The 14 Papal phrases that triggered applause in the European Parliament - 2014-11-26 As the Pope addressed the European Parliament, legislators broke out in applause a total of 14 times. These were the phrases that triggered such a reaction. 1.- HUMAN DIGNITY What dignity can a person ever hope to find when he or she lacks food and the bare essentials for survival and, worse yet, when they lack the work which confers dignity?” 2.- LIFESTYLES Together with this, we encounter certain rather selfish lifestyles, marked by an opulence which is no longer sustainable and frequently indifferent to the world around us, and especially to the poorest of the poor.” 3.-LIFE Men and women risk being reduced to mere cogs in a machine that treats them as items of consumption to be exploited, with the result that – as is so tragically apparent – whenever a human life no longer proves useful for that machine, it is discarded with few qualms, as in the case of the terminally ill, the elderly who are abandoned and uncared for, and children who are killed in the womb”. 4.- RELIGION AND VIOLENCE I am likewise convinced that a Europe which is capable of appreciating its religious roots and of grasping their fruitfulness and potential, will be all the more immune to the many forms of extremism spreading in the world today, not least as a result of the great vacuum of ideals which we are currently witnessing in the West, since it is precisely man’s forgetfulness of God, and his failure to give him glory, which gives rise to violence.” 5.- RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AND SILENCE Communities and individuals today find themselves subjected to barbaric acts of violence: they are evicted from their homes and native lands, sold as slaves, killed, beheaded, crucified or burned alive, under the shameful and complicit silence of so many.” 6.- OUTSIDE INFLUENCES Keeping democracies alive is a challenge in the present historic moment. The true strength of our democracies – understood as expressions of the political will of the people – must not be allowed to collapse under the pressure of multinational interests which are not universal, which weaken them and turn them into uniform systems of economic power at the service of unseen empires.” 7.- FAMILY The family, united, fruitful and indissoluble, possesses the elements fundamental for fostering hope in the future.” 8.- ENVIRONMENT We need only think, for example, of alternative sources of energy, the development of which will assist in the protection of the environment.” 9.- HUNGER It is intolerable that millions of people around the world are dying of hunger while tons of food are discarded each day from our tables.” 10.- EMPLOYMENT The time has come to promote policies which create employment, but above all there is a need to restore dignity to labor by ensuring proper working conditions.” 11.- IMMIGRANTS We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery!” 12.- IMMIGRATION POLICIES We need to take action against the causes and not only the effects.” 13.- PEOPLE AT THE CENTER Dear Members of the European Parliament, the time has come to work together in building a Europe which revolves not around the economy, but around the sacredness of the human person, around inalienable values.” 14.- STANDING OVATION The time has come for us to abandon the idea of a Europe which is fearful and self-absorbed, in order to revive and encourage a Europe of leadership, a repository of science, art, music, human values and faith as well. A Europe which contemplates the heavens and pursues lofty ideals. A Europe which cares for, defends and protects man, every man and woman. A Europe which bestrides the earth surely and securely, a precious point of reference for all humanity! Thank you!”
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 10:06:30 +0000
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