World Day for Peace, 2017
World Day of Peace, 1st January 2017
On January 1st 2017, the 50th World Day of Peace, a day for prayer inaugurated by Pope Paul VI in 1967, Pope Francis in a striking and very practical statement focused on the significance of nonviolence as a way of building peace: ‘On this occasion, I would like to reflect on non-violence as a style of politics for peace. I ask God to help all of us to cultivate nonviolence in our most personal thoughts and values. May charity and nonviolence govern how we treat each other as individuals, within society and in international life.’ (para. 1).
The logic of being a Christian, Pope Francis continues, is to also that of being a peacemaker with Christ:
‘For Christians, nonviolence is not merely a tactical behaviour but a person’s way of being, the attitude of one who is so convinced of God’s love and power that he or she is not afraid to tackle evil with the weapons of love and truth alone… The Gospel command to love your enemies (cf. Lk 6: 27) is rightly considered the magna carta of Christian nonviolence. It does not consist in succumbing to evil… but in responding to evil with good (cf. Rom 12: 17-21), and thereby breaking the chain of injustice.’ (para. 3).
According to Pope Francis, not only does the Church seek to promote dialogue in the world, all religions, rightly understood and embraced, are at their hearts compassionate, nonviolent and promoters of peace:
‘The Church has been involved in nonviolent peacebuilding strategies in many countries, engaging even the most violent parties in efforts to build a just and lasting peace. Such efforts on behalf of victims of injustice and violence are not the legacy of the Catholic Church alone, but are typical of many religious traditions, for which compassion and nonviolence are essential elements pointing to the way of life. I emphatically reaffirm that ‘no religion is terrorist’. Violence profanes the name of God. Let us never tire of repeating: The name of God cannot be used to justify violence.’ (para. 4).
Pope Francis concludes his dramatic reflection with an appeal that Christians seek always to be prayerful builders of peace: ‘In 2017, may we dedicate ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to building nonviolent communities that care for our common home. Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer: Everyone can be an artisan of peace.’ (para. 7).