Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Every year the Pope addresses a special message of prayerful good wishes for peace to Governments, leaders of nations and all men and women of good will. In his Message for World Peace Day 1 January 2007 Pope Benedict XVI says he also invokes peace for those experiencing pain and suffering those living under the threat of violence and armed aggression” or whose dignity is trampled, children in particular “especially those whose future is compromised by exploitation and the malice of unscrupulous adults”. This is why the theme of the Message is “The Human Person, the Heart of Peace”. “I am convinced that respect for the person promotes peace and that, in building peace, the foundations are laid for an authentic integral humanism. In this way a serene future is prepared for coming generations” the Pope writes.
Each individual human being has the dignity of the person “created in God’s image”. In the Covenant with his Creator man is called to “mature in the ability to love and to contribute to the progress of the world, renewing it in justice and in peace”. “Likewise peace is both a gift and a task- the Message continues - If it is true that peace between individuals and peoples…calls for unfailing commitment on our part, it is also true and indeed more so that peace is a gift of God. Peace is an aspect of God's activity, made manifest both in the creation of an orderly and harmonious universe and also in the redemption of humanity that needs to be rescued from the disorder of sin.”. The norms of natural law therefore “should not be viewed as externally imposed decrees, as restraints upon human freedom”. On the contrary “Guided by these norms, all peoples —within their respective cultures—can draw near to the greatest mystery, which is the mystery of God. Today too, recognition and respect for natural law represents the foundation for a dialogue between the followers of the different religions and between believers and non-believers.”.
Pope Benedict XVI affirms that peace is based on respect for the rights of all since every human being reflects the image of the Creator. “Conscious of this, the Church champions the fundamental rights of each person. In particular she promotes and defends respect for the life and the religious freedom of everyone… The right to life and to the free expression of personal faith in God is not subject to the power of man. Peace requires the establishment of a clear boundary between what is at man's disposal and what is not: in this way unacceptable intrusions into the patrimony of specifically human values will be avoided”.
The Pope denounces widespread ‘violation’ of the right to life: victims of armed conflicts, terrorism and the different form of violence, silent deaths caused by hunger, abortion, experimentation on human embryos and euthanasia. “Another disturbing symptom of lack of peace in the world is represented by the difficulties that both Christians and the followers of other religions frequently encounter in publicly and freely professing their religious convictions. Speaking of Christians in particular, I must point out with pain that not only are they at times prevented from doing so; in some States they are actually persecuted, and even recently tragic cases of ferocious violence have been recorded. There are regimes that impose a single religion upon everyone, while secular regimes often lead not so much to violent persecution as to systematic cultural denigration of religious beliefs. In both instances, a fundamental human right is not being respected, with serious repercussions for peaceful coexistence. This can only promote a mentality and culture that is not conducive to peace.”
The Pope says at the origin of many tensions that threaten peace in the world are “the many unjust inequalities still tragically present in our world”: inequality in access to essential goods like food, water, shelter, health and persistent inequalities between men and women on the exercise of basic human rights. “The extremely grave deprivation afflicting many peoples, especially in Africa, lies at the root of violent reactions and thus inflicts a terrible wound on peace. Similarly, inadequate consideration for the condition of women helps to create instability in the fabric of society”.
In the second part of the Message the Pope speaks about “ecology of peace”: “humanity, if it truly desires peace, must be increasingly conscious of the links between natural ecology, or respect for nature, and human ecology. Experience shows that disregard for the environment always harms human co-existence, and vice versa”. As an example the Pope mentions the issue of energy supplies. New nations have entered industrial production and other parts of the planet remain backward and their development is blocked, partly because of the rise in energy prices. The Pope asks: “What will happen to those peoples and underlines “The destruction of the environment, its improper or selfish use, and the violent hoarding of the earth's resources cause grievances, conflicts and wars, precisely because they are the consequences of an inhumane concept of development” which neglects the moral-religious dimension.
Despite present international tension it is urgent to work to help the ‘tree of peace’ to grow “For this to happen, we must be guided by a vision of the person untainted by ideological and cultural prejudices or by political and economic interests which can instil hatred and violence.”. In the regard the Pope says “what cannot be admitted is the cultivation of anthropological conceptions that contain the seeds of hostility and violence. Equally unacceptable are conceptions of God that would encourage intolerance and recourse to violence against others.. This is a point which must be clearly reaffirmed: war in God's name is never acceptable! When a certain notion of God is at the origin of criminal acts, it is a sign that that notion has already become an ideology.”. Peace is also threatened by “indifference to what constitutes man’s true nature”. Here too clarity is necessary: a “weak” vision of the person, which would leave room for every conception, even the most bizarre, only apparently favours peace. In reality, it hinders authentic dialogue and opens the way to authoritarian impositions, ultimately leaving the person defenceless and, as a result, easy prey to oppression and violence.”
In the final part of his Message the Pope reaffirms “Peace is based on respect for the rights of all…it is important for international agencies not to lose sight of the natural foundation of human rights. This would enable them to avoid the risk, unfortunately ever-present, of sliding towards a merely positivistic interpretation of those rights. Were that to happen, the international bodies would end up lacking the necessary authority to carry out their role as defenders of the fundamental rights of the person and of peoples, the chief justification for their very existence and activity.”. On the issue of international humanitarian law and the internal law of states the Pope writes: “In the face of the disturbing events of recent years, States cannot fail to recognize the need to establish clearer rules to counter effectively the dramatic decline that we are witnessing. War always represents a failure for the international community and a grave loss for humanity. When, despite every effort, war does break out, at least the essential principles of humanity and the basic values of all civil coexistence must be safeguarded; norms of conduct must be established that limit the damage as far as possible and help to alleviate the suffering of civilians and of all the victims of conflicts”.
With regard to the race for nuclear weapons Pope Benedict XVI warns: “The way to ensure a future of peace for everyone is found not only in international accords for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, but also in the determined commitment to seek their reduction and definitive dismantling.”.
The Holy Father concludes “Finally, I wish to make an urgent appeal to the People of God: let every Christian be committed to tireless peace-making and strenuous defence of the dignity of the human person and his inalienable rights.… Let every believer, then, unfailingly contribute to the advancement of a true integral humanism in accordance with the teachings of the Encyclical Letters Populorum Progressio and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, whose respective fortieth and twentieth anniversaries we prepare to celebrate this year. To the Queen of Peace, the Mother of Jesus Christ “our peace” (Eph 2:14), I entrust my urgent prayer for all humanity at the beginning of the year 2007, to which we look with hearts full of hope, notwithstanding the dangers and difficulties that surround us. May Mary show us, in her Son, the Way of peace, and enlighten our vision, so that we can recognize Christ's face in the face of every human person, the heart of peace!”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 13/12/2006 - Righe 97, parole 1381)
