By Verghese V Joseph –
Vatican: Greeting a delegation of the International Catholic Legislators Network at Vatican on Friday, Holy Father Francis asked them to help guide the evolution and application of technology for the common good.
The International Catholic Legislators Network was set up in 2010 for supporting and promoting the work of the Holy See as witnesses to the Gospel in serving countries and the international community as a whole.
While thanking legislators for their witness and cooperation in the Church’s mission, Pope Francis observed that, “In our age, in particular, one of the greatest challenges on this horizon is the administration of technology for the common good. The wonders of modern science and technology have increased our quality of life.”
Referring to Laudato si’, Pope Francis mentioned that, “It is right to rejoice in these progresses and be enthusiastic in the face of the wide possibilities that these continuous innovations open to us, because science and technology are a marvelous product of human creativity which is a gift from God” (Enc. Laudato si ‘ , 102) .
However, he cautioned that abandoning them to the forces of the market alone, without the appropriate guidelines given by legislative assemblies and other public authorities guided by a sense of social responsibility, these innovations can threaten the dignity of the human being.
Citing examples of the scourge of child pornography, the exploitation of personal data, attacks on critical infrastructures such as hospitals, falsehoods spread through social media and so on, Holy Father said it is not a question of holding back technological progress. However, the tools of politics and regulation allow parliamentarians to protect human dignity when it is threatened.
Pope Francis warmly encouraged the legislators to take on the task of a serious and in-depth moral reflection on the risks and opportunities inherent in scientific and technological progress, so that the legislation and international standards that govern them can focus on promoting human development.
The Holy Father highlighted the scourge of the raging Covid-19 pandemic. “We have certainly made significant progress in creating and distributing effective vaccines, but we still have a lot of work to do. There have already been more than two hundred million confirmed cases and four million deaths from this terrible plague, which has also caused so much economic and social ruin.”
He stressed that their role as parliamentarians was therefore more important than ever to serve the common good. He called upon them to collaborate, through their political action, in the integral renewal of their communities and of society as a whole not only to defeat the virus, but also to address the root causes that the crisis has revealed and amplified: poverty, social inequality, widespread unemployment and the lack of access to education.
Pope Francis had a word of advise for them. “Brothers and sisters, a crisis does not come out the same: we will come out better or worse. You can’t get out of a crisis alone: we’ll go out together or we won’t be able to get out of it.” He went on to say that in an age of political disturbance and polarization, parliamentarians and politicians more generally were not always held in high esteem. “This is not new to you. However, what higher calling exists than to serve the common good and prioritize the well-being of all, over personal gain? This must always be your goal, because good politics is indispensable for universal brotherhood and social peace,” he added.