�The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the State: they pertain to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his of her origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death� (Donum Vitae III, Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Instruction, 1987)
and further:
�When he presents the heart of his redemptive mission, Jesus says: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10). In truth, he is referring to that "new" and "eternal" life which consists in communion with the Father, to which every person is freely called in the Son by the power of the Sanctifying Spirit. It is precisely in this "life" that all the aspects and stages of human life achieve their full significance� (Evangelium Vitae 1)
From this right to life flows a necessity to respect and protect life in every society and in every form. The respect and protection of life means food, shelter, sanitary systems and healthcare for every human being. Evidently, if we look around in our world, this basic right is denied to many. Here is the outcrying necessity for healing on social and international level. There is not too much said about it neither in Christian circles that tend to restrict the question of right to life to the question of abortion and euthanasia, while not seeing the problems of the death penalty and the proliferation of ever more costly and threatening weapon systems. A refreshing voice we can hear in Cardinal Sodano�s message to the general assembly of OAS, giving also the direction for the healing: turning away from scientific weapons and arms systems. Here is the article about it on the zenit.org site from June 7th 2004 (The full text of the letter you can find on the Vatican website, unfortunately only in Italian and Spanish: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/index_sodano_en.htm):
�Convinced that the right to life is the foundation of peace, the Holy See appealed to nations of the Americas to invest more in essential services and less in weapons.
The appeal was made in a letter written on behalf of John Paul II by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, to the assembly of the Organization of American States, being held in Quito, Ecuador, through Tuesday.
The letter, delivered by Archbishop Alain Lebeaupin, papal nuncio in Ecuador, states that "the pillars of peace have a common foundation: the right to life."
"It is a right that, to be fully exercised, calls for worthy conditions of life: food, housing, education, health care, work, freedom, etc.," the letter adds.
"To guarantee such conditions, considerable financial resources are needed that, unfortunately, are often lacking," the letter continues. "On one hand, how many riches, including today, continue to be wasted when ever more sophisticated instruments of war are accumulated while, on the other, what is necessary for the integral development of man is lacking."
"In many nations of the world, too many armaments continue to circulate, when it is far more necessary to have housing, schools, roads, light, potable water and medicines," laments the letter signed by Cardinal Sodano.
"Only awareness of the sacredness of life and full respect for each stage of its development, from its conception to natural death, can lay the basis for the construction of a genuine 'city of peace,'" the letter adds.
"Full respect for the right to life also implies the enormous and indispensable work to eradicate everything that impedes the latter to live in a worthy manner, namely, poverty, with its multiple causes and numerous victims," it states.
The letter ends with an appeal to the American countries with greater resources and financial institutions to "make a generous effort" to assist some countries of the continent that "have urgent need of international aid."
The Organization of American States, which is made up of 35 countries, has among other fundamental objectives to strengthen democracy, build peace, defend human rights, foster free trade, combat drugs and promote sustainable development�.
This message in a certain way repeats what Paul VI wrote in 1967:
�When We were at Bombay for the Eucharistic Congress, We asked world leaders to set aside part of their military expenditures for a world fund to relieve the needs of impoverished peoples. What is true for the immediate war against poverty is also true for the work of national development. Only a concerted effort on the part of all nations, embodied in and carried out by this world fund, will stop these senseless rivalries and promote fruitful, friendly dialogue between nations. � Is it not plain to everyone that such a fund would reduce the need for those other expenditures that are motivated by fear and stubborn pride? Countless millions are starving, countless families are destitute, countless men are steeped in ignorance; countless people need schools, hospitals, and homes worthy of the name. In such circumstances, we cannot tolerate public and private expenditures of a wasteful nature; we cannot but condemn lavish displays of wealth by nations or individuals; we cannot approve a debilitating arms race. It is Our solemn duty to speak out against them. If only world leaders would listen to Us, before it is too late!� (Popolorum Progressio, 51-53)
Who knows what happened with this call, where is this special World Fund? I could not find evidence of its existence�