Europe/Germany - Mission Societes work for peace and reconciliation
Essen (Fides Service) - From 9 - 10 of July, representatives of Mission offices in Germany which support the universal missionary work of the Catholic Church, Adveniat Bishops' Action, Misereor, Bishops' Aid office, and Missio which comprises the German branches of the Pontifical Mission Societies, met in Essen to discus action to promote peace and reconciliation. The theme of the meeting was "The Church advocate of peace: possibilities and limits of the Church's peacemaking work in regional and global conflicts". About eighty participants made an in depth analysis of ways for Catholic aid organisations to work for peace, prevent situations of crisis and improve present activity in these areas. In a final statement the participants underlined the important contribution made by the Catholic Church to prevent and overcome conflict through commitment to Justice and Peace and improving living conditions. They noted with concern that governments still tend to assign more funds for military expenses, including the present war on terrorism, than for promoting peace, and they underlined the importance of formation of local peace-builders. Moreover, in view of various religious conflicts, the participants stressed the importance of the Church's activity in education to dialogue and respect between believers of different faiths. Lastly, they said the Church must resume her peace promoting work in those areas where church structures have been caught up in ethnic clashes, striving to eliminate poverty and promote social justice. (MS) (Fides Service 25/7/2002)

"With regard to the findings of our meeting, we declare:

All over the world the Catholic Church helps to overcome and prevent situations of violence and conflict. Working to promote social and economic justice and to improve people's living conditions, the Church builds the premises for guaranteeing a lasting peace
The mission of Jesus demands of all members of the universal Church should work for peace and reconciliation through coherent rejection of all violence and spirit of revenge. We are convinced that only the elimination of the causes of crisis and violence can guarantee lasting peace. This calls for unconditioned commitment for the poor, respect for cultures and religions, consolidation of international cooperation.
Co-operating in the universal mission of the Church, through the Pontifical Mission Societies and their specific activity, German Catholics help local Churches in regions of crisis, contributing towards their efforts for peace and reconciliation.
The Mission Societies support this cause in front of competent political and social authorities and they are committed to promoting the peace and reconciliation as the central task of national and international policies.
Prevention of violence and preserving peace are key elements in the work of the universal Church. With great concern we see the scandalous gap between funds spent for overcoming conflicts with military power and funds spent for promoting peace, the development of new military strategies as tools to overcome terrorism and the consequent re-definition of the strategies of dissuasion, support given to violent conflict by means of the arms trade and growing privatisation of armed conflicts.
The main aim of our work is to consolidate the role of the Church as mediator in situations of war, in interreligious and ethnic conflicts, in overcoming moments of crisis. The tasks and the methods necessary to tackle them were discussed in four work groups:
" The experience of war demonstrates that the promotion of a programme of qualification and training of local peace forces is of major importance. At the national and international level these measures help people suffering situations of war to develop their own solutions to overcoming the causes of conflict.
" We intend to support these long and difficult processes also through lobbying in Germany, in favour of the affected local Churches. This calls for closer cooperation with the Lutheran Church and other partners in Germany.
" Many so-called religious conflicts only appear to be about religion. To eliminate the causes of conflict in these cases it is necessary to foster respect for the differences of others. This experience can be sustained by the Church through the promotion of dialogue and tolerance between members of different religions, discovery of fields of common action, and actions to prevent the exploitation of religions for political aims.
" The Church has had to admit with sorrow that her own commitment for peace and reconciliation in ethnic conflicts has its limits. But recognising this and the painful experience of her own involvement in ethnic conflicts, makes it possible for the Church to once again play a credible role in society's peace-building efforts. In this case we can make an important contribution to reconciliation and mediation as impartial partners in collaboration with world organisations.
" The work of settling conflicts demonstrates that the only path to lasting peace is unconditioned struggle to wipe out poverty and to promote social justice, and thereby eliminating the causes of crisis.
To avoid crisis through prevention is a constant challenge which, as Pontifical Mission Societies, we take up every day. This commitment calls for new ways of action. Our meeting has given new impulse and helped us to take the first steps to finding new ways for our common mission. (Fides Service 25/7/2002)