The World Day of Peace which the Church observes on January 1 was originally set up by Pope Paul VI, in the words of that great Pope "as a sign of hope and promise... in order that Peace, with its just and salutary equilibrium, will dominate the unfolding of history yet to come".
The 11 messages addressed to the world by Pope Paul VI progressively mapped out the path to be followed in attaining the ideal of peace. Slowly but surely the great Pontiff set forth the various chapters of a true "science of peace".
Ever since 1979 Pope John Paul II has also been publishing a message for the World Day of Peace which is observed on January 1. The first message centred on the theme: "To Reach Peace, Teach Peace." This year he seems to have revisited that theme as the subject of his message makes an emphasis on the teaching of peace. The Pope feels that this appeal is more urgent than ever, because men and women, in the face of the tragedies that continue to afflict humanity, are tempted to yield to fatalism, as if peace were an unattainable ideal.
A Christian Outlook looks at some of the salient points from the Pope's message.
The Pope binds together the teaching of peace and teaching legality. While saying that "there is a particularly urgent need to lead individuals and peoples to respect the international order and to respect the commitments assumed by the Authorities which legitimately represent them", he notes that "law favours peace".
In this section of his message the Pope outlined how, from the very dawn of civilisation, developing human communities sought to establish agreements and pacts, which would avoid the arbitrary use of force and enable them to seek a peaceful solution of any controversies that might arise. One of the central principles was the development of the belief that when an agreement is signed freely it should be kept.
"The violation of this principle", says John Paul II, "necessarily leads to a situation of illegality and consequently to friction and disputes, which would not fail to have lasting negative repercussions. It is appropriate to recall this fundamental rule, especially at times when there is a temptation to appeal to the law of force rather than to the force of law."
The experience of the second world war, which he described as "an abyss of violence, destruction and death unlike anything previously known" fortunately led to a profound renewal of the international legal order. In this scenario the task of watching over global peace and security and with encouraging the efforts of states to preserve and guarantee these fundamental goods of humanity was entrusted by governments to an organisation established for this purpose - the United Nations Organisation - with a Security Council invested with broad discretionary power.
The Pope acknowledges that "the UN, even with limitations and delays due in great part to the failures of its members, has made a notable contribution to the promotion of respect for human dignity, the freedom of peoples and the requirements of development, thus preparing the cultural and institutional soil for the building of peace".
The message of the head of the Church then turns to what is described as the "deadly scourge of terrorism", which has produced "brutal massacres, which have in turn put even greater obstacles in the way of dialogue and negotiation".
The Pope says that the fight against terrorism cannot be limited solely to repressive and punitive operations. "The fight against terrorism must be conducted also on the political and educational levels: on the one hand, by eliminating the underlying causes of situations of injustice which frequently drive people to more desperate and violent acts; and, on the other hand, by insisting on an education inspired by respect for human life in every situation: the unity of the human race is a more powerful reality than any contingent divisions separating individuals and people."
In this respect it is most useful to look at the contribution of the Church. He says that "in the message of salvation which the Church proclaims throughout the world, there are doctrinal elements of fundamental importance for the development of the principles needed for peaceful coexistence between nations".
The Pope reminds everyone of the address he gave to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See on January 13, 1997: "For a long time international law has been a law of war and peace. I believe that it is called more and more to become exclusively a law of peace, conceived in justice and solidarity. And in this context morality must inspire law; morality can even assume a preparatory role in the making of law, to the extent that it shows the path of what is right and good."
In the conclusion of his message, the Pope repeats that "for the establishment of true peace in the world, justice must find its fulfilment in charity. Certainly law is the first road leading to peace, and people need to be taught to respect that law. Yet one does not arrive at the end of this road unless justice is complemented by love. Justice and love sometimes appear to be opposing forces. In fact they are but two faces of a single reality, two dimensions of human life needing to be mutually integrated."
One of his strongest statements says that "there is no peace without forgiveness! I say it again here, as my thoughts turn in particular to the continuing crisis in Palestine and the Middle East: a solution to the grave problems which for too long have caused suffering for the peoples of those regions will not be found until a decision is made to transcend the logic of simple justice and to be open also to the logic of forgiveness."
The penultimate paragraph of the Pope's message is a pearl worth studying, reflecting and praying on.
"Christians know that love is the reason for God's entering into relationship with man. And it is love, which he awaits as man's response. Consequently, love is also the loftiest and most noble form of relationship possible between human beings. Love must thus enliven every sector of human life and extend to the international order. Only a humanity in which there reigns the 'civilisation of love' will be able to enjoy authentic and lasting peace."