Justice and Peace
Jesus' first words to the disciples after the Resurrection were: "Peace be with you"(Jn 20:19, 21, 26).
In his 1972 message for the Day of Peace, Pope Paul VI wrote: "If you want peace, work for justice."
In his message for the World Day of Peace in 2003, Pope John Paul II wrote: "John XXIII identified the essential conditions for peace in four precise requirements of the human spirit: truth, justice, love and freedom ... 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 Church in England and Wales, in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and supported by the National Justice and Peace Network, promotes justice and peace in the world, in the light of the Gospel and of the social teaching of the Church.
Pope Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Peace 2010
If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation
Peace Sunday is celebrated in England and Wales on the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. In 2010, it falls on 17 January.
In his message to mark the 2010 World Day of Peace, Pope Benedict stresses the link between peace and creation. Referring to his third Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, His Holiness points out that "the environment must be seen as God’s gift to all people, and the use we make of it entails a shared responsibility for all humanity, especially the poor and future generations."
Quote
"Man’s inhumanity to man has given rise to numerous threats to peace and to authentic and integral human development – wars, international and regional conflicts, acts of terrorism, and violations of human rights. Yet no less troubling are the threats arising from the neglect – if not downright misuse – of the earth and the natural goods that God has given us. For this reason, it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen 'that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards whom we are journeying'"
Read download the full text
Pope Benedict's message for the World Day of Peace 2010 (MS Word)
Pax Christi resources for 2010
Pax Christi is an international Christian peacemaking movement, based on the gospel and inspired by faith. Its website offers resources for the 2010 Day of Prayer for Peace - more commonly known as Peace Sunday.
Visit Pax Christi for:
- Sow Peace Prayer Card
- Peace Sunday leaflet on theme "To sow peace - protect the earth"
- Peace Sunday poster
- Liturgy booklet
Pope Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Peace 2009
In his 2009 message for the World Day of Peace, Pope Benedict focused on the need to fight poverty in order to build peace.
"One of the most important ways of building peace is through a form of globalization directed towards the interests of the whole human family. In order to govern globalization, however, there needs to be a strong sense of global solidarity between rich and poor countries, as well as within individual countries, including affluent ones. A 'common code of ethics' is also needed, consisting of norms based not upon mere consensus, but rooted in the natural law inscribed by the Creator on the conscience of every human being (cf. Rom 2:14-15). Does not every one of us sense deep within his or her conscience a call to make a personal contribution to the common good and to peace in society?"
Pope Benedict's message for the World Day of Peace 2009 (pdf)