Download PDF version of this page16/04/2008
Press release
Issued by the CBCEW
President of the Vatican's Human and Christian Development council speaks to bishops of England and Wales
At the invitation of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, joined the Bishops of England and Wales at their spring meeting in Leeds to talk about Pope Benedict's first Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est (God is Love).
"Anyone looking at society today can only be filled with joy that Christ’s commandment to love one’s neighbour finds concrete expression in extensive charitable outreach. On the other hand, the global popularisation of an idea also unfortunately often leads to its dilution. Inflation goes hand-in-hand with a reduction in value. For this reason, it falls still today to Christians, and, in a special way the Church’s Pastors, to be attentive." Cardinal Cordes
Full text:
Cardinal Cordes' address to the Bishops of England and Wales
Notes:
Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes has been president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development since 1995.
Cor Unum was established by Pope Paul VI with his Letter of Institution Amoris officio (15 July 1971).
Its mission is to express "the care of the Catholic Church for the needy, thereby encouraging human fellowship and making manifest the charity of Christ" (Apostolic Constitution Pastor bonus, art. 145).
It aims to:
1) assist the Pope and be his instrument for carrying out special initiatives in the field of humanitarian actions when disasters occur, or in the field of integral human promotion.
2) foster the catechesis of Charity and encourage the faithful to give a concrete witness to evangelical charity
3) encourage and coordinate the initiatives of Catholic Organizations through the exchange of information and by promoting fraternal cooperation in favour of integral human development.
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