Pontificia Accademia per la Vita

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia - President of the Pontifical Academy for Life - Introductory Remarks.

I am especially pleased to welcome you here to the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy for Life for your meeting. I know how important is the work you do. My wish is that you can continue it, because it is an important part of the future of humanity. In a fragmenting world it is important to have a global vision. This is the problem of the international politics of today. And I would like to recall here, very briefly, the vision of Pope Francis, and it is indispensable to preserve. With the Encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis reminded us that the planet is the Common Home of all peoples. And at the same time - with the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti - he reminded us that our peoples are all brothers and sisters. This is a vision that must support the common responsibility to preserve Creation and we need to have a sustainable development for all peoples. In several occasions I have spoken with Pope Francis about the need that in this Common House of all peoples, there should be one table, where everyone, both peoples and individuals, must find their place. The ancient and inhumane Malthusian theory, which condemns some people to never sit at the common table, is among those theories that need to be decisively removed. New technologies can help us to understand how to sustain development that allows everyone to sit at this common table, to help this generation and future generations, to live a dignified human life. I am especially pleased that you can hold this meeting here, urging you to feel at home. Sentitevi a casa (in Italian). Good work to all.