A War Fought Piecemeal Pope Francis says that we are engaged in “a horrifying world war fought piecemeal”. More violence cannot fix it, but will only cause further suffering, and even the physical and spiritual death of many people. The answer, Francis says in his Message for the 50th World… Read More »World Day of Peace 2017: A Call for Active Nonviolence
In a statement of protest at the reinterpretation of Japan’s Peace Constitution, the Catholic Bishops of Japan plead with their Prime Minister not to give up hope of settling disputes through dialogue and negotiation. The full statement is available here. Can you think of any war that actually brought about… Read More »Don’t Give up Hope
In a statement for the annual observation of 10 Days for Peace, the Japanese Catholic Bishops say that peaceful coexistence cannot be protected by wars. Read the full statement here. Which situations in the world do you think the Japanese Bishops were thinking of when they said this? Where do… Read More »Wars Threaten Peaceful Coexistence
How might we build peace through our words, our hopes and our prayers? What are your hopes for peace?
In a homily on dialogue, Pope Francis encourages us to make bridges and not to allow walls to arise. Who do you see in your community making bridges between groups rather than building walls? Pope Francis stresses the need for humility if we are to enter into dialogue. Have you… Read More »Build Bridges
Can you think of examples when giving up arms and engaging in dialogue has actually built up justice, trust and hope? How might we make the shift from thinking of others as enemies to reaching out in dialogue? Read Pope Francis’ World Day of Peace Message for 2014 here.