The Pope on Gospel, Family & Life January 07, 2008

"Greater hope is needed", he added, "so as to permit the common good of everyone to prevail over the luxury of the few and the poverty of the many. 'This great hope can only be God, ... not any god, but the God Who has a human face'".

"If there is great hope, it becomes possible to persevere in sobriety. If true hope is lacking, happiness is sought in inebriation, in superfluity, in excess, in the ruination of oneself and of the world.

"Moderation is not then just an ascetic rule, but also a path of salvation for humanity. it is now clear that only by adopting a sober lifestyle, accompanied by a serious commitment to the fair distribution of wealth, will it be possible to establish a just and sustainable order of development. To this end", the Holy Father concluded, "there is need for men and woman who nourish great hope and possess great courage".

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GOD IS THE GREAT HOPE HUMANITY NEEDS

VATICAN CITY, 6 JAN 2008

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"From its very first appearance", the Pope added, "the light of Christ began to attract to Him those 'whom God favours' from all languages, peoples and cultures. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that moves hearts and minds in search of truth, beauty, justice and peace".

"Men and women of all generations, have need of guidance on their pilgrimage. What star, then, can they follow? ... The star that guided the Magi ceased its function, but its spiritual light remains present in the words of the Gospel, which even today are able to guide all mankind to Jesus, Those same words - which are nothing other than the reflection of Christ, true God and true man - are authoritatively echoed in the Church ".

The Holy Father went on: "The Church, then, also performs the mission of the star for humankind. But something similar may be said for each individual Christian, called to enlighten through word and deed the footsteps of his fellows. How important it is for we Christians to remain faithful to our vocation. All true believers are always travelling along their own personal itinerary of faith and at the same time, with the little light that each of them carries within, they can and must help those whom they encounter and who perhaps are struggling to find the path that leads to Christ".

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THE GOSPEL, LIGHT AND GUIDE FOR ALL MANKIND

VATICAN CITY, 6 JAN 2008

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"In every continent the Catholic Church strives to ensure that human rights are not only proclaimed but put into practice. It is to be hoped that agencies created for the defence and promotion of human rights will devote all their energies to this task and, in particular, that the Human Rights Council will be able to meet the expectations generated by its creation.

"The Holy See for its part never tires of reaffirming these principles and rights, founded on what is essential and permanent in the human person. The Church willingly undertakes this service to the true dignity of human persons, created in the image of God. And on the basis of these considerations, I cannot but deplore once again the continual attacks perpetrated on every continent against human life".

"I rejoice that on 18 December the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution calling upon States to institute a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, and I earnestly hope that this initiative will lead to public debate on the sacred character of human life.

"I regret, once again, the disturbing threats to the integrity of the family, founded on the marriage of a man and a woman. Political leaders, of whatever kind, should defend this fundamental institution, the basic cell of society".

"Even religious freedom, 'an essential requirement of the dignity of every person [and] a cornerstone of the structure of human rights' is often undermined. There are many places where this right cannot be fully exercised. The Holy See defends it, demands that it be universally respected, and views with concern discrimination against Christians and against the followers of other religions.

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POPE DELIVERS HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS

VATICAN CITY, 7 JAN 2008