On October 27, Pope Leo XIV offered the following reflection on the occasion of the international meeting “Unarmed and disarming peace,” organized by the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Community of Sant’Egidio, held in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Peace.
… [F]ollowing that first historic meeting [of the 1986 World Day of Prayer for Peace], St. John Paul II called for us to “continue to live the spirit of Assisi” (Address to Leaders of the World Religions in Assisi). That was at the time of the Cold War, a very different situation from the one we face today. After 1989, many believed that globalization would ensure lasting peace for the world. Unfortunately, as I wrote in Magnifica Humanitas, “an almost blind faith was placed in the ability of the markets to generate prosperity, democracy and stability. In reality, rather than automatically generating unity and peace, globalization has provoked fundamentalist, identity-based and nationalistic reactions” (no. 201).
Against this backdrop, there has been “troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics” (ibid., 190). As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “the accumulation of arms strikes many as a paradoxically suitable way of deterring potential adversaries from war. They see it as the most effective means of ensuring peace among nations” (no. 2315), thus betraying the memory of the 20th century and the senseless slaughter of millions of human lives. Precisely in these times marked by a “culture of power,” there is a need to cultivate the spirit of Assisi, which entails a rejection of the religious justification of war, a spirit of mediation and dialogue, and contemplative reflection combined with creative action in the service of a future of peace. Yes, peace must once again become the common ideal of all peoples, the guiding star for all our choices, the standard that exposes injustice, and the shared horizon for all.
We must rebuild peace everywhere, not prepare for more wars. War can never be waged in the name of God. For us believers, “to fight in the name of religion means attacking religion itself” (Magnifica Humanitas, 223). There is no such thing as a holy war: only peace is holy.
That is why the journey begun in Assisi as a shared quest for peace is, first and foremost, the path of prayer. Prayer may seem weak in the face of the powers of the world, but it is the humble strength of believers. Let us turn to God, the giver of peace, that he may touch the hearts of those who seek war and terrorism. Let us not forget that prayer is never in vain.
Indeed, prayer is a school of dialogue with God, with people and with all creatures. Let us think of St. Francis, whose death we have commemorated on his 800th anniversary. The world needs dialogue. The path of Assisi calls religious leaders to foster a climate of dialogue amongst the faithful and within society, so that the language of arrogance may give way to the language of peace, negotiation and understanding. This will help to “gradually [lead] humanity away from the cycle of violence” (ibid., 221).
Brothers and sisters, may our prayers obtain from God that peace for the world’s nations for which we long. May he make us unarmed instruments of his peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).