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This two-page handout includes reflections from the Pope’s address on the Year of the Eucharist, discussion questions and a prayer to remind us that John Paul II has long viewed the Eucharist as the way to be the Body of Christ in a suffering world.
Pope John Paul II appealed for the humanization of globalization as he surveyed a world scourged by terrorism, large disparities in wealth and health epidemics. The Pope, on September 21, used his address to Portugal’s new ambassador to the Holy See as an opportunity to offer a description of the "world sociopolitical scene."
In the struggle against poverty, governments should not only assist the impoverished but also actively involve them in finding long-lasting solutions to their problems, said Pope John Paul II.
The blight of extreme poverty "can at times tempt governments to adopt shortsighted solutions which in reality often lead to policies which bring no real benefit to the people. To deal with poverty effectively every sector of society must work together in search of solutions," he said.
Water is a "gift of God" and a "right of all," John Paul II said in a message to Brazil’s bishops for the 2004 Fraternity Campaign. The recent papal message, addressed to Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, president of Brazilian bishops’ conference and archbishop of São Salvador, clarifies that "insofar as a gift of God, water is a vital instrument, indispensable for survival and, moreover, a right of all."
During the last week of September, 2003, John Paul II declared that the Catholic Church should be a “Church of the poor” that practices a preferential, but not exclusive, option for the neediest. According to the Pope, such a Church is “a community of faith that embraces and practices the evangelical spirit of poverty, which combines detachment from possessions with a profound trust in the Lord.” The Church does not look for salvation in wealth and power.
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On the occasion of the 5th Symposium of the Religion, Science and Environment Project, Pope John Paul II sent a message to Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I. The following are excerpts from Pope John Paul II’s message:
"On a number of occasions I have commented on the growing awareness among individuals, and indeed the entire international community, of the need to respect the environment and the natural resources which God has given humanity.
John Paul II repeated the cry "War never again!" and called for disarmament, the promotion of human rights, development and respect for the environment. The Pope made his plea when he received the credentials of the new Japanese ambassador to the Vatican. "Through the painful vision of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, your country continues to be a living witness of the tragedies of the 20th century," the Pope said. He invited his audience to hear once again Pope Paul VI’s famous expression at the United Nations on Oct. 4, 1965: "War never again!"
On May 2, 3003, Pope John Paul II addressed the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences on the occasion of their Ninth Plenary Session, which focused on the theme of "the governance of globalization."
