Vatican City, Sep 24, 2007 / 09:08 am
During a meeting on September 21 meeting with members of Italy’s Centrist Democrat International (IDC) political party at Castelgandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI criticized the violence carried out by terrorist networks which attempt to justify their threats against global security by arguing that society has forgotten God, and he denounced those who “claim to act in God's name and harbor an inexcusable contempt for human life.”
After affirming the right of “authentically religious traditions” “to manifest their own identity publicly,” the Holy Father pointed out that “respect for religion helps to counter the charge that society has forgotten God: an accusation shamelessly exploited by some terrorist networks in an attempt to justify their threats against global security. Terrorism is a serious problem whose perpetrators often claim to act in God's name and harbor an inexcusable contempt for human life.”
He defended the right of society to protect itself from terrorism, but he noted that “this right must be exercised with complete respect for moral and legal norms, including the choice of ends and means. In democratic systems, the use of force in a manner contrary to the principles of a constitutional State can never be justified,” he said.
“In this regard,” the Pope went on, “the social teaching of the Catholic Church offers some points for reflection on how to promote security and justice both at the national and international levels. This teaching is based on reason, natural law and the Gospel.”