Pope tells Argentinian judges to let Jesus guide efforts to protect rights

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"We live in times of profound injustice: a few rich becoming increasingly powerful, and millions of poor being rejected and discarded. There is no future, no development, no justice, nor democracy in a world where millions of children eat only the waste of those who consume."

This stark reminder was at the heart of the video message Pope Francis sent to the Pan-American Committee of Judges for Social Rights and Franciscan Doctrine (COPAJU) on Wednesday.

History of COPAJU

The COPAJU magistrates' organization, which first had its first local origins in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires, since 2017, has developed throughout the country.  In June 2019, at the Pope's behest, COPAJU was formally created in the Vatican, and was done so with the participation of 120 magistrates from the Americas, in the context of a meeting held at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in the Vatican's Casina Pio IV.

Since then, COPAJU has performed prolific work aimed at the protection and promotion of social rights from the magistracy, placing special emphasis on the discarded social sectors. It has established national chapters in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Paraguay, and is continuing to expand.

Crucial role of magistrates

Pope Francis sent his message to the organization for the opening of their new headquarters in Buenos Aires, and the first branch of the Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Institute in Latin America. 

In the message, the Pope said that the mission of those engaged in justice, including lawyers, judges, public prosecutors, and defenders, "is fundamental and crucial," especially for safeguarding rights and maintaining social harmony.

Social rights and justice

"Social rights are not free," the Pope said. "The wealth to support them exists," he acknowledged, "but it requires adequate, rational, and fair political decisions. The State, today more important than ever," he insisted, "is called upon to exercise this central role of redistribution and social justice."

Moreover, the Holy Father stressed judges' indispensable role in implementing and enforcing rules, and warned against realities that harm individuals.

"The 'god' of the market and the 'goddess' of profit, he said, "are false deities," which, he insisted, history has revealed, "lead us to dehumanization and the destruction of the planet." 

No to turning a blind eye

"The Word of Jesus, on which the Social Doctrine of the Church is based," the Pope underscored, "is a safe and bright path" to engage properly in law.

Reminding judges of their ethical and moral responsibilities, he said, "Please, every day in front of the mirror, question yourselves and question others."

Firmness and decisiveness in face of dehumanization

The Pope urged the magistrates to work toward just and dignified societies, and suggested that one cannot be a good judge if he turns a blind eye to another's suffering.

Pope Francis concluded by appealing to the judges to show firmness and decisiveness when faced with "dehumanizing and violent models," and by calling on them to pursue daily efforts toward peace.

"Peace," he said, "is a daily construction, and you are workers of peace."