Vatican City, Apr 14, 2008 / 08:51 am
In the face of the eruption of violence around the world, Pope Benedict is calling for a “new humanism” that includes moral and spiritual development, to combat the spread of warfare.
The Pope’s message, which was made public on Saturday, comes less than a week before his address to the U.N., where many expect him to address violence and the need for strengthening the family around the world.
Cardinal Renato Martino and participants in a seminar entitled: "Disarmament, development and peace, prospects for integral disarmament", being held in Rome April 11-12, received the Pope’s letter.
The Holy Father began his message by noting how the seminar’s topic is very relevant to humanity’s current situation. "Tension and war exist in various parts of the world, and even where the tragedy of war is not present, feelings of fear and insecurity are nonetheless widespread,” Benedict XVI noted. “Furthermore, such phenomena as global terrorism blur the distinction between peace and war, seriously compromising the future hopes of humankind.”