The heads of the Catholic bishops\u2019 conferences for every country in the Group of Seven (G7) are encouraging government leaders to prioritize the dignity of the human person, global peace initiatives, and environmental issues in the upcoming summit.<\/p>\n
Leaders from the seven global powers \u2014 the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Japan \u2014 will meet for the annual G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, from June 15\u201317. G7 summits focus on issues of international cooperation among the powers.<\/p>\n
On June 12, ahead of next week\u2019s meeting, the heads of the bishops\u2019 conferences from each power issued a joint statement outlining their priorities. It touches on ongoing conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and wars in the Middle East, and emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI).<\/p>\n
\u201cAmid armed conflict, geopolitical fragmentation, the crisis of multilateralism, growing inequalities, climate disruption, and accelerating technological change, we affirm that the dignity of the human person must remain the foundation of political and economic governance,\u201d the bishops wrote to the political leaders.<\/p>\n
Peace efforts<\/p>\n
The bishops encouraged the nations to cooperate with one another on peace efforts and adhere to international laws, warning that geopolitical tensions are causing international order to erode and stating that international institutions like the G7 are “indispensable for preventing conflicts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some concerns listed by the bishops are the protecting of civilians and promoting justice among people. The document urges G7 powers to \u201cstrengthen these institutions so that they might better serve the global common good.\u201d The bishops also emphasized safeguarding religious freedom and protecting religious minorities, families, prisoners of war, and the displaced.<\/p>\n
\u201cChurches and religious communities can help rebuild trust, accompany those wounded by war, and create the social and moral conditions for lasting peace,\u201d the bishops wrote. \u201cThrough its local presence, humanitarian commitment, and capacity to build bridges among peoples, the Catholic Church remains a credible partner for peace and dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Development and technology<\/p>\n
The bishops encouraged G7 countries to work in solidarity with the Global South and took issue with reductions in development assistance for developing countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs humanitarian needs grow across the world, millions of people are seeing their access to food, healthcare, education, and protection eroded,\u201d they wrote. \u201cWe call upon G7 states to renew their commitment to international solidarity and to an equitable partnership with countries of the Global South. Development policies must focus above all on poverty reduction, food security, access to education and healthcare, and the protection of the most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bishops added that industrialized countries should ensure economic partnerships with other nations are grounded in equity, the rights of local populations, decent working conditions, and environmental protections.<\/p>\n
With respect to AI, the bishops recommended global rules that ensure the innovation serves the human person and the common good, and referenced Pope Leo XIV\u2019s guidance on the subject in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, in which the Holy Father called to \u201cdisarm AI.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo disarm means discrediting the assumption that technical power automatically confers the right to govern,\u201d Leo wrote, which was quoted in the bishops\u2019 letter to the G7 leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo disarm does not mean rejecting technology but preventing it from dominating humanity,\u201d the Pope added. \u201cIt means freeing technology from monopolistic control and opening it to discussion and debate, therefore making it human-friendly and restoring it to the plurality of human cultures and ways of life. \u2026 Merely regulating it is insufficient; it must be disarmed, welcoming, and accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bishops wrote that AI \u201cmust remain under human control and be governed by clear ethical principles.\u201d They said it must be directed toward the common good, justice, transparency, and inclusion. They added that it \u201cmust never lead to the dehumanization of social relations or to the automation of decisions that affect human life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shared responsibilities<\/p>\n
The bishops wrote that G7 powers should assume a shared responsibility toward creation and displaced people.<\/p>\n
This includes environmental concerns, such as climate change. The bishops urged joint efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission and expand renewable energy. Such protection, they said, \u201cis not only an environmental necessity but also a requirement of justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
“The most industrialized countries bear a special responsibility in view of their level of resource consumption and their historical contribution to global warming,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the bishops emphasized the shared responsibility for migrants and refugees, who \u201cmust always be received with dignity, while recognizing the legitimate responsibility of states to safeguard the common good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThose forced to flee war, persecution, poverty, or climate disasters cannot be regarded as a threat,\u201d they wrote. \u201cThey are our brothers and sisters in humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bishops noted that G7 countries bear \u201ca particular responsibility for the global common good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decisions taken by member states have direct consequences for peoples, for international stability, and for the future of younger generations,\u201d the bishops wrote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The heads of the Catholic bishops\u2019 conferences for every country in the Group of Seven (G7) are encouraging…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68228,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[39,40,36669,38407],"class_list":["post-68227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-eu","tag-eu","tag-european-union","tag-g7-summit","tag-usccb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68227\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}