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Riccardi, Andrea
2 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Believe, yes, but reflect as well!
The crux of Benedict XVI's social encyclical is its call for reflection, writes the liberal-conservative Corriere della Sera. "The Pope's encyclical deals with many concrete points. ... and is consequently anything but a simplified recipe. The Pope gives voice to many people's dissatisfaction, developing it into an articulate argument. ... The encyclical seeks to win many economic and social players over to a vision of solidarity. Solidarity is the key word. The root of humanism, it seeks to bring the economy into the sphere of politics. ... Publishing the encyclical simultaneously with the G8 summit is a challenge to the poverty of ideas and perspectives. ... If it prompts our political and economic culture to reflect on the future, the encyclical will score a major success. This Pope not only wants to help people to believe, he also wants to help them reflect."
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More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Global
Andrea Riccardi on Catholic positions on war
In the liberal Italian daily La Stampa, Andrea Riccardi reviews the history of Catholic attitudes to bloody conflicts, comparing them with those of other religions: "During the last two world wars the Holy See adopted the more unobtrusive stance of impartiality, which brought the accusation of partiality through silence down upon it. It's hard to remain impartial when war overruns everything right down to the last drop of blood. ... Impartiality requires reserve, which is paid for with isolation and unpopularity, and made up for with charity for all victims. ... In addition to the difficulties in the Middle East, which can be traced back to the Church's specific relations with Israel, the question arises whether the position of the Holy See is not illusory. ... The Church does not consider itself a pacifist, but a peacemaker. ... Catholicism differs from Orthodoxy, which it identifies with fighting between nations, and the differences only increase in comparison to other religions such as Islam. The Catholic position has created no unanimity among governments. ... But it does represent a unique resource for the Western consciousness vis-à-vis other worlds. ... The vision ... of the Roman Catholic Church is one element which renders the Western consciousness in such crucial matters as war and peace more original, and more complex."
» full article (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Global
