Sign this appeal to Pope Francis from the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative: Nonviolence is the way forward

from the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative

Editor’s Note: Pax Christi USA has signed onto this appeal and encourages all of our local groups, religious communities, regions and individuals to do the same. Look out for more information on the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative and the upcoming Nonviolence Days of Action on this site later this week.

The Church is celebrating the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’: On care for our common home, the powerful and beautifully crafted encyclical which calls us to a new understanding of all of the connections woven into creation. In this time of crisis, it is clear that nonviolence is a crucial pillar in the foundation of the more just and sustainable post-pandemic world to which Laudato Si’ leads us.

We invite you to sign this message (see below in English and Spanish; en español aquí) to Pope Francis expressing our gratitude for his leadership during this time of crisis and our support for the teachings of Laudato Si’.

All are welcome to sign; Catholic religious communities, organisations, educational institutions and individuals especially are warmly invited.

Please share the link to this message as widely as possible. The deadline for signatures has been extended to mid-September as we hope to deliver the message to Pope Francis during the Nonviolence Days of Action.

To read the message in Spanish, click here.

Thank you for all you do to promote peace and nonviolence. 

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An appeal to Pope Francis: The path of nonviolence toward a Laudato Si’ future

The coronavirus has laid bare the deep roots of racism and cultural violence, economic injustice, wars “fought piecemeal,” climate change and environmental destruction that are facing the human community and our planet. Response to the pandemic requires a fundamental shift from the “unjust normal” of systemic and structural violence across the globe, from systems that destroy, dehumanize and diminish, to a culture of solidarity that seeks the fullness of life for all.

Active nonviolence – a spirituality, a way of life and a program of societal action – is key to this global shift; to the roadmap laid out in Journeying for the Care of Our Common Home; and to the future envisioned in Laudato Si’. The two hands of nonviolence speak clearly to this moment in history: “No” to the multidimensional violences that plague our world; “yes” to human dignity and respect for the integrity of creation.

Nonviolence is a path for conversion, for deep personal and societal transformation from the old way of domination and exploitation toward a “civilization of love” (Laudato Si’ #231). The universal ethic of nonviolence can shape a new, more just “normal” and guide the growing mass movement of ordinary people, including many Catholics, longing for the post pandemic world that you have helped us to envision.

To further encourage a process of ecological conversion, we believe that a companion reflection to Laudato Si’ would deepen and greatly expand Catholic understanding of and commitment to nonviolence as a crucial pillar in the foundation of integral human development and a more sustainable “common home.”

We are deeply grateful for the hope and vision that you bring to these troubled times.

Add your signature by clicking here.

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UN LLAMAMIENTO AL PAPA FRANCISCO: EL CAMINO DE LA NO VIOLENCIA HACIA UN FUTURO DE LAUDATO SI

El coronavirus ha puesto al descubierto las raíces profundas del racismo y la violencia cultural, la injusticia económica, las guerras “combatidas fragmentadamente”, el cambio climático y la destrucción del medio ambiente que enfrentan la comunidad humana y nuestro planeta. La respuesta a la pandemia requiere un cambio fundamental de la “normalidad injusta” de la violencia sistémica y estructural en todo el mundo, de sistemas que destruyen, deshumanizan y disminuyen, a una cultura de solidaridad que busca la plenitud de la vida para todos.

La no violencia activa, una espiritualidad, una forma de vida y un programa de acción social, es clave para este cambio global; a la hoja de ruta establecida en Jornadas para el cuidado de nuestro hogar común; y para el futuro previsto en Laudato Si ’. Las dos manos de la noviolencia hablan claramente de este momento de la historia: “No” a las violencias multidimensionales que plagan nuestro mundo; “Sí” a la dignidad humana y al respeto por la integridad de la creación.

La noviolencia es un camino para la conversión, para una profunda transformación personal y social de la antigua forma de dominación y explotación hacia una “civilización del amor” (Laudato Si’ # 231). La ética universal de la noviolencia puede dar forma a una “normalidad” nueva y más justa que guíe el creciente movimiento masivo de la gente común, incluidos muchos católicos, que anhelan el mundo posterior a la pandemia que usted nos han ayudado a imaginar.

Para alentar aún más un proceso de conversión ecológica, creemos que una reflexión complementaria a Laudato Si’ profundizaría y expandiría enormemente la comprensión y el compromiso católicos de la noviolencia como un pilar crucial en la base del desarrollo humano integral y un “hogar común” más sostenible.

Estamos profundamente agradecidos por la esperanza y la visión que usted trae en estos tiempos difíciles.

Agrega tu firma aquí.