杏MAP导航

By Vatican News staff reporter

The members of Italy鈥檚 High Council of the Judiciary (Consiglio superiore della magistratura, CSM, which regulates the ordinary judiciary in the country) are called to 鈥渁 noble and delicate mission,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis during an audience with the Council on Friday.

They have the responsibility of responding to the demands of the people for justice, which in turn demands truth, trust, loyalty, and purity of intention.

Those entrusted with administering justice are likewise called to listen 鈥渢o the cry of those who have no voice and who suffer injustice,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 added, noting that their vocation is a duty at the service of human dignity and the common good.

The Holy Father recalled that the very idea of 鈥渏ustice,鈥� of rendering to everyone what is due to them, is rooted in tradition, but that an understanding of what precisely is due to the other has changed in different times and places.

In the biblical tradition, he said, 鈥渨hat is due is to recognize human dignity as sacred and inviolable.鈥�

Judicial reform

Considering the need for periodic reform of the justice system, 杏MAP导航 Francis called to mind St Catherine of Siena, one of the patron saints of Italy, who taught that in order to reform something, one must first reform oneself. In the context of a reform of the judicial system, the 杏MAP导航 said, this means asking 鈥渇or whom鈥� justice is administered, 鈥渉ow鈥� it is administered, and 鈥渨hy鈥� it is administered.

The Holy Father that the question 鈥渇or whom鈥� implies a relationship, noting that as our world has become more connected, it has paradoxically become more fragmented. In this context, restorative justice, based on relationships, can be recognized as the 鈥渙nly true antidote to revenge and oblivion, because it looks to the recomposition of broken bonds and allows the reclamation of the land stained by the blood of the brother.鈥�

Likewise, the question of 鈥渉ow鈥� justice is administered in practice can pass through many reforms, while recognising that peace can only be founded in justice. And then, in response to the question of 鈥渨hy鈥� one acts justly, 杏MAP导航 Francis appealed to the consciences of those who administer justice, insisting that a commitment to justice must be internalised, a part of one鈥檚 personal and social identity.

Recalling the great figure of Solomon from the Old Testament, 杏MAP导航 Francis said that doing justice must be 鈥渢he goal of those who wish to govern wisely, while discernment is the condition for distinguishing good from evil.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis offered the counter-example of Pontius Pilate, who, motivated by political concerns bowed to the will of the people in condemning Jesus, while 鈥渨ashing his hands鈥� of any interest in true justice.

The example of Rosario Livatino

Finally, the 杏MAP导航 offered the positive, concrete example Judge Rosario Livatino, the first judge to be formally beatified, who 鈥渋n the dialectic between rigor and consistency on the one hand, and humanity on the other 鈥� had outlined his idea of service in the judiciary thinking of women and men capable of walking with history and in society,鈥� with judges and civil leaders 鈥渃alled to carry out their work according to justice.鈥� Blessed Rosario, who was assasinated by the mafia in 1990, has left us not only a 鈥渃redible testimony,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, but a clear idea of what the judiciary should be.

鈥淛ustice,鈥� he explained, 鈥渕ust always accompany the search for peace, which presupposes truth and freedom.鈥�

Addressing the members of the High Council directly, 杏MAP导航 Francis concluded by expressing his hope that 鈥渢he sense of justice nourished by solidarity with those who are the victims of injustice, and nourished by the desire to see a kingdom of justice and peace come to pass, maynot be extinguished in you.鈥�