VATICAN - “Humankind must not resign itself to the negative power of selfishness and violence; it must not become accustomed to conflicts which cause victims and put the future of peoples at risk”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Humankind must not resign itself to the negative power of selfishness and violence; it must not become accustomed to conflicts which cause victims and put the future of peoples at risk. Faced with the ominous tensions of the present time, and especially with religious abuses and intolerance which today particularly strike Christians, once again I make a pressing appeal not to succumb to discouragement and resignation.” Pope Benedict XVI urged this during the Holy Mass which he presided over in St Peter's Basilica on the first day of the new year, the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God and the 44th World Day of Peace based on the theme: “Religious Freedom. The Path to Peace.”
The Holy Father invited all to pray “that the efforts undertaken by several parties to promote and build peace in the world may succeed,” and recalled that, “for this difficult task words are not enough. We need a solid and constant commitment from the leaders of Nations, but it is especially necessary that every person lives the true spirit of peace, imploring this over and over again in prayer and to experience it in everyday relationships, in every environment.”
Also at the Angelus, recited shortly after from the window of his study, with the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square, the Pope returned to the theme of peace: “Jesus Christ is our peace. He brought into the world the seed of love and peace, stronger than the seed of hatred and violence; stronger because the Name of Jesus is superior to every other name. It contains the entire dominion of God, as Micah the prophet announced...”. Among the major challenges facing humanity today, the Pope recalled once again the issue of religious freedom, to which he devoted his message for World Day for Peace, and he emphasised: “today we are witnessing two opposing trends, both negative extremes: on the one hand, secularism, which so often deceitful, marginalizes religion to confine it to the private sphere; and on the other hand, fundamentalism, which would instead impose itself on all by force.... Where religious freedom is truly recognized, the dignity of the human person is respected at its roots and, through a sincere search for truth and goodness, the moral conscience is consolidated and institutions and civil society are strengthened. This is why religious freedom is the best way to build peace.”
Thus Pope Benedict XVI announced that on the 25th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace convoked by Pope John Paul II in Assisi in 1986, in the month of October he will go as a pilgrim to the city of Saint Francis, “inviting fellow Christians of different denominations, the leaders of the religious traditions of the world and, ideally, all people of good will to join him on this journey” in order to relive the memory of that historic gesture and “renew the solemn commitment by believers of all religions to live their religious faith as a service to the cause of peace.”
The grave attack made against the Coptic Christian community in Alexandria in Egypt was recalled by the Pope at the Angelus on Sunday, 2 January, with these words: “This cowardly act of death, like that of placing bombs close to the Christian houses in Iraq to force them to leave, offends God and all humanity, who just yesterday prayed for peace and began the new year with hope. In the face of this strategy of violence that has targeted Christians, and that has consequences for the whole population, I pray for the victims and family members, and encourage church communities to persevere in faith and witness to non-violence that comes to us from the Gospel. I think also of the many pastoral care workers killed in 2010 in various parts of the world. To them also goes our loving remembrance before the Lord. We remain united in Christ, our hope and our peace.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 03/01/2011)