ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
OF THE EUROPEAN AUTOMOBILE
MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

Friday, 18 May 2001

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to welcome the Members of the Board of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association on the occasion of your annual meeting, being held this year in Rome. I thank your President, Dr. Paolo Cantarella, for his greetings and Birthday wishes, and I express to all of you my gratitude for your kind gift.

As Presidents of the major automobile companies of Europe, you have important responsibilities, not only in guiding the growth of your own industry, but also in ensuring the right development of an increasingly globalized economy. The process of globalization, while opening up new possibilities for progress, poses urgent questions regarding the very nature and purpose of economic activity. It calls for ethical discernment aimed at protecting the environment and promoting the full human development of millions of men and women, in a way that respects every individual’s dignity and makes room for personal creativity in the workplace. It is my hope and prayer that your Association, by advancing these eminently human goals, will enable future generations to enjoy a prosperity which is not merely economic but spiritual as well, corresponding to the deepest aspirations of the human heart.

Upon you and your families, together with your associates and employees, I cordially invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace.