country, which presents itself as a nation subjugated and annexed by force by foreign powers of which would require release. This is presumably because he regards as justifying the practice terror. However, ETA's nationalism and his staff know that any political project, to merit a positive moral view, is to be of service to the people and not vice versa. That is, the fair management of the nations and states can never constrain or violate fundamental human rights, but the protection and promotes. So it is not morally acceptable to any conception that the nation, state or relations between them are placed above the full exercise of people's basic rights.
The claim that all nation, by virtue of being, you have the right to become a state, ignoring the historically established multiple relationships between people and subjecting the rights of people to projects of national or state taxes one way or another by force, giving rise a totalitarian nationalism, which is incompatible with Catholic doctrine.
34. As the nation a fact in the first place, cultural, the Magisterium of the Church has carefully distinguished the State [33]. Unlike the nation, the state is primarily political reality, but one can match or host nation in their midst several nations or national institutions. The configuration of each state is usually the result of long and complex historical processes. These processes can not be ignored or even less distorted or falsified to serve particular interests.
35. Spain is the result of one of these complex historical processes. Endangering the coexistence of English, unilaterally denying the sovereignty of Spain, without assessing the serious consequences that could result in denial it would be unwise or morally acceptable.
The Constitution is now the reference framework indispensable for coexistence. Recently, the English bishops were saying: "The 1978 Constitution is not perfect, like any human endeavor, but we see as the ripe fruit of a sincere desire for understanding and as an instrument and the first fruits of a future of harmonious coexistence among all [34]. It is, therefore, a modified standard, but any process of change should be made as provided by law. Pretender
unilaterally alter the law on the basis of a certain will to power, local or otherwise, is unacceptable. You must respect and protect the common good of society few hundred years. Conclusion
Hope does not disappoint (Rom 5, 5)
36. We must obey God rather than men (Acts 4.19). With this freedom spoken by the early Christians before the judges that they imposed silence. They acted like people actually freed by Christ from sin, and therefore did not feel frightened by anyone or anything, not the powerful, not even by death. We wanted to write this instruction with the same freedom. We thus encourage all Christians to exercise the freedom that Christ has set us free (cf. Ga 5, 1).
37. In the world you have tribulation. But, cheer up!, I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33). The difficulties of ending terrorism and building peace are great. The powers are involved in this serious problem and the feelings of bitterness and confrontation which continue to cause the solution makes it as hard as a matter of urgency. Given the persistent signs of social tension and difficulty of cohabitation, the Church proposes an inescapable moral truth. It will not be easily understood by some. But without the truth can not be peace. In addition, we must all commit ourselves in building peace. Building peace is a task for each and every one [35]. We make a special appeal to educators (parents, catechists, teachers and teachers) to make every effort in the noble task of educating younger generations, warning of the evil of terrorism and encouraging them to build a society where they live the moral principles that guarantee the sacred respect for the individual.
38. The first responsibility of the Church is to proclaim that Jesus Christ alone is the man full salvation. Educating for peace is born of the encounter with the Lord and the Church is an urgent task, especially among the young. Nesting and the seeds of the terrorist ideology is sterilized of Christian life, which, in turn, grows and matures belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ prevails love for others, the sincere desire for peace and reconciliation. Membership of the Church and education in the faith are not mature until they are expressed in moral discernment wisdom of such serious situations as the terrorism. This discernment is a sign of strength and coherence of the faith professed.
39. ETA terrorism to the Church proclaims once again the need for conversion of hearts and the only way to true peace [36]. The moral value that we have proposed is to be understood within this explicit call to conversion, which is only possible once recognized the intrinsic evil of terrorism and once gestated the express intention of repairing the pernicious effects of their activity.
40. For any problems between individuals or groups, the Church emphasizes the value of respectful dialogue, fair and free as the most worthy and commendable, to overcome difficulties in living. Speaking of dialogue we are not referring to ETA, which can not be considered a political player in a legitimate state, nor is anyone politically, but the necessary dialogue and collaboration among the various social institutions and policies to eliminate the presence of terrorism, ensuring strongly the legitimate rights of citizens and enhance, as necessary, ways to organize the coexistence in freedom and justice.
41. The Church in Spain, recognizing and appreciating the efforts of all those who work for a better living, offers his contribution to this task by carrying out the specific actions of pastoral mission. As custodian and administrator of goods of salvation, he has received from his Lord, for the Church to heal the moral disease which causes the phenomenon of terrorism. In the sacrament of the Eucharist in a special way, Christians are with Christ, who entered into communion, charity school without borders, peace and reconciliation steadfast men among themselves and with God. Christian communities, finding strength in the Eucharist, should be offered as centers of communion of persons, which unequivocally reject terrorism, and with shared faith can open to those who profess brotherhood among men and among peoples, with a closeness, support and special solidarity with the victims of terrorism.
42. Among the first duties of Christians and their communities is this support and pastoral care of victims of terrorism. Is a demand for justice and charity to be at your side and address the needs and just claims of individuals and families who have suffered the blow of terrorism. Feel as our own concerns of those living in a constant state of threat or violent pressure, knowing that ignore the reality of the offense suffered a process is to seek illusory, incapable of building a peaceful coexistence.
43. The Church also Guided by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, you know always in need of grace, and constantly go to the source of mercy and forgiveness, which is God. At the same time, continually invited to offer and receive forgiveness, knowing that "no peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness" [37]. Forgiveness is not opposed to justice, because it is inhibited to the legitimate demands of compensation for the order violated. On the contrary, forgiveness leads to the fullness of justice that seeks the healing of open wounds [38]. Forgiveness can achieve true peace is a gift from God, therefore has to ask in prayer:
"Prayer for peace is not a factor "comes after" commitment to peace. On the contrary, is at the heart of the effort to build a peace of order, justice and freedom. Praying for peace is to open the human heart to the emergence of the renewing power of God "[39].
pastoral There can be no peace without moments of prayer, personal and community.
44. Hope does not disappoint (Rom 5.5). This is the conviction that drives the Church. Our hope lies in the mercy of God alone can touch the hearts of men, instilling feelings of peace. "The hope that sustains the Church is that the world where the power of evil seems to prevail, it really transformed by the grace of God in a world that can fulfill the noblest aspirations of the human heart, a world in which true peace will prevail "[ 40].
We call, once again, to those who have received the gift of faith to the public and private prayer for peace, to pray for the victims of terrorism and their families, and the terrorists themselves, to prayer to God to grant wisdom and strength to the rulers in their decisions and actions to prayer for the conversion of hearts.
"that rises from the heart of every believer, so more intense prayer for all victims of terrorism, tragically affected by their families and all the peoples that terrorism and war continue resenting and disturbing. May the light of our prayer that those same gravely offend God and man by these pitiless acts, that they be granted reconsider their actions and realize the evil they cause, so that they feel compelled to abandon any intention of violence and seek forgiveness. May humanity in these troubled times, you can find real peace and lasting peace that can only come from the meeting of justice and mercy "[41].
In this "Year of the Rosary" we put our prayer, filial devotion, in the hands of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, invoking her as Queen of Peace, that she generously bestow on us the gifts of her maternal goodness and help us be one family , solidarity and peace. English Episcopal Conference
Revista Arbil
No 125 [1] Vatican Council II, Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1.
[2] Pope Paul VI (General Audience 09/27/1975) had expressly condemned terrorism in Spain. John Paul II has repeatedly and emphatically before his pastoral visit in 1982, twice during this trip - first in Toledo (4. 11.1982) and then to Loyola (6/11/1982) - and, among other many times, during the Meeting of Prayer for Peace in Vitoria-Gasteiz (13.1.2001).
[3] We recall only some of these interventions: Plenary Assembly, At the present time (1974), "The Truth shall make you free" (Jn 8:32) (1990), Moral and democratic society (1996) and God's faithfulness lasts forever. Eyes of faith to the Twentieth Century (1999). The Permanent Commission, Reconciliation, repudiation of violence and church-civil society (1975), Note on some situations in the country (1975), Note to the current English (1977), The moral responsibility of the vote (1979) , Statement because of "repeated terrorist attacks almost daily among us" (1979), to terrorism and the crisis in the country (1981), Builders of Peace (1986) and promote a new evangelization (1990). Also important are the interventions of the Presidents of the Bishops Conference in their inaugural speeches at various Plenary Assembly, as follows: XXX (1978), XXXII (1979), XXXIV (1981), LIII (1990), LXIII (1995); and LXXIV LXXV (2000), LXXVI and LXXVII (2001), LXXVIII (2002). You can also find other interventions on this issue: Oceja Serrano JF (Ed.), The Church against ETA terrorism, Cardinal Presentation A. M ª Rouco Varela and Bishop F. Epilogue Sebastian Aguilar, BAC, Madrid 2001, XXXIV + 823 pages.
[4] See English Episcopal Conference, a Church of hope. Mar adentro! (Luke 5, 4), Pastoral Plan 2002-2005, 58. 78, Edice, Madrid 2001.
[5] See Press Release CLXXXIX Final Meeting of the Standing Committee of the English Episcopal Conference (19/06/2002).
[6] John Paul II reminds us in his Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, that the determination of the morality of acts by their object is one of the specific services the church provides to the world. There is no other way to avoid the confusion that entails utilitarian or consequentialist mentality when easily justified as a lesser evil any effect that leads to the desired end, cf. Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, 83.
[7] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 24; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2297.
[8] As early as November 16, 1937 by the Geneva Convention and the UN Declaration of December 18, 1972.
[9] Cf John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 24.
[10] See St. Jerome, Epistle 82.3 (Madrid 1993, BAC 530.872).
[11] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2297, Juan Pablo II, Message on the anniversary of 11-S, (14/09/2002).
[12] Cf John Paul II, Message on the anniversary of 11 - S, (14/09/2002), cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 2297.
[13] Standing Committee of the English Bishops' Conference Pastoral Statement Peace Builders, 96, BOCE 9 (1986) 18; cf. John Paul II, Homily at Drogheda (Ireland) (09/29/1979).
[14] Cf John Paul II, Encyclical Letter. Evangelium vitae, 57, a claim that enjoys the status of doctrine of Divine and Catholic Faith, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Doctrinal Note clarification of the concluding formula of the profession of faith (29.VI.1998) 5 and 11: cf. Ecclesia 2902 (18. VII. 1998) 1086-1089.
[15] Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 31; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Libertatis conscientiae, 79.
[16] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1867.
[17] Cf John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, 80.
[18] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1869.
[19] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 36; Reconciliatio et Poenitentia Apostolic Exhortation, 16.
[20] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, 24.
[21] Pope John Paul II has reminded of forgetting how God continues to contempt for human life (Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, 22): "... when you lose your sense of God, the sense of man is threatened and poisoned, as concisely states the Second Vatican Council: "Without the Creator the creature disappears ... Moreover, God is forgotten the creature itself grows unintelligible "[Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 36]. The man can no longer be understood as "mysteriously different" about other earthly creatures, is considered as one of many living things, as a body, at most, has reached a very high stage of perfection. Enclosed in the narrow horizon of his materiality, is somehow reduced to "one thing" and no longer perceive the transcendent character of his "existence as man." He no longer considers life as a splendid gift of God, something "sacred" entrusted to his responsibility and, therefore, to his loving care to their "worship." Life itself becomes a mere "thing", which man claims as his exclusive property, completely control and manipulation. "
[22] Cf John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 37.
[23] Cf John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis Splendor, 1.
[24] John Paul II, Address to the Diplomatic Corps (01/12/1979): "overcome the virus of violence manifested in forms of terrorism and reprisals invite to banish hatred."
[25] John Paul II, Address at UNESCO Headquarters (2-VI-1980), 14.
[26] Cf John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, 37
[27] Cf John Paul II, Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations (5-X-1995), 8: "The right to its own language and culture, through which a people expresses and promotes that would call its "sovereignty" spiritual. ... Every nation has consequently also the right to shape their lives according to their own traditions, excluding, of course, any violation fundamental human rights, and in particular the oppression of minorities. Every nation has the right to build their own future by providing the younger generations an adequate education. "
[28] Cf John Paul II, Address to the Diplomatic Corps (14-I-1984), 3-4: "In contrast, sovereign countries that long ago that they are independent or are from recently, threatened at least once in their entirety by the interior defense of a party that she actually considered or to request a secession. The cases are complex and varied and each one of them asks for a separate trial, according to an ethics that takes into account both the rights nations, based on the homogeneous culture of peoples and the rights of states to their integrity and sovereignty. We hope that beyond the passions, and avoiding violence anyway, "it may become a well-articulated and balanced policies that they know to respect the cultural, ethnic, religious, and generally the rights of minorities." See also Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2239.
[29] Suffice it in this sense the intervention of John Paul II and the Italian Episcopal Conference expressed its appreciation for the unity of the Italian state and criticizing the attitude that break the social unit, cf. Lettera ai Vescovi italiani circa him responsabilità dei Cattolici sfida di fronte alle dell'attuale storico time (January 6, 1994). Communicate cf. Presidenza della della CEI, 30-VI-1992. CIS Newsletter 5 / 1992, pp. 183-186, cf. John Paul II, Address to the Parliament of Italy (14/11/2002).
[30] Pius XI, Encyclical Letter Mit brennender Sorge, 12: "If the race or people, if the state or form of it, if the representatives of state power or other fundamental elements of human society are in a natural order as essential and worthy of respect, however, who starts this scale of earthly values \u200b\u200belevating them to the supreme rule of all, even of religious values, and to worship divinizing idolatrous, perverts and falsifies the order created and imposed by God, is far from the true faith and a view of life under it. "
[31] See John XXIII, Encyclical Letter Mater et Magistra, 262.
[32] Beginning with Pius XI in the pre-war environment: cf. Pius XI, Encyclical Letter Arcanum Ubi (23/12/1922), 12, Address to the Roman Curia (24-XII-1930), Students of Propaganda Fide (21-8.1938).
[33] See Pius XII, Radio Message to the People Swiss (21.IX.1949): "In our era, in which the concept of nationality of the state, often exaggerated to the confusion, to the identification of the two notions, tends to be a dogma ", cf. also: John Paul II, Address at UNESCO Headquarters (2-VI-1980), n. 14, and Idem, Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations (5-X-1995), 8: "taking into account the difficulty of defining the concept of" nation "which does not identify a priori and necessarily with the of State. "
[34] LXXIII Plenary Assembly of the English Episcopal Conference, God's faithfulness lasts forever. Eyes of faith to the Twentieth Century (11/26/1999), 7. Press release XXXIV Plenary Assembly of the English Episcopal Conference (02/28/1981) Threat to constitutional normality. Call Hope, 2: "It is absolutely necessary to recover public awareness and confidence in institutions, all in respect of the watercourses and principles that the people have sanctioned in the Constitution. "
[35] Cf John Paul II, Message for World Day of Peace 1998, 7.
[36] Cf John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 38.
[37] Cf John Paul II, Message for World Day of Peace, 2002
[38] See John Paul II, Ibid., 3.
[39] Cf John Paul II, Ibid., 14.
[40] John Paul II, Ibid., 1.
[41] John Paul II, Ibid., 15, cf. She also invited the pope in the annual messages on the occasion of the Day World Peace
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