Walking last weekend in San Sebastian, I read an institutional poster that read: "Denouncing sexist aggressions is everyone's responsibility". I am always happy about these initiatives that aim to involve citizens in the respect for the person and his or her dignity. For association of ideas came to me report the words that title the last episcopal grade before the withdrawal of the last law regulating abortion: "Defending human life is a task for everyone". Undoubtedly, this is an urgent call to ethical and social responsibility.
Involvement and commitment to contribute to the common good, the first of which is the defense of human life, constitutes a formidable formative challenge , perhaps even more urgent in these times when many political leaders show a lack of convictions and manifest ethical deficiencies. Those who belong to a tradition inspired by Christian humanism and do not keep the word previously given in their programs, those who consider abortion as a right... undoubtedly do not know Christian morality well, nor the foundations in the natural law in their assumptions that would allow them to share with men and women of other initially secularist formations, but who, without being sectarian, would end up understanding that the conceived individual belongs to the human species from the first instant.

At the university, throughout these almost 20 years of teaching I have met a varied student body with respect to political positions, an expression of the political pluralism that portrays the society of the Basque Country. Very few of them feel that in the future they will be called to exercise public functions in the formations that, often due to family tradition, convince them the most. I have perceived among them discouragement and disenchantment due to the lack of leadership and moral temper that many representatives of the majority parties denote in their actions and omissions.

In the classes of ethics and philosophical anthropology, throughout these decades I have dared to promote among the student body the possibility of dedication to politics, of course, without guiding them minimally towards any specific acronym, but encouraging them to be present in all with the purpose to change things from within these organizations by promoting human dignity and the values of natural law. Among young Christians, it was relatively easy to remind them of the Social Doctrine of the Church that emphasizes the mission statement of the laity present in all realities to carry the evangelical leaven and transform the Structures of sin while participating co-responsibly with Jesus Christ in his unceasing redemptive action.

I think that in the present time, university professors and those of us who have pastoral responsibilities related to the Alma mater, can contribute, more than it seems, to young people, well trained and with exciting motivations, to feel again the eagerness to get involved in this "task of all", without fear of transforming from within the insufficiencies of the existing political parties, or to lead new formations.

A new young leadership for the common good would also overcome the dilemmas that have abounded in the media debates over the last few weeks. Some tendencies asked Catholics to abandon parties that do not comply with their programs and maintain unjust laws. Others advocated the creation of formations that respond in everything to the Social Doctrine of the Church, perhaps evoking past times of Catholic militancy?

I think that if the ethical and humanist university training decidedly approached social problems from a broad perspective and transmitting what natural law and its implications entail, we would be surprised by the possibilities of regeneration and real change that a presence of young university students respectful of political pluralism, and at the same time firm and incorruptible in the defense of human values without exclusion, would bring about in the political culture. It is a matter of encouraging them and convincing them that it is still "everyone's job".
Shall we try again?