Year 2010 is here! Taiwan's Word for 2009 is "Hope" (盼), and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) encourages the Taiwanese people with "Hoping and looking forward to the new accomplishments in 2010" (民國九九，盼展新猷).

As far as governing a nation is concerned, "hope" can be referred to as the vision for the nation's development. The vision that people "hope" is that it is well planned by an effective …

For this XLIII World Day of Peace I have chosen the theme: If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation. Respect for creation is of immense consequence, and its preservation has now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind. ₍₁₎

In 1990 John Paul II had spoken of an "ecological crisis" and, in highlighting its primarily ethical character, pointed to the …