“The serious social problems of the world would have been overcome if the ‘Millennium Goals’ decided jointly by 191 nations in the year 2000 had been implemented,” wrote former IYCW chaplain, Brazilian Bishop Dom Reginaldo Andrietta, in a statement published on May 10.
“There were eight goals: to end hunger and misery; quality basic education for all; equality of rights between the sexes and women’s autonomy; reduce child mortality; improve the health of pregnant women; combating AIDS, malaria and other diseases; environmental sustainability; and global partnership for development,” Dom Reginaldo noted.
Moreover, several new commitments were made in 2015 for resolution by 2030, including ending poverty and hunger everywhere; combating inequalities in and between countries; building peaceful, just and inclusive societies; protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and ensuring the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources.
In addition the UN resoloved to “create conditions for inclusive and economically sustainable growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all,” Dom Reginaldo continued.
Unfortunately this “Agenda 2030” declaration by the heads of 169 nations including Brazil also lived up to the popular saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” he warned
“Despite having advanced in the first fifteen years of this new millennium, towards a socially sustainable country, Brazil is now experiencing a series of dramatic moments camouflaged by the mainstream media, including ‘fake news’ style,” he lamented.
“Rulers, unscrupulous individuals and groups use media powers to manipulate consciousness, negatively affecting political life.
“Therefore, the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, in its message of April 17 of this year, in line with Pope Francis’s message for the World Day of Social Communications, celebrated this year, on May 13, called on people to be on the look out for “fake news already present in this pre-electoral period, with a tendency to proliferate in the occasion of the elections, causing serious damage to democracy. ”
‘These problems challenge all good people, particularly Christians, to whom Christ entrusted the mission of expanding his Kingdom of righteousness,” Dom Reginaldo wrote.
“These challenges need to be taken into account, especially in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, held this year between May 13 and 20, with the motto: ‘The hand of God unites us and liberates us’ (Ex 15, 1-21).”
“According to the Book of Exodus, encouraged by faith the Hebrews, who were slaves in Egypt, united and organised themselves, conquered their liberation, and built a social system of solidarity.
“Christ, the inspiration of our liberating faith, encourages us today to act in an equally organised way, so that the positive political intentions, such as expressed in the Agenda 2030, are actually implemented, not depending, therefore, on hypocritical rulers.
“Christ’s warning concerning ‘teachers of the law and Pharisees’ is valid, then, with regard to many pretended rulers and political leaders: ‘they speak and do not practice’ (Mt 23: 3). Christ warns us to beware of these false leaders (Lk 12: 1).
“Let us take special care in the elections, uniting ourselves with Pope Francis, who, in his Apostolic Exhortation, ‘Joy of the Gospel,’ 205, pleads with God for politicians who take up the life of the poor,” Dom Reginaldo concluded.
SOURCE
Assumir pra valer a vida dos pobres (Dom Reginaldo Andrietta / Facebook)
