Vatican diplomat calls for subsidiarity in international development decisions (Holy See Mission)

In brief

Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Vatican's representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, urged that international development decisions follow the principle of subsidiarity. During a meeting with the UN special rapporteur on the right to development, the archbishop stated that decisions should be made as close as possible to the people they affect.

Balestrero argued that higher authorities should support rather than replace families, communities, and other social groups. He said that people should not be passive recipients of decisions made by others and that participation must include the active involvement of faith-based communities. According to the archbishop, this involvement allows individuals to express their convictions and work toward the common good.

The archbishop also noted that participation should promote integral human development. He said this process must address a person's economic needs alongside their spiritual, cultural, moral, and relational dimensions.