Pope Francis sent a practical message to G20 members who met in Hamburg, Germany on 7 and 8 July.
He addressed the message to the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, who had invited him to do so.
In his message, Francis explains four principles of action for building fraternal, just and peaceful societies. In brief these are:
- Time is greater than space: consider effective solutions for the immigration crisis that has hit Europe and the Middle East in the past several years.
- Unity prevails over conflict: war…is never a solution … There is a tragic contradiction and inconsistency in the apparent unity expressed in common forums on economic or social issues, and the acceptance, active or passive, of armed conflicts.
- Realities are more important than ideas: do not to fall into the ideologies of the first half of the 20th century that brought “exclusion, waste and even death.”
- The whole is greater than the part: problems need to be resolved concretely and with due attention to their specificity, but such solutions, to be lasting, cannot neglect a broader vision.
Francis says these four principles are part of the age-old wisdom of all humanity. “I believe that they can also serve as an aid to reflection for the Hamburg meeting and for the assessment of its outcome,” he said.
His message emphasises the need for multilateral solutions to the problems facing humanity today.
“The gravity, complexity and interconnection of world problems is such that there can be no immediate and completely satisfying solutions.” He pointed to “the migration crisis, which is inseparable from the issue of poverty and exacerbated by armed conflicts” as proof of this.”
While there are no immediate adequate solutions to these problems, Francis encouraged the G20 leaders to be hopeful.
“It is possible … to set in motion processes that can offer solutions that are progressive and not traumatic, and which can lead in relatively short order to free circulation and to a settlement of persons that would be to the advantage of all.”
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