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President's address
United States' contribution to the cause
of world peace
On Monday, 7 June, Pope John Paul II received a visit from
the President of the United States, Mr Ronald Reagan, who w as
accompanied by his wife Nancy. Other members of the official party were
Secretary of State Alexander
M. Haig, Jr,
and his wife; Mr James A. Baker III, Chief of Staff and Assistant to the
President; Mr Michael K. Deaver, Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant to
the President, and his wife; Mr William P. Clark, Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs, and his wife; Mr Edward V.
Hickey, Jr, Assistant to the President and Director of Special Support
Services; Mr William A. Wilson, Personal Representative of the President
to the Holy See, and his wife; Mr Michael A. McManus, Deputy Assistant to
the President and Deputy to the Deputy Chief of Staff; and Mr Robert De
Prospero, Special Assistant to the President.
During the audience the Holy
Father delivered the following address.
Mr President.
1. I am particularly pleased
to welcome you today to the Vatican. Although we have already had many
contacts, it is the first time that we have met personally.
In you, the President of the
United States of America, I greet all the people of your great land. I
still remember vividly the warm welcome that I was given by millions of
your fellow citizens less than three years ago. On that occasion I was
once more able to witness firsthand the vitality of your nation. I was
able to see again how the moral and spiritual values transmitted by
your Founding Fathers find their dynamic expression in the life of
modern America.
The American people are
indeed proud of their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
They are proud of civil and social progress in American society, as well
as the extraordinary advances in science and technology. As I speak to you
today it is my hope that the entire structure of American life will rest
ever more securely on the strong foundation of moral and spiritual values.
Without the fostering and defence of these values, all human advancement
is stunted and the very dignity of the human person is endangered.
2. Throughout the course of
their history, and especially in difficult: times, the American people
have repeatedly risen to challenges presented to them. They have given
many proofs of unselfishness, generosity, concern for othersconcern
for the poor, the needy, the oppressed; they have shown confidence
in that great ideal of being a united people, with a mission of service to
perform. At this present moment in the history of the world, the United
States is called, above all, to fulfil its mission in the service of
world peace. The very condition of the world today calls for a
farsighted policy that will favour those indispensable conditions of
justice and freedom, of truth and love that are the foundations of lasting
peace.
3. Mr President, my own
greatest preoccupation is for the peace of the worldpeace
in our day. In many parts of the world there are centres of acute tension.
This acute tension is manifested above all in the crisis in the South
Atlantic, in the war between Iran and Iraq, and, nof [sic], in the grave
crisis provoked by the new events in Lebanon. This grave crisis in Lebanon
likewise merits the attention of the world because of the danger it
contains of further provocation in the Middle East, with immense
consequences for world peace.
There are fortunately many
factors in society that today positively contribute to peace. These
positive factors include an increasing realization of the interdependence
of all peoples, a growing solidarity with those in need, and a great
conviction of the absurdity of war as a means of resolving controversies
between nations.
During my recent visit to
Britain I stated in particular that "the scale and horror of modern
warfarewhether
nuclear or notmakes
it totally unacceptable as a means of settling differences between
nations" (at Coventry, 30 May 1982). And for those who profess the
Christian faith I offered as motivation the fact that "when you are in
contact with the Prince of Peace, you understand how totally opposed to
his message are... hatred and war" (To the young people, at Cardiff, 2
June 1982).
4. The duty of peace falls
especially upon the leaders of the world. It is up to the representatives
of governments and peoples to work to free humanity not only from
wars and conflicts but from the fear that is generated by ever more
sophisticated and deadly weapons. Peace is not only the absence of
war; it also involves reciprocal trust between nationsa
trust that is manifested and proved through constructive negotiations that
aim at ending the arms race, and at liberating immense resources that can
be used to alleviate misery and feed millions of hungry human beings.
5. All effective peacemaking requires farsightedness;
farsightedness is a quality needed in all peacemakers. Your own great
nation is called to exercise this farsightedness, as are all the nations
of the world. This quality enables leaders, to commit themselves to those
concrete programmes which are essential to world peaceprogrammes
of justice and development, efforts to defend and protect human life, as
well as initiatives that favour human rights. On the contrary, anything
that wounds, weakens or dishonours human dignity, in any aspect, imperils
the cause of the human person and, at the same time, the peace of the
world.
6. The relations between nations are greatly affected by
the development issue, which preserves its full relevance in this day of
ours. Success in resolving questions in the North-South dialogue
will continue to be the gauge of peaceful relations between various
political communities and continue to influence the peace of the world in
the years ahead.. Economic and social advancement, linked to financial
collaboration between peoples, remains an apt goal for the renewed efforts
of the statesmen of the world.
7. A truly universal concept of the common good of
the human family is an incomparable instrument in building the edifice
of world peace. It is my own conviction that a united and concerned
America can contribute immensely to the cause of world peace through the
efforts of her leaders and the commitment of all her citizens. Dedicated
to the high ideals of her traditions, America is in a splendid position to
help all humanity enjoy what she herself is intent on possessing. With
faith in God and belief in universal human solidarity, may America step
forward at this crucial moment in history to consolidate her rightful
place at: the service of world peace
In this sense, Mr President, I repeat today those words
that I spoke when I left the United States in 1979: "My final prayer is
this: that God will bless America, so that she may increasingly becomeand
truly be and long remainOne
Nation, under God, indivisible. With liberty and justice for all" (7
October1979).
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