Vatican cardinal challenges politicians to live 'beatitudes'

BY CHRISTINA WHITE
IT MAY not be the set of rules most spin doctors aspire to but a senior Vatican official has proposed eight "beatitudes" for politicians to guide them in their profession.
Cardinal Francois-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, 74, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said politicians should listen to their electorate, be honest and open with the media and keep their electoral promises. Political injustice is a subject close to the Cardinal's heart. As a prisoner of conscience, he spent 13 years in a communist jail in his native Vietnam.
His comments were made at a conference in Padua, Italy, last Monday. His audience included the former Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti, who in the course of his political career faced allegations of corruption and conspiracy to murder.
Echoing the eight beatitudes preached by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, Cardinal Van Thuan said: "Blessed the politician who well understands his role in the world.
"Blessed the politician who personally exemplifies credibility. "Blessed the politician who works for the common good and not for his own interests.
"Blessed the politician who is true to himself, his faith and his electoral promises. "Blessed the politician who works for unity and makes Jesus the fulcrum of its defence.
"Blessed the politician who works for radical change, refusing to call good that which is evil and using the Gospel as a guide. "Blessed the politician who listens to the people before, during and after the elections, and who listens to God in prayer. "Blessed the politician who has no fear of the truth or the mass media, because at the time of judgement he will answer only to God, not the media."
Catholic peer Lord Alton welcomed the Vatican's input into the political arena. "They make for sober reading. I think they're rather good," he said.
Tory backbencher Ann Widdecombe said they were "absolutely fine", though she thought there might be a conflict between the ideals proposed.
"The thing is, he says listen to the electorate but also listen to God. What happens when there's a conflict of interest?
"On the whole I think they're a pretty good idea." The political beatitudes may be a taster of the pontifical council's longawaited compendium of Church social teaching which is expected to be published later this year. Cardinal Van Thuan said the 300-page, 12-chapter compendium was nearing completion.