“World Peace Day”
The message of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for World Peace Day is a strong and clear message that speaks deeply to our conscioues, so that we may become witnesses of peace in a world that seems to consider peace a distant horizon. His encouragement strengthens the actions that we, as Sisters of Charity and as the Thouret Foundation, are already trying to carry out: closeness to the most vulnerable, to the victims of natural disasters and terrible wars, and the promotion of a culture of peace, solidarity and universal fraternity. The following are some quotes from this inspiring message that seem particularly relevant to our work and that we feel are an obvious call to strengthen and expand our efforts. Pope Leo XIV calls us to be lights in the darkness of our times and to bring the light of peace, a peace built on faithfulness, resilience, and perseverance
Peace exists, it wants to dwell within us, it has the gentle ability to enlighten and enhance our understanding, it resists violence and overcomes it. Peace has the breath of eternity: while we cry out “enough” to evil, we whisper “forever” to peace. The Risen One has introduced us to this horizon. This is the sense of anticipation that drives the peacemakers who, in the tragedy of what Pope Francis has called “a piecemeal Third World War”, still resist the contamination of darkness, like guardians in the night. (…) Dear brothers and sisters, let us open our hearts to peace! Let us welcome and recognise it, rather than considering it distant and impossible. Before being a goal, peace is a presence and a journey. Even if it is opposed both within and outside of us, like a small flame threatened by a storm, let us guard it without forgetting the names and histories of those who have witnessed it. It is a principle that guides and determines our decisions. Even in places where only ruins remain and where hopelessness seems inevitable, today we find those who have not forgotten peace. He points to the peace of Jesus as a model to live and follow, and invites us to be attentive, sensitive and sympathetic listeners to the pain of others: The peace of the risen Jesus is unarmed, as his struggle was unarmed, within specific historical, political and social circumstances. Christians must become prophetic witnesses to this newness, mindful of the tragedies to which they have too often been complicit. The great parable of the Last Judgement invites all Christians to act with mercy in this awareness (cf. Mt 25:31-46). And in doing so, they will find at their side brothers and sisters who, in different ways, have been able to listen to the pain of others and have been inwardly freed from the deception of violence.
He invites us to promote peace by spreading the culture of dialogue and encounter, and becoming communities of peace, places of peace and fraternal love: The great spiritual traditions, as well as the prudent use of reason, lead us to go beyond blood ties or ethnicity, beyond those fraternities that recognise only those who are similar and reject those who are different. Today we see how this cannot be taken for granted. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly common in the contemporary landscape to use words of faith in political combat, to bless nationalism and to justify violence and armed struggle on religious grounds. Believers must actively denounce, first and foremost with their lives, these forms of blasphemy that darken the Holy Name of God. Therefore, together with action, it is more necessary than ever to cultivate prayer, spirituality, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as paths of peace and languages of encounter between traditions and cultures. Everywhere in the world, it is desirable that ‘every community become a “house of peace”,and forgiveness is cultivated’.
where hostility is dissolved through dialogue, where justice is practised (…) We need to encourage and support every spiritual, cultural and political initiative that keeps hope alive, countering the spread of ‘fatalistic attitudes, as if the dynamics at work were produced by anonymous impersonal forces and independent structures of human will’ ’ If, in fact, “the best way to dominate and advance without limits is to sow hopelessness and foster constant mistrust, even if masked by the defence of certain values”, then such a strategy must be opposed by the development of conscious civil societies, forms of responsible association, experiences of non-violent participation, and practices of restorative justice on both a minor and major scale. Here, therefore, is our commitment to promoting young people, especially women who are aware of their value, their dignity and their responsibility towards their future and the future of their society; to supporting the rights to adequate healthcare, proper training and a decent education for all; here, then, is our commitment to spreading awareness of the beauty of many cultures that are perhaps still relatively unknown, as well as styles of collaboration and solidarity. All this has certainly been possible until now with the help of many people, and it will certainly be possible with the support of many more. Many thanks to all of you who assist us in continuing our mission, which is the mission of all of us who are called to live and bring hope to a new world.
Happy New Year
Sister M. Luisa and all the collaborators of the Thouret Foundation