Pope concerned over growing
threat of "conflictual nationalism", nuclear war
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| Pope Francis meeting members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences on May 2, 2019 (ANSA) |
Pope Francis addressed some 50 members of the Vatican’s
Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, who are discussing the theme, “Nation,
State, Nation-State”, during their plenary assembly, May 1-3.
By Robin Gomes
Pope Francis on Thursday expressed concern over the
re-emergence of aggressive feelings against foreigners, especially immigrants,
as well as a growing nationalism that neglects the common good, saying such
trends compromise international cooperation, mutual respect and the sustainable
development goals of the United Nations.
Speaking to some 50 members of the Vatican’s Pontifical
Academy of Social Sciences, the Holy Father also expressed fears over the
growing threat of nuclear confrontation that risks cancelling the progress of
the recent past and multiplies the risk of war.
The Pope spoke to the Pontifical Academy in the light of its
May 1-3 plenary assembly on “Nation, State, Nation-State”, in the backdrop of a
growing trend in exclusivist nationalism.
Migration and conflictual nationalism
The Pope pointed out that the Church has always urged the
love of one’s own people and country while respecting the various cultures,
customs and habits of other peoples. At the same time it has warned
against deviations in this attachment that result in excluding and hating
others when it becomes “conflictual nationalism that raises walls, even racism
or anti-Semitism.”
He noted that, too often, states are subservient to the
interests of a dominant group, mostly for reasons of economic profit, which
oppresses the ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities who are in their
territory.
On the contrary, the Pope pointed out, “the way in which a
nation welcomes migrants reveals its vision of human dignity and its
relationship with humanity.”
He urged that a person or a family, forced to leave their
own land, be welcomed with humanity. In this regard he repeated his
4-verb formula of how to receive a migrant, namely: welcoming, protecting,
promoting and integrating.
While stressing that the migrant is not a threat to the
culture, customs and values of the host nation, the migrant also has a duty to
integrate into the receiving nation, enriching the host while maintaining his
identity.
Pope Francis pointed out that migration is a permanent feature
of human history, and all nations are the result of the integration of
successive waves of people or groups of migrants, who while being images of the
diversity of humanity, are united by common values, cultural resources and
healthy customs.
“A state that arouses the nationalistic feelings of its own
people against other nations or groups of people would fail in its mission,” he
warned, adding history proves where such deviations lead to.
Multilateralism
Speaking about the nation-state, the Pope said it cannot be
regarded as absolute and an island in relation to its surroundings and on its
own; it cannot provide its people with the common good and meet the great
contemporary challenges of climate change, new slavery and peace.
The cooperative vision among nations, the Pope said,
requires the relaunching of multilateralism, which is opposed to new nationalistic
impulses and hegemonic policy.
“Humanity would thus avoid the threat of recourse to armed
conflicts whenever a dispute arises between nation-states, as well as evading
the danger of economic and ideological colonization of the
superpowers, avoiding the overwhelming of the strongest over the weakest,
paying attention to the global dimension without losing sight of the local,
national and regional dimensions.”
As opposed to a globalization that levels differences and
suffocates localization and leads to the re-emergence of nationalism and hegemonic
imperialism, the Pope called for a "multifaceted" form of
globalization based on mutual recognition between the collective identity of
each people, nation and globalization itself, which leads to a general state of
peace and harmony.
The multilateral bodies, the Pope said, have been created in
the hope of being able to replace the logic of revenge, domination, oppression
and conflict with that of dialogue, mediation, compromise, harmony and
the awareness of belonging to the same humanity in the common home.
On the other hand, the growing hegemony of powers and
interest groups that impose their own visions and ideas, as well as new forms
of ideological colonization, often disregarding the identity, customs and
habits, dignity and sensitivity of the peoples concerned. The emergence of such
tendencies is weakening the multilateral system, with the result of a lack of
credibility in international politics and a progressive marginalization of the
most vulnerable members of the family of nations.
Nuclear threat
Pope Francis lamented that today the season of multilateral
nuclear disarmament seems outdated and no longer stirs the political conscience
of nations that possess atomic weapons. On the contrary, he said, a new season
of worrying nuclear confrontation seems to be opening, because it cancels the
progress of the recent past and multiplies the risk of war. If the
offensive and defensive nuclear arms will now be placed on earth and space, the
Pope warned, the so-called new technical frontier will have raised and not
lowered the danger of a nuclear holocaust.
The Pope concluded urging the members of the Pontifical
Academy of Social Sciences to help him spread the awareness of a renewed
international solidarity with respect for human dignity, the common good,
respect for the planet and the supreme good of peace.
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