[applause] [applause] your holiness, this is the second time that the General Assembly of the United Nations is honored with your presence. I feel especially privileged and being able to welcome your holiness here today, where your ofsence confers a mark distinction on our organization on its 50th anniversary. Your holiness, more than any of has traveledsors, to all of the corners of the world in your wish to bring to each of them even the most , your message of peace, understanding, tolerance, and justice among men. , more thanhere today an act of the celebration of the United Nations jubilee, is above all a strong sign of encouragement for this organizations activities. Of itsin the 50 years existence, the United Nations has come to believe that for the for eternityce and to take root deeply among men,hey must be based on economic social, and cultural developments, as well is on the primacy of justice. All of these goals, the united. Ations has performed success and accomplishments have not always been achieved. Surprising, is not if we take into account the difficulties which are many. Nevertheless, the ideals into her always and give us the strength to continue. This 50th anniversary, an occasion to celebrate, but also takingect, we are reflection on the performance of our organization. We should take this into account and not allow them to paralyze our activities for the benefit of mankind. And failureserrors have been many during the 50 years of the life of the United Nations, as always happens in all institutions, many seen thess have benefits and the successes and the victories achieved during that period. Success in the area of health, justice in the area of work, support for children and refugees, in the diffusion of culture, the guaranteeing a piece, the guaranteeing of peace, it is not just those commitments cap that have justified commitments kept that have justified its existence. Lierind has become lov and a noble because someone did the good thing, hoping for nothing in return. As your holiness can well testify, here, sitting in these rooms are the representatives of almost all of the countries of the world, members of very different ethnic and religious and nonetheless, all are united in their respect for your holiness, and also in the attention they will pay to your words. To the that this is due example your holiness has given throughout your pontificate of your complete readiness to go and meet all of those who truly seek to realize the fullness of Human Potential and the well of the wealth ofe human existence, spiritual and material. Just what would like to express a wish that the words your holiness used before this assembly 16 years ago still ring true today, and will do so for the next 50 years. That the United Nations will ever remain the supreme forum of peace and forice, the authentic seat the freedom of peoples and individuals and their longing for a better future. And of quotation. Thank you. I give the floor now to the secretarygeneral of the United Nations. Thank you. Spirituality is the greatest gift to humanity. All the peoples have been touched by faith. Belief in the higher reality provides a common bond among nations. But the horrors we witness today denied the values of the spirit. Examples on every continent. To deny the individual nature is humanity. H the crisis of the human spirit is taking place. It accounts for many of the major problems of our time. It means much for people to regain their faith. Essential if humanity is to rebuild its spiritual foundations. Your holy fathers presence is a reminder of the spiritual dimension of the United Nations. The United Nations was created so that hope could conquer the horror of war. So that could conquer the despair of poverty, disease, and injustice. Enables us to continue our mission in the most adverse conditions. It enables us to continue the have negotiations, even when a situation seems hopeless. Love enables us to continue development, to reach out to the less fortunate of our brothers and sisters. The second has reflected deeply on the complex issues of our time. His message to the family of nations comes to us with clarity and conviction. His message is the kind of comprehensive vision which today we require. Everything matters, whether near or far. Everything is interrelated. In that we do is done recognition that our work is inspired by something far greater than ourselves. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues and friends, with us felt thesee who has issues at the debts of the soul and who is expressed them in their passes to the world. He rejoices with us like the angel in the garden area he is not afraid to tell us that we can and we must conquer fear if we are to solve the problems of our planet and its people. Who serve the peoples of the United Nations welcome to this chamber his holiness Pope John Paul ii. [applause] i think the secretarygeneral for his statement i think the secretarygeneral for his statement. May i now invite Pope John Paul ii to address the assembly . Pope john paul ii mr. President , ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor for me to have the opportunity to address this International Assembly and to join the men and women of every country, race, language and culture in celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations organization. I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude in the first place to the secretarygeneral, dr. Boutrosghali, for having encouraged this visit. And i thank you, mr. President , for your cordial welcome. I greet all of you, the members of this General Assembly i am grateful for your presence and for your kind attentn. Ladies and gentlemen, on the threshold of a new millennium, we are witnessing an acceleration of the quest for freedom which is one of the great dynamics of human history. This phenomenon is not limited to any one part of the world; nor is it the expression of any single culture. Men and women throughout the world, even when threatened by violence, have taken the risk of freedom, asking to be given a place in social, political, and Economic Life which is commensurate with their dignity as free human beings. This universal longing for freedom is truly one of the distinguishing marks of our time. It is important for us to grasp what might be called the inner structure of this worldwide movement. It is precisely its global character which offers us its first and fundamental key and confirms that there are indeed universal human rights, rooted in the nature of the person, rights which reflect the objective and inviolable demands of a universal moral law. These are not abstract points; rather, these rights tell us something important about the actual life of every individual and of every social group. They also remind us that we do not live in an irrational or meaningless world. On the contrary, there is a moral logic which is built into human life and which makes possible dialogue between individuals and peoples. If we want a century of violent coercion to be succeeded by a century of persuasion, we must find a way to discuss the human future intelligibly. The universal moral law written on the human heart is precisely that kind of grammar which is needed if the world is to engage this discussion of its future. The moral dynamics of this universal quest for freedom clearly appeared in central and Eastern Europe during the nonviolent revolutions of 1989. Unfolding in specific times and places, those historical events nonetheless taught a lesson which goes far beyond a specific geographical location. For the nonviolent revolutions of 1989 demonstrated that the quest for freedom cannot be suppressed. It arises from a recognition of the inestimable dignity and value of the human person, and it cannot fail to be accompanied by a commitment on behalf of the human person. It cannot fail to be accompanied the human person. It has been in assault against the dignity of the human person, evenssault that has gone life. Ing the individuals in 1989, it was inspired by different and ultimately more profound and powerful reasons. Man is a creature , he must end a memory since his own being and endowed with the ability to choose. And thus capable of wisdom and virtue. In theiding factor success of those nonviolent revolutions with the experience in the facelidarity of regimes based in propaganda and terror. That solidarity was the moral core of the powerless. Hope. Ground of a reminder that it is possible true,low a path, if it is to the rhyme to the finest aspiration of the human spirit. The quest for freedom in the second half of the 20th century has engaged not only individuals, but nations as well. 50 years after the end of the Second World War it is important was fought that war because of violations of the rights of nations. After the Second World War, the right of many nations continue to be the violent violated. Examples, thet of Baltic States and extensive territories in ukraine and belarus were absorbed into the soviet union, as had already happened to armenia, azerbaijan, and georgia in the caucasus. At the same time the socalled peoples democracies of central and Eastern Europe effectively lost their sovereignty and were required to submit to the will dominating the entire bloc. The result of this Artificial Division of europe was the cold war, a situation of International Tension in which the threat of a Nuclear Holocaust hung over humanity. It was only when freedom was restored to the nations of central and Eastern Europe that the promise of the peace which should have come with the end of the war began to be realized for many of the victims of that conflict. The universal declaration of human rights, adopted in 1948, spoke eloquently of the rights of persons; but no Similar International agreement has yet adequately addressed the rights of nations. This situation must be carefully pondered, for it raises urgent questions about justice and freedom in the world today. Establishing these rights is not easy if you consider the difficulty of the concept of nations which cannot be identified with the state. But this must nonetheless be made if we wish to avoid the errors of the past and ensure a just world order. A presupposition of nations simply its right to one, neitherore no a state nor another nation, nor an international organization, is ever justified in asserting that an individual nation is not worthy of existence. This fundamental right to existence naturally implies that every nation also enjoys the culture language and through which a people expresses , and promotes that which i would call its fundamental spiritual sovereignty. Spiritual sovereignty. History shows that in extreme circumstances, such as those which occurred in the land where i was born, it is precisely its culture that enables a nation to survive the loss of political and economic independence. Every nation therefore has also the right to shape its life according to its own traditions, excluding, of course, every abuse of basic human rights and in particular the oppression of minorities. Every nation has the right to build its future by providing an appropriate education for the younger generation. Language]foreign pilgrimagesstoral to the communities of the Catholic Church over the past seventeen years, i have been able to enter into dialogue with the rich diversity of nations and cultures in every part of the world. Unhappily, the world has yet to learn how to live with diversity, as recent events in the balkans and Central Africa have painfully reminded us. The fact of difference, and the reality of the other, can sometimes be felt as a burden, or even as a threat. Amplified by historic grievances and exacerbated by the manipulations of the unscrupulous, the fear of difference can lead to a denial of the very humanity of the other with the result that people fall into a cycle of violence in which no one is spared, not even the children. We are all very familiar today with such situations; at this moment my heart and my prayers turn in a special way to the sufferings of the sorely tried peoples of bosniahercegovina. From bitter experience, then, we know that the fear of difference, especially when it expresses itself in a narrow and exclusive nationalism which denies any rights to the other, can lead to a true nightmare of violence and terror. And yet if we make the effort to look at matters objectively, we can see that, transcending all the differences which distinguish individuals and peoples, there is a fundamental commonality. For different cultures are but different ways of facing the question of the meaning of personal existence. And it is precisely here that we find one source of the respect which is due to every culture and every nation every culture is an effort to ponder the mystery of the world and in particular of the human person it is a way of giving expression to the transcendent dimension of human life. The heart of every culture is its approach to the greatest of all mysteries the mystery of god. Our respect for the culture of others is therefore rooted in our respect for each communitys attempt to answer the question of human life. And here we can see how important it is to safeguard the fundamental right to freedom of religion and freedom of conscience, as the cornerstones of the structure of human rights and the foundation of every truly free society. No one is permitted to suppress those rights by using coercive power to impose an answer to the mystery of man. We must learn by the essential difference between an unhealthy form of nationalism, which teaches contempt for other nations or cultures, and patriotism, which is a proper love of ones country. True patriotism never seeks to advance the wellbeing of ones own nation at the expense of others. For in the end this would harm ones own nation as well doing wrong damages both aggressor and victim. Nationalism, particularly in its most radical forms, is thus the antithesis of true patriotism, and today we must ensure that extreme nationalism does not continue to give rise to new forms of the aberrations of totalitarianism. Ladies and gentlemen, freedom is the measure of mans dignity and greatness. Living the freedom sought by individuals and peoples is a great challenge to mans spiritual growth and to the moral vitality of nations. The basic question which we must all face today is the responsible use of freedom, in both its personal and social dimensions. Our reflection must turn then to the question of the moral structure of freedom, which is the inner architecture of the culture of freedom. Freedom is not simply the absence of tyranny or oppression. Nor is freedom a licence to do whatever we like. Freedom has an inner logic which distinguishes it and ennobles it freedom is ordered to the truth, and is fulfilled in mans quest for truth and in mans living in the truth. Detached from the truth about the human person, freedom deteriorates into license in the lives of individuals, and, in political life, it becomes the caprice of the most powerful and the arrogance of power. Far from being a limitation upon freedom or a threat to it, reference to the truth about the human person a truth universally knowable through the moral law written on the hearts of all is, in fact, the guarantor of freedoms future. In the light of what has been said we understand how utilitarianism, the doctrine which defines morality not in terms of what is good but of what is advantageous, threatens the freedom of individuals and nations and obstructs the building of a true culture of freedom. Utilitarianism often has devastating political consequences, because it inspires an aggressive nationalism on the basis of which the subjugation, for example, of a smaller or weaker nation is claimed to be a good thing solely because it corresponds to the national interest. No less grave are the results of economic utilitarianism, which drives more powerful countries to manipulate and exploit weaker ones. Nationalistic and economic utilitarianism are sometimes combined, a phenomenon which has too often characterized relations between the north and the south. For the emerging countries, the achievement of political independence has too frequently been accompanied by a situation of de facto economic dependence on other countries. Such situations offend the conscience of humanity and pose a formidable moral challenge to the human family. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the International Economic scene needs an ethic of solidarity, if participation, economic growth, and a just distribution of goods are to characterize the future of humanity. The International Cooperation called for by the charter of the United Nations for solving International Problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character cannot be conceived exclusively in terms of help and assistance, or even by considering the eventual returns on the resources provided. When millions of people are suffering from a poverty which means hunger, malnutrition, sickness, illiteracy, and degradation, we must not only remind ourselves that no one has a right to exploit another for his own advantage, but also and above all, we must recommit ourselves to that solidarity which enables others to live out, in the actual circumstances of their economic and political lives, the creativity which is a distinguishing mark of the human person and the true source of the wealth of nations in todays world. The United Nations and the as we say, there have been in enormous challenges. Organizationtions needs to realize more and more that it must rise above the cold status of an Administrative Institution and to become a moral center where all the nations of the world feel at home and develop a shared awareness of being, as it were, a family of nations. Thidea of family immediately evokes something more than simple functional relations or a mere convergence of interests. The family is, by nature, a Community Based on mutual trust, mutual support and sincere respect. In an authentic family, the strong do not dominate; instead, the weaker members, because of their very weakness, are all the more welcomed and served. Raised to the level of the family of nations, these sentiments ought to be, even before law itself, the very fabric of relations between peoples. The United Nations has the historic, even momentous, task of promoting this qualitative leap in international life, not only by serving as a centre of effective mediation for the resolution of conflicts but also by fostering values, attitudes and concrete initiatives of solidarity which prove capable of raising the level of relations between nations from the organizational to a more organic level, from simple existence with others to existence for others, in a Fruitful Exchange of gifts, primarily for the good of the weaker nations but even so, a clear harbinger of greater good for everyone. None of this should appear an unattainable utopia. Hopes the time for new which calls us to expel the paralyzing burden of cynicism from the future of politics and of human life. The anniversary which we are celebrating invites us to do this by reminding us of the idea of United Nations, an idea which bespeaks mutual trust, security and solidarity. Inspired by the example of all those who have taken the risk of freedom, can we not recommit ourselves also to taking the risk of solidarity, and thus the risk of peace . It is one of the great paradoxes of our time that man, who began the period we call modernity with a selfconfident assertion of his coming of age and autonomy, approaches the end of the Twentieth Century fearful of himself, fearful of what he might be capable of, fearful for the future. Indeed, the second half of the Twentieth Century has seen the unprecedented phenomenon of a humanity uncertain about the very likelihood of a future, given the threat of nuclear war. That danger, mercifully, appears to have receded, and everything that might make it return needs to be rejected firmly and universally; all the same, fear for the future and of the future remains. In order to ensure that the new millennium now approaching will witness a new flourishing of the human spirit, mediated through an authentic culture of freedom, men and women must learn to conquer fear. We must learn not to be afraid, we must rediscover a spirit of hope and a spirit of trust. Hope is not empty optimism springing from a naive confidence that the future will necessarily be better than the past. Hope and trust are the premise of responsible activity and are nurtured in that inner sanctuary of conscience where man is a alone with god and he thus perceives that he is not alone amid the enigmas of existence, for he is surrounded by the love of the creator hope and trust these may seem matters beyond the purview of the United Nations. But they are not. The politics of nations, with which your organization is principally concerned, can never ignore the transcendent, spiritual dimension of the human experience, and could never ignore it without harming the cause of man and the cause of human freedom. Whatever diminishes man harms the cause of freedom. In order to recover our hope and our trust at the end of this century of sorrows, we must regain sight of that transcendent horizon of possibility to which the soul of man aspires. As a christian, my hope and trust are centered on jesus christ, the 2000th anniversary of whose birth will be celebrated at the coming of the new millennium. We christians believe that in his death and resurrection were fully revealed gods love and his care for all creation. Jesus christ is for us god made man, and made a part of the history of humanity. Precisely for this reason, christian hope for the world and its future extends to every human person. Because of the radiant humanity of christ, nothing genuinely human fails touch the hearts of christians. Therefore, as we approach the 2000th anniversary of the birth of christ, the church asks only to be able to propose respectfully this message of salvation, and to be able to promote, in charity and service, the solidarity of the entire human family. We must overcome our fear of the future. But we will not be able to overcome it completely unless we do so together. The answer to that fear is neither coercion nor repression, nor the imposition of one social model on the entire world. The answer to the fear which darkens human existence at the d of the Twentieth Century is the common effort to build the civilization of love, founded on the universal values of peace, solidarity, justice, and liberty. And the soul of the civilization of love is the culture of freedom the freedom of individuals and the freedom of nations, lived in selfgiving solidarity and responsibility. We must not be afraid of the future. We must not be afraid of man. It is no accident that we are here. Each and every human person has been created in the image and likeness of the one who is the origin of all that is. We have within us the capacities for wisdom and virtue. With these gifts, and with the help of gods grace, we can build in the next century and the next millennium a civilization worthy of the human person, a true culture of freedom. We can and must do so, and in doing so, we shall see that the tears of this century have prepared the ground for a new springtime of the human spirit. [applause] Pope John Paul ii i should say a small greeting in another language and in chinese. [speaking foreign language] i do this for the prosperity of the human family. [applause] [speaking foreign language] i wish the whole world and will live in freedom and peace together. And i hope that the entire world can live in the freedom and unity and a truly achieved peace. Thank you. [applause] on behalf of the general to express ourh deep appreciation to his forness, Pope John Paul ii his inspiring statement. I would ask everyone to be kind seats to remain in their while the secretarygeneral and i escort his holiness out of the General Assembly hall, following which the Plenary Meeting will stand adjourned. [applause] announcer the popes visit to the u. S. Cspan has live coverage from washington, d. C. On tuesday, 3 45 live, we will show the popes arrival the andrews or. Live coverage begins at 8 45 eastern, and starting at 4 00, the mass for father Junipero Serra will be covered. The pope makes history, becoming the first pontiff to a joint two address a joint meeting of congress. Also catch this on cspan3, cspan radio, and cspan. Org. Following, he will hold a tidominant multidenominational service at the 9 11 memorial in new york. Find out more on cspan. Org. With live coverage of the u. S. House on cspan and of the senate on cspan two, here on cspan3, we come to coverage by showing the most relevant coverage of congressional hearings and relevant events. On weekends, cspan3 becomes the home of booktv. We also visit battlefields and key events, tour museums and historical sites. Bookshelf, looks at the best history lessons. The presidency looks at the president s of the past, and examines films from the 1940s and 50s. Cspan3. On television and like us on facebook and follow us on twitter. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The cabinet and congress are meeting with the president. The state department and the army and Navy Officials have been with a president all afternoon. Fact, the japanese ambassador has been talking to the president as the same time at the japanese airships were bombing our citizens in hawaii and destroying one of our transports a loaded with lumber on its way to hawaii. Tomorrow, congress will have a full report and will be ready for action. Eleanor roosevelt was the longestserving first lady for an unprecedented 12 years. All the while, her husband, unknown to the public, was affected by polio. Her legacy continues today, as discussed as a possible face on the 10 bill. Eleanor roosevelt on first ladies examining the public and private lives of the first lady and their influence on the presidency. Tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan3. Each week, american artifacts takes viewers into museums around the country. Next, we visit the National Museum of health and medicine located just outside of washington, d. C. To examine more than 150 years of the museums this is the second of a twopart program. Civilrst focused on the war collection. Some viewers may find images in this program disturbing. Hello. Walk into the National Museum of health and medicine. Tim barker and i am the museum director. We are here to give you a short to work. It w