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MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI
FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
WORLD DAY OF PEACE
1 JANUARY 2006
IN TRUTH, PEACE
1. In this traditional Message for the World Day of Peace at
the beginning of the New Year, I offer cordial greetings and good wishes
to men and women everywhere, especially those who are suffering as a
result of violence and armed conflicts. My greeting is one filled with
hope for a more serene world, a world in which more and more individuals
and communities are committed to the paths of justice and peace.
2. Before all else, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to my
Predecessors, the great Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, who were astute
promoters of peace. Guided by the spirit of the Beatitudes, they
discerned in the many historical events which marked their respective
Pontificates the providential intervention of God, who never ceases to
be concerned for the future of the human race. As tireless heralds of
the Gospel, they constantly invited everyone to make God the
starting-point of their efforts on behalf of concord and peace
throughout the world. This, my first Message for the World Day of Peace,
is meant to follow in the path of their noble teaching; with it, I wish
to reiterate the steadfast resolve of the Holy See to continue serving
the cause of peace. The very name Benedict, which I chose on the day of
my election to the Chair of Peter, is a sign of my personal commitment
to peace. In taking this name, I wanted to evoke both the Patron Saint
of Europe, who inspired a civilization of peace on the whole continent,
and Pope Benedict XV, who condemned the First World War as a ''useless
slaughter''1 and worked for
a universal acknowledgment of the lofty demands of peace.
3. The theme chosen for this year's reflection—In truth, peace
— expresses the conviction that wherever and whenever men and women are
enlightened by the splendour of truth, they naturally set out on the
path of peace. The Pastoral Constitution
Gaudium et Spes, promulgated
forty years ago at the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, stated
that mankind will not succeed in ''building a truly more human world for
everyone, everywhere on earth, unless all people are renewed in spirit
and converted to the truth of peace''.2
But what do those words, ''the truth of peace'', really mean? To respond
adequately to this question, we must realize that peace cannot be
reduced to the simple absence of armed conflict, but needs to be
understood as ''the fruit of an order which has been planted in human
society by its divine Founder'', an order ''which must be brought about
by humanity in its thirst for ever more perfect justice''.3
As the result of an order planned and willed by the love of God, peace
has an intrinsic and invincible truth of its own, and corresponds ''to
an irrepressible yearning and hope dwelling within us''.4
4. Seen in this way, peace appears as a heavenly gift and a divine
grace which demands at every level the exercise of the highest
responsibility: that of conforming human history—in truth, justice,
freedom and love—to the divine order. Whenever there is a loss of
fidelity to the transcendent order, and a loss of respect for that
''grammar'' of dialogue which is the universal moral law written on
human hearts,5 whenever the
integral development of the person and the protection of his fundamental
rights are hindered or denied, whenever countless people are forced to
endure intolerable injustices and inequalities, how can we hope that the
good of peace will be realized? The essential elements which make up the
truth of that good are missing. Saint Augustine described peace as
tranquillitas ordinis,6
the tranquillity of order. By this, he meant a situation which
ultimately enables the truth about man to be fully respected and
realized.
5. Who and what, then, can prevent the coming of peace? Sacred
Scripture, in its very first book, Genesis, points to the lie
told at the very beginning of history by the animal with a forked
tongue, whom the Evangelist John calls ''the father of lies'' (Jn
8:44). Lying is also one of the sins spoken of in the final chapter of
the last book of the Bible, Revelation, which bars liars from the
heavenly Jerusalem: ''outside are... all who love falsehood'' (22:15).
Lying is linked to the tragedy of sin and its perverse consequences,
which have had, and continue to have, devastating effects on the lives
of individuals and nations. We need but think of the events of the past
century, when aberrant ideological and political systems wilfully
twisted the truth and brought about the exploitation and murder of an
appalling number of men and women, wiping out entire families and
communities. After experiences like these, how can we fail to be
seriously concerned about lies in our own time, lies which are the
framework for menacing scenarios of death in many parts of the world.
Any authentic search for peace must begin with the realization that the
problem of truth and untruth is the concern of every man and woman; it
is decisive for the peaceful future of our planet.
6. Peace is an irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each
person, regardless of his or her particular cultural identity.
Consequently, everyone should feel committed to service of this great
good, and should strive to prevent any form of untruth from poisoning
relationships. All people are members of one and the same family. An
extreme exaltation of differences clashes with this fundamental truth.
We need to regain an awareness that we share a common destiny which is
ultimately transcendent, so as to maximize our historical and cultural
differences, not in opposition to, but in cooperation with, people
belonging to other cultures. These simple truths are what make peace
possible; they are easily understood whenever we listen to our own
hearts with pure intentions. Peace thus comes to be seen in a new light:
not as the mere absence of war, but as a harmonious coexistence of
individual citizens within a society governed by justice, one in which
the good is also achieved, to the extent possible, for each of them. The
truth of peace calls upon everyone to cultivate productive and sincere
relationships; it encourages them to seek out and to follow the paths of
forgiveness and reconciliation, to be transparent in their dealings with
others, and to be faithful to their word. In a particular way, the
followers of Christ, recognizing the insidious presence of evil and the
need for that liberation brought by the divine Master, look to him with
confidence, in the knowledge that ''he committed no sin; no guile was
found on his lips'' (1 Pet 2:22; cf. Is 53:9). Jesus
defined himself as the Truth in person, and, in addressing the seer of
the Book of Revelation, he states his complete aversion to ''every one
who loves and practices falsehood'' (Rev 22:15). He has disclosed
the full truth about humanity and about human history. The power of his
grace makes it possible to live ''in'' and ''by'' truth, since he alone
is completely true and faithful. Jesus is the truth which gives us
peace.
7. The truth of peace must also let its beneficial light shine even
amid the tragedy of war. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, in the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, pointed
out that ''not everything automatically becomes permissible between
hostile parties once war has regrettably commenced''.7
As a means of limiting the devastating consequences of war as much as
possible, especially for civilians, the international community has
created an international humanitarian law. In a variety of situations
and in different settings, the Holy See has expressed its support for
this humanitarian law, and has called for it to be respected and
promptly implemented, out of the conviction that the truth of peace
exists even in the midst of war. International humanitarian law ought to
be considered as one of the finest and most effective expressions of the
intrinsic demands of the truth of peace. Precisely for this reason,
respect for that law must be considered binding on all peoples. Its
value must be appreciated and its correct application ensured; it must
also be brought up to date by precise norms applicable to the changing
scenarios of today's armed conflicts and the use of ever newer and more
sophisticated weapons.
8. Here I wish to express gratitude to the international
organizations and to all those who are daily engaged in the application
of international humanitarian law. Nor can I fail to mention the many
soldiers engaged in the delicate work of resolving conflicts and
restoring the necessary conditions for peace. I wish to remind them of
the words of the Second Vatican Council: ''All those who enter the
military in service to their country should look upon themselves as
guardians of the security and freedom of their fellow-countrymen, and,
in carrying out this duty properly, they too contribute to the
establishment of peace''.8
On this demanding front the Catholic Church's military ordinariates
carry out their pastoral activity: I encourage both the military
Ordinaries and military chaplains to be, in every situation and context,
faithful heralds of the truth of peace.
9. Nowadays, the truth of peace continues to be dramatically
compromised and rejected by terrorism, whose criminal threats and
attacks leave the world in a state of fear and insecurity. My
predecessors Paul VI and John Paul II frequently pointed out the awful
responsibility borne by terrorists, while at the same time condemning
their senseless and deadly strategies. These are often the fruit of a
tragic and disturbing nihilism which Pope John Paul II described in
these words: ''Those who kill by acts of terrorism actually despair of
humanity, of life, of the future. In their view, everything is to be
hated and destroyed''.9 Not
only nihilism, but also religious fanaticism, today often labeled
fundamentalism, can inspire and encourage terrorist thinking and
activity. From the beginning, John Paul II was aware of the explosive
danger represented by fanatical fundamentalism, and he condemned it
unsparingly, while warning against attempts to impose, rather than to
propose for others freely to accept, one's own convictions about the
truth. As he wrote: ''To try to impose on others by violent means what
we consider to be the truth is an offence against the dignity of the
human being, and ultimately an offence against God in whose image he is
made''.10
10. Looked at closely, nihilism and the fundamentalism of which we
are speaking share an erroneous relationship to truth: the nihilist
denies the very existence of truth, while the fundamentalist claims to
be able to impose it by force. Despite their different origins and
cultural backgrounds, both show a dangerous contempt for human beings
and human life, and ultimately for God himself. Indeed, this shared
tragic outcome results from a distortion of the full truth about God:
nihilism denies God's existence and his provident presence in history,
while fanatical fundamentalism disfigures his loving and merciful
countenance, replacing him with idols made in its own image. In
analyzing the causes of the contemporary phenomenon of terrorism,
consideration should be given, not only to its political and social
causes, but also to its deeper cultural, religious and ideological
motivations.
11. In view of the risks which humanity is facing in our time, all
Catholics in every part of the world have a duty to proclaim and embody
ever more fully the ''Gospel of Peace'', and to show that acknowledgment
of the full truth of God is the first, indispensable condition for
consolidating the truth of peace. God is Love which saves, a loving
Father who wants to see his children look upon one another as brothers
and sisters, working responsibly to place their various talents at the
service of the common good of the human family. God is the unfailing
source of the hope which gives meaning to personal and community life.
God, and God alone, brings to fulfilment every work of good and of
peace. History has amply demonstrated that declaring war on God in order
to eradicate him from human hearts only leads a fearful and impoverished
humanity toward decisions which are ultimately futile. This realization
must impel believers in Christ to become convincing witnesses of the God
who is inseparably truth and love, placing themselves at the service of
peace in broad cooperation with other Christians, the followers of other
religions and with all men and women of good will.
12. Looking at the present world situation, we can note with
satisfaction certain signs of hope in the work of building peace. I
think, for example, of the decrease in the number of armed conflicts.
Here we are speaking of a few, very tentative steps forward along the
path of peace, yet ones which even now are able to hold out a future of
greater serenity, particularly for the suffering people of Palestine,
the land of Jesus, and for those living in some areas of Africa and
Asia, who have waited for years for the positive conclusion of the
ongoing processes of pacification and reconciliation. These are
reassuring signs which need to be confirmed and consolidated by tireless
cooperation and activity, above all on the part of the international
community and its agencies charged with preventing conflicts and
providing a peaceful solution to those in course.
13. All this must not, however, lead to a naive optimism. It must not
be forgotten that, tragically, violent fratricidal conflicts and
devastating wars still continue to sow tears and death in vast parts of
the world. Situations exist where conflict, hidden like flame beneath
ashes, can flare up anew and cause immense destruction. Those
authorities who, rather than making every effort to promote peace,
incite their citizens to hostility towards other nations, bear a heavy
burden of responsibility: in regions particularly at risk, they
jeopardize the delicate balance achieved at the cost of patient
negotiations and thus help make the future of humanity more uncertain
and ominous. What can be said, too, about those governments which count
on nuclear arms as a means of ensuring the security of their countries?
Along with countless persons of good will, one can state that this point
of view is not only baneful but also completely fallacious. In a nuclear
war there would be no victors, only victims. The truth of peace requires
that all —whether those governments which openly or secretly possess
nuclear arms, or those planning to acquire them— agree to change their
course by clear and firm decisions, and strive for a progressive and
concerted nuclear disarmament. The resources which would be saved could
then be employed in projects of development capable of benefiting all
their people, especially the poor.
14. In this regard, one can only note with dismay the evidence of a
continuing growth in military expenditure and the flourishing arms
trade, while the political and juridic process established by the
international community for promoting disarmament is bogged down in
general indifference. How can there ever be a future of peace when
investments are still made in the production of arms and in research
aimed at developing new ones? It can only be hoped that the
international community will find the wisdom and courage to take up once
more, jointly and with renewed conviction, the process of disarmament,
and thus concretely ensure the right to peace enjoyed by every
individual and every people. By their commitment to safeguarding the
good of peace, the various agencies of the international community will
regain the authority needed to make their initiatives credible and
effective.
15. The first to benefit from a decisive choice for disarmament will
be the poor countries, which rightly demand, after having heard so many
promises, the concrete implementation of their right to development.
That right was solemnly reaffirmed in the recent General Assembly of the
United Nations Organization, which this year celebrated the sixtieth
anniversary of its foundation. The Catholic Church, while confirming her
confidence in this international body, calls for the institutional and
operative renewal which would enable it to respond to the changed needs
of the present time, characterized by the vast phenomenon of
globalization. The United Nations Organization must become a more
efficient instrument for promoting the values of justice, solidarity and
peace in the world. For her part, the Church, in fidelity to the mission
she has received from her Founder, is committed to proclaiming
everywhere ''the Gospel of peace''. In the firm conviction that she
offers an indispensable service to all those who strive to promote
peace, she reminds everyone that, if peace is to be authentic and
lasting, it must be built on the bedrock of the truth about God and the
truth about man. This truth alone can create a sensitivity to justice
and openness to love and solidarity, while encouraging everyone to work
for a truly free and harmonious human family. The foundations of
authentic peace rest on the truth about God and man.
16. At the conclusion of this Message, I would like to address a
particular word to all believers in Christ, inviting them once again to
be attentive and generous disciples of the Lord. When we hear the
Gospel, dear brothers and sisters, we learn to build peace on the truth
of a daily life inspired by the commandment of love. Every community
should undertake an extensive process of education and witness aimed at
making everyone more aware of the need for a fuller appreciation of the
truth of peace. At the same time I ask for an increase of prayers, since
peace is above all a gift of God, a gift to be implored incessantly. By
God's help, our proclamation and witness to the truth of peace will be
all the more convincing and illuminating. With confidence and filial
abandonment let us lift up our eyes to Mary, Mother of the Prince of
Peace. At the beginning of this New Year, let us ask her to help all
God's People, wherever they may be, to work for peace and to be guided
by the light of the truth that sets man free (cf. Jn 8:32).
Through Mary's intercession, may all mankind grow in esteem for this
fundamental good and strive to make it ever more present in our world,
and, in this way, to offer a safer and more serene future to generations
yet to come.
From the Vatican, 8 December 2005.
1 Appeal to the Heads
of the Warring Peoples (1 August 1917): AAS 9 (1917), 423.
2 No. 77.
3 Ibid., 78.
4 John Paul II,
Message for the 2004 World Day of Peace, 9.
5 Cf. John Paul II,
Address to the Fiftieth General Assembly of the United Nations (5
October 1995), No. 3.
6 De Civitate Dei,
XIX, 13.
7 No. 79.
8 Ibid.
9 Message for the
2002 World Day of Peace, 6.
10 Ibid.
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