TAIPEI (UCAN) – Contracting polio as a missioner inspired American Jesuit Father Robert J. Ronald to dedicate himself to help others in Taiwan overcome the limitations of that and another disabling disease.

Taipei-based Operation De-Handicap, which he founded in 1973, remains as a living legacy following his death at age 76 on Jan. 2. The funeral Mass was held on Jan. 10 at Jesuit-run Tien Educational Center in Taipei. His body was buried that evening at Chingshan Jesuit Residence in Changhua county, 145 kilometers southwest of Taipei.

Father Ronald, who contracted polio in Taiwan in 1958, a year after arriving as a seminarian to study Chinese, established Operation De-Handicap to empower youths with polio and muscular dystrophy to assume ultimate responsibility for their own rehabilitation. It also stresses the role of the family in this process.

Besides psychological and vocational counseling, it provides referral services for those who need medical equipment and social-welfare assistance. The center also organizes educational programs and recreational activities to help counselees build solidarity among themselves.

Father Ronald was born in the United States on Oct. 1, 1932, and entered the Society of Jesus in 1950. Polio, relatively common in Taiwan when it struck him eight years later, left him dependent on a wheelchair from that time.

This physical setback, however, did not stop him from serving the people of Taiwan. An obituary from Jesuit-run Kuangchi Program Service, which produces Catholic multimedia programs, quotes him as having once said: “I am healthy. More healthy than before polio even, just limited in local motion, that’s all.”

Father Ronald was ordained a priest in 1965 and returned to the United States three years later to work on a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. When he returned to Taiwan in 1971, he served as a consultant at Veteran’s Hospital in Taipei, a position he held until he retired in 2002.

People said they were often amazed at the “joyful disposition” of the priest, who often claimed that the “two greatest gifts he had received from God were his polio affliction and his car accident,” according to the obituary. Father Ronald suffered major injuries in that accident, which occurred in 1974. A year later, infection set in and doctors had to amputate his left leg.

Undaunted, he continued his work and was able to visit foundations and benefactors to support his organization through lecturing and fund-raising activities that included a 21,000-kilometer van trip across the United States.

The missioner also produced manuals for people working with disabled people and their families, taught classes and workshops, and gave presentations at international conferences on rehabilitation throughout the world.

Ignatius Huang, director of Operation De-Handicap, who worked with the founder for 30 years, told UCA News on Jan. 13 that Father Ronald kept to himself but was always concerned about the needs of others.

The obituary also cites the priest’s care provider of the last seven years recalling how his own life changed through Father Ronald’s “kindness and patient companionship, always reaffirming and encouraging, never scolding, criticizing or complaining.”

Over the years, Father Ronald became recognized as an authority on rehabilitation in Taiwan. The prestigious Medical Contribution Award that the government’s Department of Health presented him in 2003 was one of many honors he received.

Although he seldom had the occasion to explicitly speak about God or the Church in his work, the obituary says he was well aware of the apostolic dimensions of his work. It quotes Father Ronald as having said, “My identity as a priest and as a Jesuit is nearly universally known and my motives respected.”

After his retirement, Father Ronald volunteered to edit English scripts for Kuangchi. In his final years, he became a prolific writer of editorials, poems and fables for the Jesuit Chinese monthly Renlai (flute of humankind), which publishes articles on social, cultural and spiritual issues for readers of all religions.

Fr. Robert Joseph Ronald went to the Lord peacefully on Jan 2nd, 2009 at 7:51 a.m. at Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei. 

Fr. Ronald came to Taiwan in 1957. He initially came to study Chinese, but after one year he contracted polio, which was very common in Taiwan at the time. Because of the disease, he was wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life. However, this did not stop him from making a substantial contribution to the community in Taiwan.

In 1971, he started work as a consultant for vocational rehabilitation at Taipei Veterans General Hospital and continued there for 31 years. He also started Operation De-Handicap with a friend in 1974 and began work in psycho-social counseling, a form of counseling to help the disabled maintain their mental stability.

For his medical contributions to Taiwan, Fr. Ronald was awarded the Prestigious Medical Contribution Award in 2003 by former Department of Health minister Chen Chien-jen.

Comedian Dermot Whelan gave an interesting perspective on his Jesuit education in an Irish Times article this week. “Coming from Limerick to Trinity, I found Dubliners a bit strange. They are obsessed with schools, and Crescent College didn’t seem to impress anyone.  I lived in Hatch Hall with a bunch of Jesuit priests. I suppose that sounds peculiar, but they cooked my dinners and stayed out of my business and it worked out fine.”

In the previous edition of the S.J. Electronic Information Service (December 22), we mentioned the visit of Fr. General to Japan from December 20 to January 2. The major reason for the trip was the celebration of the centennial of the Society’s return to the Land of the Rising Sun (1908-2008). The trip also offered Fr. Nicolas the opportunity to meet the Jesuits of the Province of Japan and to see many long-time friends. We asked Fr. José M. de Vera, who accompanied Fr. General on his trip, to giver us some of his insights.

“The visit of Fr. General to Japan can be summarized by one word: intensity! The preparation, especially the visit to Sophia University in Tokyo, has been accurate, balanced and intense. Practically nothing has been changed on the scheduled agenda. The answer from the people who participated in his conferences and meetings has been warm and cordial. We can say that the highlights of this trip were two: the visit to our Sophia University, December 22-23, and the encounter with the Jesuits on December 26.

At the University, Fr. Nicolás met first with the administrative staff and then with professors and students. In both cases the room was filled up to its capacity. Also present were many of his former theology students (lay, sisters and priests) who at the end surrounded him with their affection and gratitude. The theme of the two encounters was the identity and mission of a Catholic university run by the Society of Jesus, with particular reference to the role of Sophia, and then in the reality of Japanese society.

Needless to say that the encounter of December 26 with the Jesuits was warm and brotherly. Almost two thirds of the Jesuits working in Japan were present. Everyone followed, with interest, the more than one and a half hour conference with Fr. General. Two other events highlighted the afternoon: the historical commemoration of the “second arrival” of the Jesuits in Japan (1908-2008) prepared by a Jesuit expert of history and the Mass of thanksgiving in St. Ignatius Church. During the Mass seven young Jesuits (five Japanese, one Korean and one Indonesian) pronounced their final vows in the Society of Jesus. A reception followed that included the relatives of the new “professed” Jesuits and numerous friends of the Society.

The agenda offered the opportunity for official visits with the Nuncio, the Cardinal and the Archbishop of Tokyo. A Mass was celebrated with the retired and the sick Jesuits in the Province infirmary, followed by an individual visit to each person living there.

Another nice and touching moment was the visit to Adachi, a poor suburb of Tokyo, where the Jesuits have worked for many years and where a group of Catholics run a school for children of immigrant parents. Father Nicolás lived near this suburb when he was Provincial of Japan.”

CURIA

• From January 7 to 18, Father General, together with his Council, left the Curia for a retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. The retreat will be followed by three days of reflection on the major challenges and opportunities regarding the governance of the Society.

FROM THE PROVINCES

CASTELGANDOLFO
• The International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO announced that 2009 is to be the International Year of Astronomy. The initiative marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s first astronomical observation using a telescope (1609). The official opening ceremony will take place in Paris during an important meeting of the IAU. The Specola Vaticana (Vatican Observatory) will mark this year with a number of projects. Brother Guy Consolmagno, responsible for public relations for the Vatican Observatory at Castelgandolfo writes: “The Specola and the Governatorato of the Vatican State will be publishing a book on Astronomy and the Vatican. The work, a popular-level gift-sized book, will outline the work of the Vatican Observatory and the rich history of the Church and astronomy. In June, the Vatican Observatory will be holding a week-long international symposium on the role of astronomers and astronomy in 21st century society. In October, in cooperation with the Vatican Museums, an exhibition of historical astronomical instruments, from Galileo’s time up to models of the largest telescopes used today in astronomical research, will be held at the Vatican Museums. In November the Vatican Observatory will participate in the Study Week on Astrobiology organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.” In addition, the Vatican Observatory is co-sponsor for the international meeting organized by the Stenson Jesuit Institute in Florence on historical, philosophical and theological re-reading of the “Galileo case”, that will be held in Florence next May 2009 and for the sixth International Conference organized by the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere e Arti, next October.

FRANCE
• Fr. Dominique Gonnet, professor and researcher at the Institut des Sources Chrétiennes, in Lyon, writes: “The Biblindex project is carried out by the Institut des Sources Chrétiennes. The first stage of the project has been completed. An index of approximately 400,000 biblical quotations and references from Greek and Latin patristic texts of the first five centuries is now available online. This index is based on: the published volumes of Biblia Patristica, CNRS Editions, 1975-2000 and the archives of the “Centre d’Analyse et de Documentation Patristique” (CADP) concerning Athanasius of Alexandria, Cyril of Alexandria, John Chrysostom, Theodoret of Cyrus, Procopius of Gaza, Jerome. This is only the first step towards a comprehensive index of all biblical references from patristic writings. Technical improvements are still necessary however, simple searches of the available corpus are already possible. To search references in Biblindex, one may open a user account on the website: http://www.biblindex.mom.fr and follow directions for use. For any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to:

NIGERIA
• The world economic crisis also has repercussions in the Society of Jesus. On this topic it is interesting to note the Christmas letter of Fr. George W. Quickley, Provincial of North-West Africa Province, to his Jesuit brethren. After listing concrete data and the accumulated losses on investments during the past year, he invites Jesuits to cut expenses as much as possible. “So we have to face a serious belt tightening by living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with one another especially with the struggling works and houses.” He continues with an invitation to “a greater spirit of shared resources”, recalling what is said in the Statutes on the Religious Poverty, n. 33: “Our manner of living with respect to food, clothing, lodging, recreation, holidays, travel, working facilities, and so forth should be appropriate to disciples of Christ poor: simple, welcoming, open, and not beyond what people of modest means can afford.” After having recalled the poverty of Christ’s birth, that certainly “was no picnic for Mary and Joseph, but more like an ordeal, perhaps even a nightmare”, he concludes with these words: “Some difficult days lie ahead of us as a Province as we begin the New Year. Perhaps these coming months will seem like a nightmare for many of us. But our vocation as Jesuits is a call to hope. We never despair even in the most difficult crisis.”

INDIA
• After the numerous acts of violence of past months against Christians in India, especially in Orissa, there was fear for Christmas celebrations; however the news received was reassuring. Fr. Xavier Jeyaraj writes from Kandhamal, Orissa: “I came here to Orissa to spend the Christmas with the affected people in Kandhamal. More than saying that the Christmas celebration passed off peacefully, it would only be appropriate to say that the birth of Jesus has ushered in tremendous confidence among the affected people. The people, who lived in fear and anxiety these past four months, are beginning to see some signs of hope emerging with the birth of Jesus. My first celebration was at Raikia. The church slowly filled with the simple ordinary innocent people from the camps. The vibrant singing by the youth of the village, after months of sadness and deprivation, added joy to the celebration. For the first time, after many months, the people saw 5 priests on the altar. The small church was overflowing with people. From the altar, I could vividly see many tear-soaked faces, with their folded hands in deep adoration of that God whom they have totally relied on all these days and months. As I came out of the Church to wish the people on this joyous occasion and after many days, I recognized a sense of relief that they have been able to meaningfully celebrate the Christmas without any trouble.”

CALIFORNIA
• From January 26 through February 13, Fr. Nicolás will be in the United States. The first part of the visit (January 29 – February 7), will be sest aside for the Province of California as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. In a tour spanning 9 days, 11 cities, and nearly 30 different sites, Fr. Nicolás will meet many of the nearly 390 Jesuits who are members of the California Province, hundreds of their lay partners, and still more parishioners, students, volunteers, and benefactors associated with Jesuit parishes, schools, and ministries. From February 8 through February 13 he will participate, in the meeting of the Jesuit Conference of the United States Assistancy that will be held at Los Altos, California.

In announcing the visit, Fr. McGarry, the Provincial, said, “The visitation of Very Rev. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., to the California Province is a great blessing and an exciting way to begin our Centennial year of responding to the call of Christ as Jesuits and apostolic partners in mission. Having been a delegate to the 35th General Congregation at which Fr. Nicolás was elected Superior General, I can tell you what a grace his leadership is for the Society of Jesus at this time in our history. Not only will Father General be able to witness firsthand the outstanding work that so many Jesuits and laypersons are doing together as apostolic partners in our schools, universities, social, and pastoral ministries, but his presence will link us in a very concrete way to the 91 provinces in the worldwide Society of Jesus and to our service of the universal Church.”

FIGHTING POVERTY TO BUILD PEACE

1. ONCE AGAIN, AS THE NEW YEAR BEGINS, I want to extend good wishes for peace to people everywhere. With this Message I would like to propose a reflection on the theme: Fighting Poverty to Build Peace. Back in 1993, my venerable Predecessor Pope John Paul II, in his Message for the World Day of Peace that year, drew attention to the negative repercussions for peace when entire populations live in poverty. Poverty is often a contributory factor or a compounding element in conflicts, including armed ones. In turn, these conflicts fuel further tragic situations of poverty. “Our world”, he wrote, “shows increasing evidence of another grave threat to peace: many individuals and indeed whole peoples are living today in conditions of extreme poverty. The gap between rich and poor has become more marked, even in the most economically developed nations. This is a problem which the conscience of humanity cannot ignore, since the conditions in which a great number of people are living are an insult to their innate dignity and as a result are a threat to the authentic and harmonious progress of the world community.” 1
2. In this context, fighting poverty requires attentive consideration of the complex phenomenon of globalization. This is important from a methodological standpoint, because it suggests drawing upon the fruits of economic and sociological research into the many different aspects of poverty. Yet the reference to globalization should also alert us to the spiritual and moral implications of the question, urging us, in our dealings with the poor, to set out from the clear recognition that we all share in a single divine plan: we are called to form one family in which all – individuals, peoples and nations – model their behaviour according to the principles of fraternity and responsibility.
This perspective requires an understanding of poverty that is wide-ranging and well articulated. If it were a question of material poverty alone, then the social sciences, which enable us to measure phenomena on the basis of mainly quantitative data, would be sufficient to illustrate its principal characteristics. Yet we know that other, non-material forms of poverty exist which are not the direct and automatic consequence of material deprivation. For example, in advanced wealthy societies, there is evidence of marginalization, as well as affective, moral and spiritual poverty, seen in people whose interior lives are disoriented and who experience various forms of malaise despite their economic prosperity. On the one hand, I have in mind what is known as “moral underdevelopment”,2 and on the other hand the negative consequences of “superdevelopment”.3 Nor can I forget that, in so-called “poor” societies, economic growth is often hampered by cultural impediments which lead to inefficient use of available resources. It remains true, however, that every form of externally imposed poverty has at its root a lack of respect for the transcendent dignity of the human person. When man is not considered within the total context of his vocation, and when the demands of a true “human ecology” 4 are not respected, the cruel forces of poverty are unleashed, as is evident in certain specific areas that I shall now consider briefly one by one.
Poverty and moral implications
3. Poverty is often considered a consequence of demographic change. For this reason, there are international campaigns afoot to reduce birth-rates, sometimes using methods that respect neither the dignity of the woman, nor the right of parents to choose responsibly how many children to have; 5 graver still, these methods often fail to respect even the right to life. The extermination of millions of unborn children, in the name of the fight against poverty, actually constitutes the destruction of the poorest of all human beings. And yet it remains the case that in 1981, around 40% of the world’s population was below the threshold of absolute poverty, while today that percentage has been reduced by as much as a half, and whole peoples have escaped from poverty despite experiencing substantial demographic growth. This goes to show that resources to solve the problem of poverty do exist, even in the face of an increasing population. Nor must it be forgotten that, since the end of the Second World War, the world’s population has grown by four billion, largely because of certain countries that have recently emerged on the international scene as new economic powers, and have experienced rapid development specifically because of the large number of their inhabitants. Moreover, among the most developed nations, those with higher birth-rates enjoy better opportunities for development. In other words, population is proving to be an asset, not a factor that contributes to poverty.
4. Another area of concern has to do with pandemic diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. Insofar as they affect the wealth-producing sectors of the population, they are a significant factor in the overall deterioration of conditions in the country concerned. Efforts to rein in the consequences of these diseases on the population do not always achieve significant results. It also happens that countries afflicted by some of these pandemics find themselves held hostage, when they try to address them, by those who make economic aid conditional upon the implementation of anti-life policies. It is especially hard to combat AIDS, a major cause of poverty, unless the moral issues connected with the spread of the virus are also addressed. First and foremost, educational campaigns are needed, aimed especially at the young, to promote a sexual ethic that fully corresponds to the dignity of the person; initiatives of this kind have already borne important fruits, causing a reduction in the spread of AIDS. Then, too, the necessary medicines and treatment must be made available to poorer peoples as well. This presupposes a determined effort to promote medical research and innovative forms of treatment, as well as flexible application, when required, of the international rules protecting intellectual property, so as to guarantee necessary basic healthcare to all people.
5. A third area requiring attention in programmes for fighting poverty, which once again highlights its intrinsic moral dimension, is child poverty. When poverty strikes a family, the children prove to be the most vulnerable victims: almost half of those living in absolute poverty today are children. To take the side of children when considering poverty means giving priority to those objectives which concern them most directly, such as caring for mothers, commitment to education, access to vaccines, medical care and drinking water, safeguarding the environment, and above all, commitment to defence of the family and the stability of relations within it. When the family is weakened, it is inevitably children who suffer. If the dignity of women and mothers is not protected, it is the children who are affected most.
6. A fourth area needing particular attention from the moral standpoint is the relationship between disarmament and development. The current level of world military expenditure gives cause for concern. As I have pointed out before, it can happen that “immense military expenditure, involving material and human resources and arms, is in fact diverted from development projects for peoples, especially the poorest who are most in need of aid. This is contrary to what is stated in the Charter of the United Nations, which engages the international community and States in particular ‘to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources’ (art. 26).” 6
This state of affairs does nothing to promote, and indeed seriously impedes, attainment of the ambitious development targets of the international community. What is more, an excessive increase in military expenditure risks accelerating the arms race, producing pockets of underdevelopment and desperation, so that it can paradoxically become a cause of instability, tension and conflict. As my venerable Predecessor Paul VI wisely observed, “the new name for peace is development”.7 States are therefore invited to reflect seriously on the underlying reasons for conflicts, often provoked by injustice, and to practise courageous self-criticism. If relations can be improved, it should be possible to reduce expenditure on arms. The resources saved could then be earmarked for development projects to assist the poorest and most needy individuals and peoples: efforts expended in this way would be efforts for peace within the human family.
7. A fifth area connected with the fight against material poverty concerns the current food crisis, which places in jeopardy the fulfilment of basic needs. This crisis is characterized not so much by a shortage of food, as by difficulty in gaining access to it and by different forms of speculation: in other words, by a structural lack of political and economic institutions capable of addressing needs and emergencies. Malnutrition can also cause grave mental and physical damage to the population, depriving many people of the energy necessary to escape from poverty unaided. This contributes to the widening gap of inequality, and can provoke violent reactions. All the indicators of relative poverty in recent years point to an increased disparity between rich and poor. No doubt the principal reasons for this are, on the one hand, advances in technology, which mainly benefit the more affluent, and on the other hand, changes in the prices of industrial products, which rise much faster than those of agricultural products and raw materials in the possession of poorer countries. In this way, the majority of the population in the poorest countries suffers a double marginalization, through the adverse effects of lower incomes and higher prices.
Global solidarity and the fight against poverty
8. One of the most important ways of building peace is through a form of globalization directed towards the interests of the whole human family.8 In order to govern globalization, however, there needs to be a strong sense of global solidarity 9 between rich and poor countries, as well as within individual countries, including affluent ones. A “common code of ethics”10
is also needed, consisting of norms based not upon mere consensus, but rooted in the natural law inscribed by the Creator on the conscience of every human being (cf. Rom 2:14-15). Does not every one of us sense deep within his or her conscience a call to make a personal contribution to the common good and to peace in society? Globalization eliminates certain barriers, but is still able to build new ones; it brings peoples together, but spatial and temporal proximity does not of itself create the conditions for true communion and authentic peace. Effective means to redress the marginalization of the world’s poor through globalization will only be found if people everywhere feel personally outraged by the injustices in the world and by the concomitant violations of human rights. The Church, which is the “sign and instrument of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race” 11 will continue to offer her contribution so that injustices and misunderstandings may be resolved, leading to a world of greater peace and solidarity. 9. In the field of international commerce and finance, there are processes at work today which permit a positive integration of economies, leading to an overall improvement in conditions, but there are also processes tending in the opposite direction, dividing and marginalizing peoples, and creating dangerous situations that can erupt into wars and conflicts. Since the Second World War, international trade in goods and services has grown extraordinarily fast, with a momentum unprecedented in history. Much of this global trade has involved countries that were industrialized early, with the significant addition of many newly- emerging countries which have now entered onto the world stage. Yet there are other low-income countries which are still seriously marginalized in terms of trade. Their growth has been negatively influenced by the rapid decline, seen in recent decades, in the prices of commodities, which constitute practically the whole of their exports. In these countries, which are mostly in Africa, dependence on the exportation of commodities continues to constitute a potent risk factor. Here I should like to renew an appeal for all countries to be given equal opportunities of access to the world market, without exclusion or marginalization.
10. A similar reflection may be made in the area of finance, which is a key aspect of the phenomenon of globalization, owing to the development of technology and policies of liberalization in the flow of capital between countries. Objectively, the most important function of finance is to sustain the possibility of long- term investment and hence of development. Today this appears extremely fragile: it is experiencing the negative repercussions of a system of financial dealings – both national and global – based upon very short-term thinking, which aims at increasing the value of financial operations and concentrates on the technical management of various forms of risk. The recent crisis demonstrates how financial activity can at times be completely turned in on itself, lacking any long-term consideration of the common good. This lowering of the objectives of global finance to the very short term reduces its capacity to function as a bridge between the present and the future, and as a stimulus to the creation of new opportunities for production and for work in the long term. Finance limited in this way to the short and very short term becomes dangerous for everyone, even for those who benefit when the markets perform well.12
11. All of this would indicate that the fight against poverty requires cooperation both on the economic level and on the legal level, so as to allow the international community, and especially poorer countries, to identify and implement coordinated strategies to deal with the problems discussed above, thereby providing an effective legal framework for the economy. Incentives are needed for establishing efficient participatory institutions, and support is needed in fighting crime and fostering a culture of legality. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that policies which place too much emphasis on assistance underlie many of the failures in providing aid to poor countries. Investing in the formation of people and developing a specific and well-integrated culture of enterprise would seem at present to be the right approach in the medium and long term. If economic activities require a favourable context in order to develop, this must not distract attention from the need to generate revenue. While it has been rightly emphasized that increasing per capita income cannot be the ultimate goal of political and economic activity, it is still an important means of attaining the objective of the fight against hunger and absolute poverty. Hence, the illusion that a policy of mere redistribution of existing wealth can definitively resolve the problem must be set aside. In a modern economy, the value of assets is utterly dependent on the capacity to generate revenue in the present and the future. Wealth creation therefore becomes an inescapable duty, which must be kept in mind if the fight against material poverty is to be effective in the long term.
12. If the poor are to be given priority, then there has to be enough room for an ethical approach to economics on the part of those active in the international market, an ethical approach to politics on the part of those in public office, and an ethical approach to participation capable of harnessing the contributions of civil society at local and international levels. International agencies themselves have come to recognize the value and advantage of economic initiatives taken by civil society or local administrations to promote the emancipation and social inclusion of those sectors of the population that often fall below the threshold of extreme poverty and yet are not easily reached by official aid. The history of twentieth-century economic development teaches us that good development policies depend for their effectiveness on responsible implementation by human agents and on the creation of positive partnerships between markets, civil society and States. Civil society in particular plays a key part in every process of development, since development is essentially a cultural phenomenon, and culture is born and develops in the civil sphere.13
13. As my venerable Predecessor Pope John Paul II had occasion to remark, globalization “is notably ambivalent”14 and therefore needs to be managed with great prudence. This will include giving priority to the needs of the world’s poor, and overcoming the scandal of the imbalance between the problems of poverty and the measures which have been adopted in order to address them. The imbalance lies both in the cultural and political order and in the spiritual and moral order. In fact we often consider only the superficial and instrumental causes of poverty without attending to those harboured within the human heart, like greed and narrow vision. The problems of development, aid and international cooperation are sometimes addressed without any real attention to the human element, but as merely technical questions – limited, that is, to establishing structures, setting up trade agreements, and allocating funding impersonally. What the fight against poverty really needs are men and women who live in a profoundly fraternal way and are able to accompany individuals, families and communities on journeys of authentic human development.
Conclusion
14. In the Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, John Paul II warned of the need to “abandon a mentality in which the poor – as individuals and as peoples – are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced.” The poor, he wrote, “ask for the right to share in enjoying material goods and to make good use of their capacity for work, thus creating a world that is more just and prosperous for all.” 15 In today’s globalized world, it is increasingly evident that peace can be built only if everyone is assured the possibility of reasonable growth: sooner or later, the distortions produced by unjust systems have to be paid for by everyone. It is utterly foolish to build a luxury home in the midst of desert or decay. Globalization on its own is incapable of building peace, and in many cases, it actually creates divisions and conflicts. If anything it points to a need: to be oriented towards a goal of profound solidarity that seeks the good of each and all. In this sense, globalization should be seen as a good opportunity to achieve something important in the fight against poverty, and to place at the disposal of justice and peace resources which were scarcely conceivable previously.
15. The Church’s social teaching has always been concerned with the poor. At the time of the Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum, the poor were identified mainly as the workers in the new industrial society; in the social Magisterium of Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II, new forms of poverty were gradually explored, as the scope of the social question widened to reach global proportions.16 This expansion of the social question to the worldwide scale has to be considered not just as a quantitative extension, but also as a qualitative growth in the understanding of man and the needs of the human family. For this reason, while attentively following the current phenomena of globalization and their impact on human poverty, the Church points out the new aspects of the social question, not only in their breadth but also in their depth, insofar as they concern man’s identity and his relationship with God. These principles of social teaching tend to clarify the links between poverty and globalization and they help to guide action towards the building of peace. Among these principles, it is timely to recall in particular the “preferential love for the poor”,17 in the light of the primacy of charity, which is attested throughout Christian tradition, beginning with that of the early Church (cf. Acts 4:32-36; 1 Cor 16:1; 2 Cor 8-9; Gal 2:10).
“Everyone should put his hand to the work which falls to his share, at once and immediately”, wrote Leo XIII in 1891, and he added: “In regard to the Church, her cooperation will never be wanting, be the time or the occasion what it may”.18 It is in the same spirit that the Church to this day carries out her work for the poor, in whom she sees Christ,19 and she constantly hears echoing in her heart the command of the Prince of Peace to his Apostles: “Vos date illis manducare – Give them something to eat yourselves” (Lk 9:13). Faithful to this summons from the Lord, the Christian community will never fail, then, to assure the entire human family of her support through gestures of creative solidarity, not only by “giving from one’s surplus”, but above all by “a change of life- styles, of models of production and consumption, and of the established structures of power which today govern societies.” 20 At the start of the New Year, then, I extend to every disciple of Christ and to every person of good will a warm invitation to expand their hearts to meet the needs of the poor and to take whatever practical steps are possible in order to help them. The truth of the axiom cannot be refuted: “to fight poverty is to build peace.”
From the Vatican, 8 December 2008.
VATICAN PRESS
1 Message for the 1993 World Day of Peace, 1.
2 Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 19.
3 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 28.
4 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 38.
5 Cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 37; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 25.
6 Benedict XVI, Letter to Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino on the occasion of the International Seminar organized by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace on the theme: “Disarmament, Development and Peace. Prospects for Integral Disarmament”, 10 April 2008: L’Osservatore Romano, English edition, 30 April 2008, p. 2.
7 Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 87.
8 Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 58.
9 Cf. John Paul II, Address to the Christian Associations of Italian Working People, 27 April 2002, 4: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, XXV:1 (2002), p. 637.
10 John Paul II, Address to the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, 27 April 2001, 4: L’Osservatore Romano, English Edition, 2 May 2001, p. 7.
11 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 1.
12 Cf. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 368.
13 Cf. ibid., 356.
14 Address to Leaders of Trade Unions and Workers’ Associations, 2 May 2000, 3: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, XXIII, 1 (2000), p. 726.
15 No. 28.
16 Cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 3.
17 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 42; cf. Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 57.
18 Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum, 45.
19 Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 58.
20 Ibid.

FIGHTING POVERTY TO BUILD PEACE

1. ONCE AGAIN, AS THE NEW YEAR BEGINS, I want to extend good wishes for peace to people everywhere. With this Message I would like to propose a reflection on the theme: Fighting Poverty to Build Peace. Back in 1993, my venerable Predecessor Pope John Paul II, in his Message for the World Day of Peace that year, drew attention to the negative repercussions for peace when entire populations live in poverty. Poverty is often a contributory factor or a compounding element in conflicts, including armed ones. In turn, these conflicts fuel further tragic situations of poverty. “Our world”, he wrote, “shows increasing evidence of another grave threat to peace: many individuals and indeed whole peoples are living today in conditions of extreme poverty. The gap between rich and poor has become more marked, even in the most economically developed nations. This is a problem which the conscience of humanity cannot ignore, since the conditions in which a great number of people are living are an insult to their innate dignity and as a result are a threat to the authentic and harmonious progress of the world community.” 1
2. In this context, fighting poverty requires attentive consideration of the complex phenomenon of globalization. This is important from a methodological standpoint, because it suggests drawing upon the fruits of economic and sociological research into the many different aspects of poverty. Yet the reference to globalization should also alert us to the spiritual and moral implications of the question, urging us, in our dealings with the poor, to set out from the clear recognition that we all share in a single divine plan: we are called to form one family in which all – individuals, peoples and nations – model their behaviour according to the principles of fraternity and responsibility.
This perspective requires an understanding of poverty that is wide-ranging and well articulated. If it were a question of material poverty alone, then the social sciences, which enable us to measure phenomena on the basis of mainly quantitative data, would be sufficient to illustrate its principal characteristics. Yet we know that other, non-material forms of poverty exist which are not the direct and automatic consequence of material deprivation. For example, in advanced wealthy societies, there is evidence of marginalization, as well as affective, moral and spiritual poverty, seen in people whose interior lives are disoriented and who experience various forms of malaise despite their economic prosperity. On the one hand, I have in mind what is known as “moral underdevelopment”,2 and on the other hand the negative consequences of “superdevelopment”.3 Nor can I forget that, in so-called “poor” societies, economic growth is often hampered by cultural impediments which lead to inefficient use of available resources. It remains true, however, that every form of externally imposed poverty has at its root a lack of respect for the transcendent dignity of the human person. When man is not considered within the total context of his vocation, and when the demands of a true “human ecology” 4 are not respected, the cruel forces of poverty are unleashed, as is evident in certain specific areas that I shall now consider briefly one by one.
Poverty and moral implications
3. Poverty is often considered a consequence of demographic change. For this reason, there are international campaigns afoot to reduce birth-rates, sometimes using methods that respect neither the dignity of the woman, nor the right of parents to choose responsibly how many children to have; 5 graver still, these methods often fail to respect even the right to life. The extermination of millions of unborn children, in the name of the fight against poverty, actually constitutes the destruction of the poorest of all human beings. And yet it remains the case that in 1981, around 40% of the world’s population was below the threshold of absolute poverty, while today that percentage has been reduced by as much as a half, and whole peoples have escaped from poverty despite experiencing substantial demographic growth. This goes to show that resources to solve the problem of poverty do exist, even in the face of an increasing population. Nor must it be forgotten that, since the end of the Second World War, the world’s population has grown by four billion, largely because of certain countries that have recently emerged on the international scene as new economic powers, and have experienced rapid development specifically because of the large number of their inhabitants. Moreover, among the most developed nations, those with higher birth-rates enjoy better opportunities for development. In other words, population is proving to be an asset, not a factor that contributes to poverty.
4. Another area of concern has to do with pandemic diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. Insofar as they affect the wealth-producing sectors of the population, they are a significant factor in the overall deterioration of conditions in the country concerned. Efforts to rein in the consequences of these diseases on the population do not always achieve significant results. It also happens that countries afflicted by some of these pandemics find themselves held hostage, when they try to address them, by those who make economic aid conditional upon the implementation of anti-life policies. It is especially hard to combat AIDS, a major cause of poverty, unless the moral issues connected with the spread of the virus are also addressed. First and foremost, educational campaigns are needed, aimed especially at the young, to promote a sexual ethic that fully corresponds to the dignity of the person; initiatives of this kind have already borne important fruits, causing a reduction in the spread of AIDS. Then, too, the necessary medicines and treatment must be made available to poorer peoples as well. This presupposes a determined effort to promote medical research and innovative forms of treatment, as well as flexible application, when required, of the international rules protecting intellectual property, so as to guarantee necessary basic healthcare to all people.
5. A third area requiring attention in programmes for fighting poverty, which once again highlights its intrinsic moral dimension, is child poverty. When poverty strikes a family, the children prove to be the most vulnerable victims: almost half of those living in absolute poverty today are children. To take the side of children when considering poverty means giving priority to those objectives which concern them most directly, such as caring for mothers, commitment to education, access to vaccines, medical care and drinking water, safeguarding the environment, and above all, commitment to defence of the family and the stability of relations within it. When the family is weakened, it is inevitably children who suffer. If the dignity of women and mothers is not protected, it is the children who are affected most.
6. A fourth area needing particular attention from the moral standpoint is the relationship between disarmament and development. The current level of world military expenditure gives cause for concern. As I have pointed out before, it can happen that “immense military expenditure, involving material and human resources and arms, is in fact diverted from development projects for peoples, especially the poorest who are most in need of aid. This is contrary to what is stated in the Charter of the United Nations, which engages the international community and States in particular ‘to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources’ (art. 26).” 6
This state of affairs does nothing to promote, and indeed seriously impedes, attainment of the ambitious development targets of the international community. What is more, an excessive increase in military expenditure risks accelerating the arms race, producing pockets of underdevelopment and desperation, so that it can paradoxically become a cause of instability, tension and conflict. As my venerable Predecessor Paul VI wisely observed, “the new name for peace is development”.7 States are therefore invited to reflect seriously on the underlying reasons for conflicts, often provoked by injustice, and to practise courageous self-criticism. If relations can be improved, it should be possible to reduce expenditure on arms. The resources saved could then be earmarked for development projects to assist the poorest and most needy individuals and peoples: efforts expended in this way would be efforts for peace within the human family.
7. A fifth area connected with the fight against material poverty concerns the current food crisis, which places in jeopardy the fulfilment of basic needs. This crisis is characterized not so much by a shortage of food, as by difficulty in gaining access to it and by different forms of speculation: in other words, by a structural lack of political and economic institutions capable of addressing needs and emergencies. Malnutrition can also cause grave mental and physical damage to the population, depriving many people of the energy necessary to escape from poverty unaided. This contributes to the widening gap of inequality, and can provoke violent reactions. All the indicators of relative poverty in recent years point to an increased disparity between rich and poor. No doubt the principal reasons for this are, on the one hand, advances in technology, which mainly benefit the more affluent, and on the other hand, changes in the prices of industrial products, which rise much faster than those of agricultural products and raw materials in the possession of poorer countries. In this way, the majority of the population in the poorest countries suffers a double marginalization, through the adverse effects of lower incomes and higher prices.
Global solidarity and the fight against poverty
8. One of the most important ways of building peace is through a form of globalization directed towards the interests of the whole human family.8 In order to govern globalization, however, there needs to be a strong sense of global solidarity 9 between rich and poor countries, as well as within individual countries, including affluent ones. A “common code of ethics”10
is also needed, consisting of norms based not upon mere consensus, but rooted in the natural law inscribed by the Creator on the conscience of every human being (cf. Rom 2:14-15). Does not every one of us sense deep within his or her conscience a call to make a personal contribution to the common good and to peace in society? Globalization eliminates certain barriers, but is still able to build new ones; it brings peoples together, but spatial and temporal proximity does not of itself create the conditions for true communion and authentic peace. Effective means to redress the marginalization of the world’s poor through globalization will only be found if people everywhere feel personally outraged by the injustices in the world and by the concomitant violations of human rights. The Church, which is the “sign and instrument of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race” 11 will continue to offer her contribution so that injustices and misunderstandings may be resolved, leading to a world of greater peace and solidarity. 9. In the field of international commerce and finance, there are processes at work today which permit a positive integration of economies, leading to an overall improvement in conditions, but there are also processes tending in the opposite direction, dividing and marginalizing peoples, and creating dangerous situations that can erupt into wars and conflicts. Since the Second World War, international trade in goods and services has grown extraordinarily fast, with a momentum unprecedented in history. Much of this global trade has involved countries that were industrialized early, with the significant addition of many newly- emerging countries which have now entered onto the world stage. Yet there are other low-income countries which are still seriously marginalized in terms of trade. Their growth has been negatively influenced by the rapid decline, seen in recent decades, in the prices of commodities, which constitute practically the whole of their exports. In these countries, which are mostly in Africa, dependence on the exportation of commodities continues to constitute a potent risk factor. Here I should like to renew an appeal for all countries to be given equal opportunities of access to the world market, without exclusion or marginalization.
10. A similar reflection may be made in the area of finance, which is a key aspect of the phenomenon of globalization, owing to the development of technology and policies of liberalization in the flow of capital between countries. Objectively, the most important function of finance is to sustain the possibility of long- term investment and hence of development. Today this appears extremely fragile: it is experiencing the negative repercussions of a system of financial dealings – both national and global – based upon very short-term thinking, which aims at increasing the value of financial operations and concentrates on the technical management of various forms of risk. The recent crisis demonstrates how financial activity can at times be completely turned in on itself, lacking any long-term consideration of the common good. This lowering of the objectives of global finance to the very short term reduces its capacity to function as a bridge between the present and the future, and as a stimulus to the creation of new opportunities for production and for work in the long term. Finance limited in this way to the short and very short term becomes dangerous for everyone, even for those who benefit when the markets perform well.12
11. All of this would indicate that the fight against poverty requires cooperation both on the economic level and on the legal level, so as to allow the international community, and especially poorer countries, to identify and implement coordinated strategies to deal with the problems discussed above, thereby providing an effective legal framework for the economy. Incentives are needed for establishing efficient participatory institutions, and support is needed in fighting crime and fostering a culture of legality. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that policies which place too much emphasis on assistance underlie many of the failures in providing aid to poor countries. Investing in the formation of people and developing a specific and well-integrated culture of enterprise would seem at present to be the right approach in the medium and long term. If economic activities require a favourable context in order to develop, this must not distract attention from the need to generate revenue. While it has been rightly emphasized that increasing per capita income cannot be the ultimate goal of political and economic activity, it is still an important means of attaining the objective of the fight against hunger and absolute poverty. Hence, the illusion that a policy of mere redistribution of existing wealth can definitively resolve the problem must be set aside. In a modern economy, the value of assets is utterly dependent on the capacity to generate revenue in the present and the future. Wealth creation therefore becomes an inescapable duty, which must be kept in mind if the fight against material poverty is to be effective in the long term.
12. If the poor are to be given priority, then there has to be enough room for an ethical approach to economics on the part of those active in the international market, an ethical approach to politics on the part of those in public office, and an ethical approach to participation capable of harnessing the contributions of civil society at local and international levels. International agencies themselves have come to recognize the value and advantage of economic initiatives taken by civil society or local administrations to promote the emancipation and social inclusion of those sectors of the population that often fall below the threshold of extreme poverty and yet are not easily reached by official aid. The history of twentieth-century economic development teaches us that good development policies depend for their effectiveness on responsible implementation by human agents and on the creation of positive partnerships between markets, civil society and States. Civil society in particular plays a key part in every process of development, since development is essentially a cultural phenomenon, and culture is born and develops in the civil sphere.13
13. As my venerable Predecessor Pope John Paul II had occasion to remark, globalization “is notably ambivalent”14 and therefore needs to be managed with great prudence. This will include giving priority to the needs of the world’s poor, and overcoming the scandal of the imbalance between the problems of poverty and the measures which have been adopted in order to address them. The imbalance lies both in the cultural and political order and in the spiritual and moral order. In fact we often consider only the superficial and instrumental causes of poverty without attending to those harboured within the human heart, like greed and narrow vision. The problems of development, aid and international cooperation are sometimes addressed without any real attention to the human element, but as merely technical questions – limited, that is, to establishing structures, setting up trade agreements, and allocating funding impersonally. What the fight against poverty really needs are men and women who live in a profoundly fraternal way and are able to accompany individuals, families and communities on journeys of authentic human development.
Conclusion
14. In the Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, John Paul II warned of the need to “abandon a mentality in which the poor – as individuals and as peoples – are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced.” The poor, he wrote, “ask for the right to share in enjoying material goods and to make good use of their capacity for work, thus creating a world that is more just and prosperous for all.” 15 In today’s globalized world, it is increasingly evident that peace can be built only if everyone is assured the possibility of reasonable growth: sooner or later, the distortions produced by unjust systems have to be paid for by everyone. It is utterly foolish to build a luxury home in the midst of desert or decay. Globalization on its own is incapable of building peace, and in many cases, it actually creates divisions and conflicts. If anything it points to a need: to be oriented towards a goal of profound solidarity that seeks the good of each and all. In this sense, globalization should be seen as a good opportunity to achieve something important in the fight against poverty, and to place at the disposal of justice and peace resources which were scarcely conceivable previously.
15. The Church’s social teaching has always been concerned with the poor. At the time of the Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum, the poor were identified mainly as the workers in the new industrial society; in the social Magisterium of Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II, new forms of poverty were gradually explored, as the scope of the social question widened to reach global proportions.16 This expansion of the social question to the worldwide scale has to be considered not just as a quantitative extension, but also as a qualitative growth in the understanding of man and the needs of the human family. For this reason, while attentively following the current phenomena of globalization and their impact on human poverty, the Church points out the new aspects of the social question, not only in their breadth but also in their depth, insofar as they concern man’s identity and his relationship with God. These principles of social teaching tend to clarify the links between poverty and globalization and they help to guide action towards the building of peace. Among these principles, it is timely to recall in particular the “preferential love for the poor”,17 in the light of the primacy of charity, which is attested throughout Christian tradition, beginning with that of the early Church (cf. Acts 4:32-36; 1 Cor 16:1; 2 Cor 8-9; Gal 2:10).
“Everyone should put his hand to the work which falls to his share, at once and immediately”, wrote Leo XIII in 1891, and he added: “In regard to the Church, her cooperation will never be wanting, be the time or the occasion what it may”.18 It is in the same spirit that the Church to this day carries out her work for the poor, in whom she sees Christ,19 and she constantly hears echoing in her heart the command of the Prince of Peace to his Apostles: “Vos date illis manducare – Give them something to eat yourselves” (Lk 9:13). Faithful to this summons from the Lord, the Christian community will never fail, then, to assure the entire human family of her support through gestures of creative solidarity, not only by “giving from one’s surplus”, but above all by “a change of life- styles, of models of production and consumption, and of the established structures of power which today govern societies.” 20 At the start of the New Year, then, I extend to every disciple of Christ and to every person of good will a warm invitation to expand their hearts to meet the needs of the poor and to take whatever practical steps are possible in order to help them. The truth of the axiom cannot be refuted: “to fight poverty is to build peace.”
From the Vatican, 8 December 2008.
VATICAN PRESS
1 Message for the 1993 World Day of Peace, 1.
2 Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 19.
3 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 28.
4 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 38.
5 Cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 37; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 25.
6 Benedict XVI, Letter to Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino on the occasion of the International Seminar organized by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace on the theme: “Disarmament, Development and Peace. Prospects for Integral Disarmament”, 10 April 2008: L’Osservatore Romano, English edition, 30 April 2008, p. 2.
7 Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 87.
8 Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 58.
9 Cf. John Paul II, Address to the Christian Associations of Italian Working People, 27 April 2002, 4: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, XXV:1 (2002), p. 637.
10 John Paul II, Address to the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, 27 April 2001, 4: L’Osservatore Romano, English Edition, 2 May 2001, p. 7.
11 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 1.
12 Cf. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 368.
13 Cf. ibid., 356.
14 Address to Leaders of Trade Unions and Workers’ Associations, 2 May 2000, 3: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, XXIII, 1 (2000), p. 726.
15 No. 28.
16 Cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 3.
17 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 42; cf. Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 57.
18 Encyclical Letter Rerum Novarum, 45.
19 Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 58.
20 Ibid.

MANILA, Philippines – On Dec. 10 Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University launched Wednesday a legal education and research center named after Fr. Joaquin Bernas SJ, dean emeritus of the Ateneo Law School (ALS) in Makati City. Bernas was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission that drafted the present Philippine Constitution.

The Center will be a special unit of the Ateneo’s law school and will provide a venue for continuing legal education programs by holding legal education series, undertaking legal researches, and producing legal publication on current, relevant and important legal issues.

Bernas served as Dean of Ateneo Law School, President of Ateneo de Manila University from 1984 to 1993, a Member of the Constitutional Commission formed by then President Corazon Aquino in 1986, a Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus in the Philippines, and a Director of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Upon his retirement as Law Dean in 2004, Bernas was conferred the position of Dean Emeritus at Ateneo School of Law. He continues to teach Constitutional Law and Public International Law to law freshmen and sophomores. He enjoys high credibility as an unbiased and independent legal expert and is a frequent resource speaker in legal conferences and workshops.

He has authored several law books and law articles published and widely-used by Filipino lawyers and law students. His published works are often cited in decisions penned by justices of the Philippine Supreme Court and judges of lower courts.

NEW DELHI (UCAN) — Prisoners sang, danced and whistled during a pre-Christmas celebration that Catholic seminarians organized in a federal jail.

About 1,800 inmates from a section of Tihar Central Jail joined seminarians from Jesuit-run Vidyajyoti College of Theology in New Delhi for the Dec. 5 program of carol-singing, skits and dancing. The prisoners shared sweets with jail officials and the visitors, and some even joined impromptu dances to popular songs while others joyously whistled and yelled.

The seminarians and some prisoners also performed a comedy skit that tried to convey a message of hope, peace and a better life.

Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi joined the seminarians and offered his own special message, telling the inmates that God does not forget prisoners.

“Whatever He does in our lives is for our own good,” the archbishop told the gathering. “It is all part of his plan for us. It is our task to reflect and set ourselves on a new lease of life that is promised for us.”

Despite human failures God continues to love, he added, “He loves us so much that He was born among us as a human so that we may live a life of truth.”

Several inmates told UCA News they much appreciated the Christmas program.

After six years in jail, Sonu Roopchand said, he found the celebration very special because it evoked “good feelings and insights about life,” and gave him a message of hope. “Problems and difficulties are part of life,” he added. “I have learned to accept them and I am waiting to start a new life.”

Fellow prisoner Sunil Yadav said it was his seventh Christmas celebration in this jail. “I very much liked the message of the skit — service to humanity and service to God.”

Inmate Kalyan Bharati told UCA News that the prisoners have different faiths and only a few are Christians, but this did not stop them from celebrating Christmas. “God is (the) only one. We are all his children,” he said.

This rang true for cellmate Rajendra Singh. “We encourage and welcome such a celebration,” he said. “We’re not at all divided on the basis of religion.”

Gulshan Naik, another prisoner, said he is not a Christian, but the function so reminded him of Hanuman (Hinduism’s monkey god) that he began to pray.

The Vidyajyoti seminarians have been conducting such celebrations since 1991 as part of their “Tihar Ministry.” They do so guided by a Vidyajyoti professor and with the permission of prison authorities. As part of their ministry, the seminarians regularly visit the jail, listen to and counsel the prisoners, and also act as a link between prisoners and their families.