The distinctive mark of the Christian, today more than ever, must be love for the poor, the weak, the suffering.
Pope John Paul IICertain elements of today's ecological crisis reveal its moral character. First among these is the indiscriminate application of advances in science and technology. Many recent discoveries have brought undeniable benefits to humanity. Indeed, they demonstrate the nobility of the human vocation to participate responsibly in God's creative action in the world. Unfortunately, it is now clear that the application of these discoveries in the fields of industry and agriculture have produced harmful long-term effects.
Pope John Paul IIHolidays and vacations can help to balance activity with contemplation, haste with more natural rhythms, noise with the heralding silence of peace.
Pope John Paul IICondemning class struggle does not mean condemning every possible form of social conflict. Such conflicts inevitably arise and Christians must often take a position in the "struggle for social justice." What is condemned is "total war," which has no respect for the dignity of others (and consequently of oneself). It excludes reasonable compromise, does not pursue the common good but the good of a group, and sets out to destroy whatever stands in its way.
Pope John Paul II