THE VATICAN: Pope John Paul marked his jubilee yesterday with a ringing indictment of rich nations and said a "war of the powerful against the weak" seemed to be embroiling the world.
"In many areas the world resembles a powder-keg ready to explode and shower immense suffering upon the human family," he said in the 192-page booklet.
In it, he also appeared to criticise the US church over its paedophilia crisis, saying bishops have to move quickly to repair scandal and protect victims when clerics commit crimes.
He condemned wars of religion and reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's rule of celibacy for priests.
Pastores Greges (Shepherds of the Flock) tackles a wide array of issues that arose in a synod of the world's Roman Catholic bishops two years ago.
The document includes a heartfelt appeal for rich countries not to lord it over the wretched of the Earth.
"The war of the powerful against the weak has, today more than ever before, created profound divisions between rich and poor," he said.
"The poor are legion!... Within an unjust economic system marked by significant structural inequities, the situation of the marginalised is daily becoming worse," he wrote.
"Today, in many parts of the world, people are starving, while in other places there is opulence." The Church's mission was to defend the downtrodden and oppressed "because if there is no hope for the poor, there will be no hope for anyone, not even for the so-called rich".
The pope, who signed the document at a brief ceremony in the Vatican's vast audience hall, said the primary victims of inequality today were the poor, the young, refugees and women.
In phrases applicable to the Middle East and parts of Asia, he condemned "the unacceptable exploitation of religion for violent purposes" and branded religious fundamentalism "a constant enemy of dialogue and peace". A section on responsibilities of bishops appeared to be a clear reference to the child sex abuse scandals that swept the US Church last year and some other countries.
Bishops had to be particularly vigilant over priests in their dioceses and see to it that they led exemplary lives, said the Pope. "In cases of grave lapses, and even more of crimes which do damage to the very witness of the Gospel, the bishop must be firm and decisive, just and impartial," he wrote.
"He is bound to intervene in a timely manner for the correction and spiritual good of the sacred minister, for the reparation of scandal and the restoration of justice and for all that is required for the protection and assistance of victims."
Later in a homily at Mass to celebrate his pontificate, the Pope said God wanted him to continue leading the Church despite his frailty."He, while knowing my human fragility, encourages me to respond with faith and He invites me to assume the responsibilities that He Himself has entrusted to me," the Pope said.
"Today, dear brothers and sisters, I am happy to share with you an experience which has been going on for a quarter of a century," the pope said.
He asked for support to continue, but put his fate in God's hands. "I renew in the hands of Maria, beloved Mother, the gift of myself, of the present and the future: everything will be done according to your will." - (Reuters)