Editorial > Editorial Archive

A reflection by Fr. Oscar Pezzarini, General Commissioner of the Work of Don Orione

Father Oscar Pezzarini

"Justice comes from the people who make up a society"

Father Oscar held that it is people who project justice or injustice in a community. He pointed out that without justice, family would be a chaos. He commented that Justice as a part of the actions of human beings is a virtue which allows for a clean living together. "To do justice to a man is to acknowledge God's presence within him", he reflected.

Buenos Aires, Sunday, May 17, 2003.- Father Oscar Pezzarini, the General Commissioner of the Work of Don Orione, in charge of the weekly comment in "La Manga", Fr. Julio Grassi's radio program (Radio Rivadavia -AM 630 kHz- Sundays from 2 to 5 a.m.), assured tonight that "Justice comes from the people who make up a society because it is the people who project justice or injustice in the community, starting with those who have greater responsibilities".

"Justice as a part of the action of human beings is a virtue which allows for a clean living together among us."

"When there is lack of justice, a society, a family, a job, or whatever group will stop to be human, to turn through the lack of justice into places where man is exploited and run over by man himself", said the General Commissioner of the Work of Don Orione.

"There are three levels of development in justice. First, the relation of each person with the one on the other side. Another level refers to the duties of Society related to what goes to each person. The last level is the one which regulates what each person does for the community to which he or she belongs."

"Without the virtue of Justice family would be a chaos, not giving each one what belongs to him or what he needs. The same would happen in a workgroup or in a country, or in a group of nations."

"If we really want Justice to reign in a society we must make just all those who make up this society. This means that each one of us must start to live according to justice on this threefold level: with those with whom we relate on a day-by-day basis, with those who depend on us, and by giving our part of what we are due to society."

"The first duty of justice is to be just in all aspects of our life, to live together in rectitude and fairness, and to be just with our family, our neighbors and our Nation."

"We can see that there is a need of this justice in the world, a need of this virtue which begins with every person. There are terrenal goods which are dealt out among a few. There is hunger of bread, of education, of culture. There are human lifes which are dealt with as if they were simple things or statistical numbers. Believers in general, and Christians in particular are called to work for justice because the more faithful we are to the Lord we will be more committed to true justice."

"The practice of justice by giving each one what belongs to him will make us meet with Christ himself. Doing justice to a man means to acknowledge the presence of God in the other person. We are all called to exercise this virtue", said Father Oscar Pezzarini on the closing.

Return to Editorial Archive.