Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - The start of fruitful relations between scholars of liturgy and scholars of social doctrine was, according to Cardinal Renato Martino president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the first of many promising results expected from a two-day Seminar on Peace and Liturgy held in the Vatican attended by about fifty experts from various parts of the world. The aim of the Seminar which the Council promoted jointly with the Pontifical St. Anselmo Institute of Liturgy in Rome was to identify the close connection between liturgical celebrations and social and political activity to promote peace. As Benedict XVI said he hoped in a telegramme to the participants, the work of these two days connected theological study with questions relative to the pastoral life of Christian communities called every day to deal with problems of war and peace and underlying causes such as poverty, abuse, oppression, ethnic and racial hatred. The Cardinal announced that the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace will set to work to produce a paper on the liturgical mysteries as events of peace; the liturgy as a great school of peace which forms and educates to peace and as an environment for individual and community discernment with regard to responsibility for promoting peace. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 20/5/2005; Righe 16; Parole 229)
