Seite - 581 - in Menschenrechte und Gerechtigkeit als bleibende Aufgaben - Beiträge aus Religion, Theologie, Ethik, Recht und Wirtschaft

© 2020, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783847111658 – ISBN E-Lib: 9783737011655 thepoorandprescribegreat solicitude for thepoorand the earth. It is for this reason,forinstance,thatthereisalegislationtoobserveajubileeyear,togivethe pooranew leaseon life andtoallow the landtorest (Lev25;Dt15). Thisunityof reciprocal relationships, especiallybetweenhumanbeingsand creation,iswhatinspiredPopeBenedictXVItoobservethat“thebookofnature isoneandindivisible,”andthat“ittakesinnotonlytheenvironmentbutalsolife, sexuality,marriage, the family, social relations: in aword, integral humande- velopment.Ourdutiestowardstheenvironmentarelinkedtoourdutiestowards thehumanperson, considered inhimself and inrelationtoothers”.17 Letusrecall,by theway, theclassicdefinitionof theStatebySt.Augustine in hisgreatbook“DecivitateDei”.Theaccountsoftheoriginsoftheworldandthe human family in theBookofGenesis inspiredSt.Augustine to teachabout the need for the State (and its governance) by thehumanperson inhis book, “De CivitateDei”.There, referring to theaccountof themurderofAbelbyCain, St. Augustineunderlinesthenecessityofa“statusiustitiae”,becausethatepisodeof murder unleashed complete anarchy. According to this original insight of St.Augustine, aminimal guaranteeof aminimal stateofminimal justice is the ultimategoalofeveryState.For, thepurposeandthegoalof theState isnothing else than thewelfare of its citizens (person), and every person, because every person isa subjectofdignity, createdbyGodinhis imageand likeness. Inotherwords, theState,perse,hasnovalue,withoutthehumanperson,the bearerofdignity;but theexistenceofapersonisalsoinconceivablewithoutthe State.Without theState,asSt.Augustineargued, thepersonisnothing,because thepersonwouldbe livingunderandamongananarchicgangof robbers.18 Again,onaccountof thisunityofreciprocal relationshipbetweentheperson andtheState,theextinctionoftheStateandtheNation,throughbadgovernance or otherwise, is quickly followed by the extinction of the humanperson. Ac- cordingly, thesecurityofeveryhumanperson,especially theweak, theunborn andnewlyborn, thehandicappedandthedying is the solepurposeandraison d’Þtre of a good State, which must be more than a “gang of robbers”. This underlines the significant roleandplaceofgoodgovernance inaState! 17 Caritas inveritate, 51. 18 St.Augustineunderlines this in the famous4th chapterof the 4thbookof “De civitateDei” (Remota iustitiaquidsunt regnanisimagna latrocinia?). ACatholicChurchPerspective 581 Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0