杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis made the 鈥渉uman community鈥� the focus of a letter addressed to the President of the Pontifical Academy for Life on the 25^th anniversary of its foundation by 杏MAP导航 St John Paul II.

God's dream

鈥淭he human community is God鈥檚 dream even from before the creation of the world,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, emphasizing that we must 鈥済row in the awareness of our common origin in God鈥檚 love and creative act.鈥� He explained that 鈥渋n our time, the Church is called once more to propose the humanism of the life that bursts forth from God鈥檚 passion for human beings.鈥�

A state of emergency

After briefly reviewing the history of the Pontifical Academy for Life, 杏MAP导航 Francis went on to outline the 鈥渟erious obstacles鈥� facing humanity today. In particular, he noted the 鈥渟tate of emergency existing in our relationship with the history of the earth and its peoples.鈥� This emergency, rooted in concern for oneself at the expense of the common good, has led to a paradox: despite rapid economic and technological progress, humanity finds itself 鈥渃reating our most bitter divisions and our worst nightmares.鈥�

A difficult task for the Church

In response, the 杏MAP导航 said, the Church is called to react against the negativity that 鈥渇oments division, indifference, and hostility.鈥� This is a difficult task for the Church, which is in danger of failing to recognize the gravity of the contemporary emergency. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time,鈥� he said, 鈥渇or a new vision aimed at promoting a humanism of fraternity and solidarity between individuals and peoples.鈥�

Speaking of the future of the Academy, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淲e need to enter into the language of men and women today, making the Gospel message incarnate in their concrete experience.鈥� He expressed his hope that the Pontifical Academy for Life might be 鈥渁 place for courageous dialogue in the service of the common good.鈥� In particular, the 杏MAP导航 spoke of the importance of seeking universal criteria for making decisions, as well as a deepening understanding of the relationship between rights and duties. He called, too, for continued study of 鈥渆mergent鈥� and 鈥渃onvergent鈥� technologies, mentioning specifically information and communication technologies, biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, and robotics.

The unkept promise of modernity

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淭he kind of medicine, economy, technology, and politics that develop within the modern city of man must also, above all, remain subject to the judgment rendered by the peripheries of the earth.鈥� We should remember, he said, 鈥渢hat fraternity remains the unkept promise of modernity.鈥�

鈥淭he strengthening of fraternity,鈥� he said in conclusion, 鈥済enerated in the human family by the worship of God in spirit and truth, is the new frontier of Christianity.鈥�

Read the full text of 杏MAP导航 Francis'  for the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Academy.