Pope Leo XIV says the huge economic divide between rich and poor today is unacceptable, with so much wealth concentrated in the hands of a few. Source: CNS.
Political leaders have a responsibility to promote the good of the entire community, especially by defending the vulnerable, the marginalised and the poor, he told speakers and members of parliament attending a Rome conference on democracy and interfaith dialogue during the Jubilee of Governments.
“Sound politics,” he said, promotes “the equitable distribution of resources,” which “can offer an effective service to harmony and peace both domestically and internationally.”
The Pope met with the group during an audience at the Vatican on June 21. The group was made up of people attending the June 19-21 Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Rome. The conference brought together speakers and members of parliament with representatives of religions, governments, international organisations, faith-based and civil organisations and academia.
In his speech, the Pope said they had a “responsibility to promote and protect, independent of any special interest, the good of the community, the common good, particularly by defending the vulnerable and the marginalised.”
“This would mean, for example, working to overcome the unacceptable disproportion between the immense wealth concentrated in the hands of a few and the world’s poor,” he said. “Those who live in extreme conditions cry out to make their voices heard and often find no ears willing to hear their plea.
“This imbalance generates situations of persistent injustice, which readily lead to violence and, sooner or later, to the tragedy of war,” he said, calling for a more equitable distribution of resources.
Pope Leo also underlined the importance of religious freedom and interreligious dialogue.
“Political life can achieve much by encouraging the conditions for there to be authentic religious freedom and that a respectful and constructive encounter between different religious communities may develop,” he said.
“Belief in God, with the positive values that derive from it, is an immense source of goodness and truth for the lives of individuals and communities,” he added.
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Political leaders must fix wealth gap, promote religious freedom, Pope says (by Carol Glatz, CNS)
