Global Church Leaders Promote Justice, Rights for New Year

LONDON – Global church leaders gave their New Year messages as the world greeted 2007.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams greets young children at Displaced Persons Camp near Khartoum during his 8-day pastoral visit to the Province of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan in March 2006.
The spiritual head of the 77-million member worldwide Anglican Communion, Dr Rowan Williams, said Christians need to feel the same hunger for justice that ended the slave trade if the world is to be changed for the better. The head of the 1.1-billion member Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, similarly said that world peace can only be achieved if individuals' human rights are given full respect. Pope Benedict stressed that there can be no excuse for treating people as "objects".

Two days following the hanging of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein – an event the Vatican condemned as "tragic" – the pope said Monday that human rights must be put at the center of the global struggle to end war.

In a homily at St Peter’s Basilica, the pope said, “It is because every human individual, without distinction of race, culture or religion, is created in the image and likeness of God, that he is filled with the same dignity of person.”

"That is why he must be respected," he added. “No reason can ever justify doing with him whatever one pleases, as if he is an object.”

Marking his second New Year since succeeding John Paul II, the 79-year-old pontiff said: “Today people speak a lot about human rights, but it is often forgotten that these need a stable base, not one that is relative or a matter of opinion."


http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070101/24711.htm

issues of "justice" and start telling the bigots where they can place it.

I won't argue with either man's call for justice and human rights. But I think they both need to open their eyes a bit wider to see the full extent of what that means.

NOT. None of their 'good will' is meant for you. There are plenty of non sectarian ways of helping the disavantaged. Beware faith based charities.

In a homily at St Peter’s Basilica, the pope said, “It is because every human individual, without distinction of race, culture or religion, is created in the image and likeness of God, that he is filled with the same dignity of person.”

I'm sure he meant to, and just forgot.

Oh well. That sappy Xmas season is over, and now the Pope can get back to the stuff that really matters. Like attacking gays, women, family planning, and any scintilla of human progress not mentioned in his 5,000 year old book of fairy tales.