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MESSAGE 1 JANUARY 2003
PACEM
IN TERRIS: 1. Almost forty years ago, on Holy Thursday, 11 April 1963, Pope John XXIII
published his epic Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris. Addressing himself to "all men of good will", my venerable
predecessor, who would die just two months later, summed up his message of "peace
on earth" in the first sentence of the Encyclical: "Peace on earth, which all
men of every era have most eagerly yearned for, can be firmly established and
sustained only if the order laid down by God be dutifully observed" (Introduction: AAS, 55 [1963], 257). Speaking peace to a divided world 2. The world to which John XXIII wrote was then in a profound state of disorder.
The twentieth century had begun with great expectations for progress. Yet
within sixty years, that same century had produced two World Wars, devastating
totalitarian systems, untold human suffering, and the greatest persecution of
the Church in history. The four pillars of peace With the profound intuition that characterized him, John XXIII identified the essential
conditions for peace in four precise requirements of the human spirit: truth, justice, love and
freedom (cf. ibid., I: l.c., 265-266). Truth will build peace if
every individual sincerely acknowledges not only his rights, but also his own
duties towards others. Justice will
build peace if in practice everyone respects the rights of others and actually
fulfils his duties towards them. Love
will build peace if people feel the needs of others as their own and share what
they have with others, especially the values of mind and spirit which they
possess. Freedom will build peace and
make it thrive if, in the choice of the means to that end, people act according
to reason and assume responsibility for their own actions. Looking at the present and into the future with the eyes of faith and reason, Blessed
John XXIII discerned deeper historical currents at work. Things were not always
what they seemed on the surface. Despite wars and rumours of wars, something
more was at work in human affairs, something that to the Pope looked like the
promising beginning of a spiritual revolution. A new awareness of human dignity and inalienable human rights 4. Humanity, John XXIII wrote, had entered a new stage of its journey (cf. ibid., I: l.c., 267-269). The end of colonialism and the rise of newly
independent States, the protection of workers' rights, the new and welcome
presence of women in public life, all testified to the fact that the human race
was indeed entering a new phase of its history, one characterized by "the conviction that all men are equal by
reason of their natural dignity" (ibid., I: l.c.,268). The Pope knew that that
dignity was still being trampled upon in many parts of the world. Yet he was
convinced that, despite the dramatic situation, the world was becoming
increasingly conscious of certain spiritual values, and increasingly open to the meaning of those pillars of peace – truth, justice, love,
and freedom (cf. ibid., I: l.c., 268-269). Seeking to bring these
values into local, national and international life, men and women were becoming
more aware that their relationship with God, the source of all good, must be
the solid foundation and supreme criterion of their lives, as individuals and
in society (cf. ibid.). This evolving
spiritual intuition would, the Pope was convinced, have profound public and
political consequences.
Seeing the growth of awareness of human rights that was then emerging within nations
and at the international level, Pope John XXIII caught the potential of this
phenomenon and understood its singular power to change history. What was later
to happen in central and eastern Europe would confirm his insight. The road to
peace, he taught in the Encyclical, lay in the defence and promotion of basic
human rights, which every human being enjoys, not as a benefit given by a
different social class or conceded by the State but simply because of our
humanity: "Any human society, if it is to be well-ordered and productive, must
lay down as a foundation this principle, namely, that every human being is a
person, that is, his nature is endowed with intelligence and free will. Indeed,
precisely because he is a person he has rights and obligations, flowing
directly and simultaneously from his very nature. And as these rights and
obligations are universal and inviolable so they cannot in any way be
surrendered" (ibid., 259). As history would soon show, this was not simply an abstract idea; it was an idea
with profound consequences. Inspired by the conviction that every human being
is equal in dignity, and that society therefore had to adapt its form to that
conviction, human rights movements soon arose and gave concrete political expression to one of the great dynamics
of contemporary history: the quest for freedom as an indispensable component of
work for peace. Emerging in virtually every part of the world, these movements
were instrumental in replacing dictatorial forms of government with more
democratic and participatory ones. They demonstrated in practice that peace and
progress could only be achieved by respecting the universal moral law written on the human heart (cf. John Paul
II, Address to the United Nations General Assembly, 5 October 1995, No. 3). The universal common good 5. On another point too Pacem in Terris showed itself prophetic, as it looked to the next phase of
the evolution of world politics. Because the world was becoming increasingly
interdependent and global, the common good of humanity had to be worked out on
the international plane. It was proper, Pope John XXIII taught, to speak of a "universal common good" (Pacem
in Terris, IV: l.c., 292).
One of the consequences of this evolution was the obvious need for a public authority, on the international
level, with effective capacity to advance the universal common good; an authority which could not, the Pope
immediately continued, be established by coercion but only by the consent of nations. Such a body would have to have as
its fundamental objective the "recognition, respect, safeguarding, and promotion of the rights of the human person" (ibid., IV: l.c., 294).
Not surprisingly therefore John XXIII looked with hope and expectation to the
United Nations Organization, which had come into being on June 26, 1945. He saw
that Organization as a credible instrument for maintaining and strengthening
world peace, and he expressed particular appreciation of its 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
which he considered "an approximation towards the establishment of a juridical
and political organization of the world community" (ibid., IV: l.c., 295).
What he was saying in fact was that the Declaration set out the moral foundations on
which the evolution of a world characterized by order rather than disorder, and by dialogue rather than force,
could proceed. He was suggesting that the vigorous defence of human rights by
the United Nations Organization is the indispensable foundation for the
development of that Organization's capacity to promote and defend international
security. Not only is it clear that Pope John XXIII's vision of an effective international
public authority at the service of human rights, freedom and peace has not yet
been entirely achieved, but there is still in fact much hesitation in the
international community about the obligation to respect and implement human
rights. This duty touches all fundamental rights, excluding that arbitrary picking and choosing which can
lead to rationalizing forms of discrimination and injustice. Likewise, we are
witnessing the emergence of an alarming gap between a series of new "rights"
being promoted in advanced societies – the result of new prosperity and new
technologies – and other more basic human rights still not being met,
especially in situations of underdevelopment. I am thinking here for example
about the right to food and drinkable water, to housing and security, to
self-determination and independence – which are still far from being guaranteed
and realized. Peace demands that this
tension be speedily reduced and in time eliminated. A new international moral order 6. Nevertheless it remains true that, despite many difficulties and setbacks, significant progress has been made over
the past forty years towards the implementation of Pope John's noble vision.
The fact that States throughout the world feel obliged to honour the idea of
human rights shows how powerful are the tools of moral conviction and spiritual
integrity, which proved so decisive in the revolution of conscience that made
possible the 1989 non-violent revolution that displaced European communism. And
although distorted notions of freedom as licence continue to threaten democracy
and free societies, it is surely significant that, in the forty years since Pacem in Terris, much of the world has
become more free, structures of dialogue and cooperation between nations have
been strengthened, and the threat of a global nuclear war, which weighed so
heavily on Pope John XXIII, has been effectively contained. Boldly, but with all humility, I would like to suggest that the Church's
fifteen-hundred-year-old teaching on peace as "tranquillitas ordinis – the tranquillity of order" as Saint
Augustine called it (De Civitate Dei, 19, 13), which was brought to a new level of development forty years ago by Pacem in Terris, has a deep relevance
for the world today, for the leaders of nations as well as for individuals.
That there is serious disorder in world affairs is obvious. Thus the question
to be faced remains: What kind of order can replace this disorder, so that men and women can live in freedom,
justice, and security? And since the world, amid its disorder, continues
nevertheless to be “ordered” and organized in various ways – economic,
cultural, even political – there arises another equally urgent question: On
what principles are these new forms of world order unfolding? These far-reaching questions suggest that the problem of order in world affairs,
which is the problem of peace rightly understood, cannot be separated from
issues of moral principle. This is another way of saying that the question of
peace cannot be separated from the question of human dignity and human rights.
That is one of the enduring truths taught by
Pacem in Terris, which we would do well to remember and reflect upon on
this fortieth anniversary. Is this not the time for all to work together for a new constitutional organization of the human family, truly capable of ensuring peace and
harmony between peoples, as well as their integral development? But let there
be no misunderstanding. This does not mean writing the constitution of a global
super-State. Rather, it means continuing and deepening processes already in
place to meet the almost universal demand
for participatory ways of exercising political authority, even international
political authority, and for transparency and accountability at every level of
public life. With his confidence in the goodness he believed could be found
in every human person, Pope John XXIII called the entire world to a nobler
vision of public life and public authority, even as he boldly challenged the
world to think beyond its present state of disorder to new forms of
international order commensurate with human dignity. The bond between peace and truth 7. Against those who think of politics as a realm of necessity detached from
morality and subject only to partisan interests, Pope John XXIII, in Pacem
in Terris, outlined a truer picture of human reality and indicated the
path to a better future for all. Precisely because human beings are created
with the capacity for moral choice, no
human activity takes place outside the sphere of moral judgment. Politics
is a human activity; therefore, it too is subject to a distinctive form of
moral scrutiny. This is also true of international politics. As the Pope wrote:
"The same natural law that governs the life and conduct of individuals must
also regulate the relations of political communities with one another" (Pacem
in Terris, III: l.c., 279).
Those who imagine that international public life takes place somewhere outside
the realm of moral judgment need only reflect on the impact of human rights movements on the national
and international politics of the twentieth century just concluded. These
developments, anticipated by the teaching of the Encyclical, decisively refute
the claim that international politics must of necessity be a "free zone" in
which the moral law holds no sway. Perhaps nowhere today is there a more obvious need for the correct use of political
authority than in the dramatic situation of the Middle East and the Holy Land. Day after day, year after year, the
cumulative effect of bitter mutual rejection and an unending chain of violence
and retaliation have shattered every effort so far to engage in serious
dialogue on the real issues involved. The volatility of the situation is
compounded by the clash of interests among the members of the international
community. Until those in positions of responsibility undergo a veritable
revolution in the way they use their power and go about securing their peoples'
welfare, it is difficult to imagine how progress towards peace can be made. The
fratricidal struggle that daily convulses the Holy Land and brings into
conflict the forces shaping the immediate future of the Middle East shows
clearly the need for men and women who, out of conviction, will implement
policies firmly based on the principle of respect for human dignity and human
rights. Such policies are incomparably more advantageous to everyone than the
continuation of conflict. A start can be made on the basis of this truth, which
is certainly more liberating than propaganda, especially when that propaganda
serves to conceal inadmissible intentions. The premises of a lasting peace 8. There is an unbreakable bond between the
work of peace and respect for truth.
Honesty in the supply of information, equity in legal systems, openness in
democratic procedures give citizens a sense of security, a readiness to settle
controversies by peaceful means, and a desire for genuine and constructive
dialogue, all of which constitute the
true premises of a lasting peace. Political summits on the regional and
international levels serve the cause of peace only if joint commitments are
then honoured by each party. Otherwise these meetings risk becoming irrelevant
and useless, with the result that people believe less and less in dialogue and
trust more in the use of force as a way of resolving issues. The negative
repercussions on peace resulting from commitments made and then not honoured
must be carefully assessed by State and government leaders. Pacta sunt servanda, says the ancient
maxim. If at all times commitments ought to be kept, promises made to the poor should be considered particularly
binding. Especially frustrating for them is any breach of faith regarding
promises which they see as vital to their well-being. In this respect, the
failure to keep commitments in the sphere of aid to developing nations is a
serious moral question and further highlights the injustice of the imbalances
existing in the world. The suffering
caused by poverty is compounded by the loss of trust. The end result is
hopelessness. The existence of trust in international relations is a social capital of fundamental value. A culture of peace 9. In the end, peace is not essentially about
structures but about people. Certain
structures and mechanisms of peace – juridical, political, economic – are of
course necessary and do exist, but they have been derived from nothing other
than the accumulated wisdom and experience of innumerable gestures of peace made by men and women throughout
history who have kept hope and have not given in to discouragement. Gestures of peace spring from the lives
of people who foster peace first of all in their own hearts. They are the work of the heart and of reason in those
who are peacemakers (cf. Mt 5:9). Gestures of peace are possible when
people appreciate fully the community dimension of their lives, so that they grasp the meaning and consequences
of events in their own communities and in the world. Gestures of peace create a tradition and a culture
of peace. Religion has a vital role in fostering gestures of peace and in consolidating conditions for peace.It exercises this role
all the more effectively if it concentrates on what is proper to it: attention
to God, the fostering of universal brotherhood and the spreading of a culture
of human solidarity. The Day of Prayer for Peace which I promoted in Assisi on 24 January 2002, involving
representatives of many religions, had this purpose. It expressed a desire to
nurture peace by spreading a spirituality and a culture of peace. The legacy of Pacem in Terris 10. Blessed Pope John XXIII was a man unafraid of the future. He was sustained in
his optimism by his deep trust in God and in man, both of which grew out of the
sturdy climate of faith in which he had grown up. Moved by his trust in
Providence, even in what seemed like a permanent situation of conflict, he did
not hesitate to summon the leaders of his time to a new vision of the world.
This is the legacy that he left us. On this World Day of Peace 2003, let us all
resolve to have his same outlook: trust in the merciful and compassionate God
who calls us to brotherhood, and confidence in the men and women of our time
because, like those of every other time, they bear the image of God in their
souls. It is on this basis that we can hope to build a world of peace on earth. At the beginning of a new year in our human history, this is the hope that rises
spontaneously from the depths of my heart: that in the spirit of every
individual there may be a renewed dedication to the noble mission which Pacem in Terris proposed forty years ago
to all men and women of good will. The task, which the Encyclical called
"immense", is that "of establishing new relationships in human society, under
the sway and guidance of truth, justice, love, and freedom". Pope John
indicated that he was referring to “relations between individual citizens,
between citizens and their respective States, between States, and finally
between individuals, families, intermediate associations and States on the one
hand, and the world community on the other”. He concluded by saying that "to
bring about true peace in accordance with divinely established order" was a
"most noble task" (Pacem in Terris, V: l.c., 301-302). The fortieth anniversary of Pacem in Terris is
an apt occasion to return to Pope John XXIII's prophetic teaching. Catholic
communities will know how to celebrate this anniversary during the year with
initiatives which, I hope, will have an ecumenical and interreligious character
and be open to all those who have a heartfelt desire "to break through the
barriers which divide them, to strengthen the bonds of mutual love, to learn to
understand one another and to pardon those who have done them wrong" (l.c., 304). I accompany this hope with a prayer to Almighty God, the source of all our good.
May he who calls us from oppression and conflict to freedom and cooperation for
the good of all help people everywhere to build a world of peace ever more
solidly established on the four pillars indicated by Blessed Pope John XXIII in
his historic Encyclical: truth, justice, love, freedom. From the Vatican, 8 December 2002 |
or Faith Resources
Created January 29, 2003