The following are extracts from Pope Francis’s first message for the World Day of Peace, which is celebrated every year on January 1. Its theme is ‘Fraternity as the foundation of peace and as the pathway to peace’.

Fraternity is essential

“Fraternity is an essential human quality, for we are relational beings. A lively awareness of our relatedness helps us treat each person as a true sister or brother; without fraternity it is impossible to build a just society and a solid and lasting peace.

“Fraternity is generally first learned in the family, thanks to the complementary roles of its members, particularly the father and the mother. The family is the wellspring of all fraternity, and as such it is the foundation and the first pathway to peace.”

A culture of solidarity

“Globalisation makes us neighbours, but does not make us brothers. The many situations of inequality, poverty and injustice, are signs not only of a profound lack of fraternity, but also of the absence of a culture of solidarity. New ideologies, characterised by rampant individualism, egocentrism and materialistic consumerism, weaken social bonds, fuelling that ‘throwaway’ mentality which leads to contempt for, and the abandonment of, the weakest and those considered ‘useless’.”

Made for reciprocity

“The story of Cain and Abel teaches that we have a calling to fraternity, but also the tragic capacity to betray that calling. This is witnessed by our acts of selfishness, which are at the root of wars and so much injustice: many die at the hands of their brothers and sisters who are incapable of seeing themselves as such, that is, as beings made for reciprocity, for communion and self-giving.”

A living image of God

“Christian solidarity presumes that our neighbour is loved not only with his or her rights and a fundamental equality, but as the image of God, redeemed by Christ and placed under the action of the Holy Spirit.

“As John Paul II noted: ‘At that point, awareness of the common fatherhood of God, of the brotherhood of all in Christ – ‘children in the Son’ – and of the presence and life-giving action of the Holy Spirit, will bring to our vision of the world a new criterion for interpreting it’, for changing it.”

Cause of poverty

“In his encyclical Caritas in veritate, my predecessor reminded the world how the lack of fraternity between peoples and men and women is a significant cause of poverty. In many societies, we are experiencing a profound poverty of relationships as a result of the lack of solid family and community relationships.

“We are concerned by the various types of hardship, marginalisation, isolation and various forms of pathological dependencies which we see increasing. This kind of poverty can be overcome only through the rediscovery and valuing of fraternal relationships in the heart of families and communities, through the sharing of joys and sorrows, of the hardships and triumphs that are a part of human life.”

Rethink the economy

“The succession of economic crises should lead to a timely rethinking of our models of economic development and to a change in lifestyles.

“Today’s crisis, even with its serious implications for people’s lives, can also provide us with a fruitful opportunity to rediscover the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice and strength. These virtues can help us to overcome difficult moments and to recover the fraternal bonds which join us one to another, with deep confidence that human beings need and are capable of something greater than maximising their individual interest.

“Above all, these virtues are necessary for building and preserving a society in accord with human dignity.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)