Thursday, June 11, 2020

Social Justice, Right to Life - Archfather gives Corpus Christi Allocution

Jean DuBois

PATRIARCHAL SEE 10 June 2020 (ORCNS) - The Archfather gave his annual Corpus Christi Allocution today. His Holy Eminence spoke of issues of social justice and the right to life, referring to the Holy Church as the original and only truly authentic instrument of social justice today. The Archfather gives five regular allocutions, or formal speeches, each year on Easter, Corpus Christi, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Christmas, and Ash Wednesday, as well as others as situations warrant. They are always addressed by tradition "From the Florentine Household to the Christian Faithful around the world, and to the members of the Court of St. Mary of Walsingham." The video and transcript of the allocution are below.




TRANSCRIPT

FROM the Florentine household to the Christian faithful around the world, and the members of the Court of St. Mary of Walsingham, grace, peace, and Our Apostolic Blessing on this wonderful Feast of Corpus Christi in the year of our Lord 2020. This day in the liturgical calendar finds the world descended further into chaos and turmoil and division and upheaval. But any student of history will know that this is not unusual, this is not new, this is quite common, and perhaps is even the standard state of things in the world. Today we hear so often talked about this concept of social justice, and it is indeed a fine thing to seek justice authentic justice for all. Yet this term is so often misused and abused by individuals and organisations for political and other agendas. In fact, that abuse is often such that it harms the very people that they claim to be trying to help. And thus we submit that the only authentic and indeed the original institution of social justice is the Church of Christ.

That social justice of the church is rooted in the church’s social doctrine, which derives from moral theology. Christ came into the world, performed miracles, taught the truth, suffered, was crucified, buried, descended into hell, rose from the dead, walked the earth as the risen Lord, and then gloriously ascended into heaven not for one group of people, but for all people and all time. It is for this reason that the church is the only authentic institution of social justice in the world. All that we do indeed flows from the altar of God, whereupon takes place that same true and living Sacrifice.

And so today in the world when people talk of justice and equality, such conversations are ultimately fruitless and meaningless without a respect for life. Indeed the world today has abandoned as a whole its respect for life. No person, no organisation, no nation has any right to demand justice for any individual or group of people if it does not first respect life. No nation, no people may demand justice while the curse of abortion continues to exist. We cannot talk about the rights of man when we have the wholesale slaughter of millions of people around the world each year in the form of abortion.

The right to life is the most fundamental and foundational right that exists. When we talk about other rights, they assume one thing – and that is that you are alive to exercise that right. And therefore again the right to life is the most fundamental right on earth that we can discuss. So until that becomes the centre of the argument, of the debate, the centre of the discussion, everything else is meaningless and can not exist in any authentic way leading to a true solution. This is what the Church of Christ teaches, and this is the framework of authentic social justice that must take place in the world if we as Christians are to try to make the world a better place, as we should; if we are to try to help our fellow man, as we should; if we are to see those suffering and see them as our brothers, as we should. None of that can in fact take place or have any true meaning if it does not flow from the altar of God, if it is not centred on a foundation of a right to life. That is the first discussion that must be had today in society.

It is the Body of Christ that we celebrates this day in the liturgical calendar that unites humanity. It is the Body of Christ that leads to authentic social justice among mankind. Now, go into the world to build this respect for life among your fellow man so that we may try to help establish the kingdom of God here on earth.

And now prepare yourself for God's blessing.

Et benedictio Dei omnipotensis, Patris, + et Filii, + et Spiritus + Sancti, descendat super vos et maneat semper. R. Amen.