Achieving peace requires respect for all human life, Pope states

Last updated on: December 15, 2012 at 12:05 am by CNA Daily News

Achieving peace requires respect for all human life, Pope states 2012-12-15T00:05:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Dec 14, 2012 / 05:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- More than anything else, the path to peace involves “respect for human life in all its many aspects,” Pope Benedict XVI said in his message for the annual World Day of Peace.

“At the birth of Jesus, the angels proclaim the message ‘glory to God on high, and on earth peace to men of good will.’ With the birth of the savior, peace was wished for the earth, for humanity,” Cardinal Peter K. Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, remarked to CNA Dec. 14.

“Peace was offered and declared for humanity. My hope for next year is that this becomes real for humanity, that humanity begins more and more to realize the peace that was declared and announced at the birth of the Lord.”

The World Day of Peace is celebrated each year on Jan. 1, but the Pope usually releases his message for occasion in advance, as he did today. This year’s celebration will be the 46th time the day has been observed since it was established by Pope Paul VI.

“The many different efforts at peacemaking which abound in our world testify to mankind’s innate vocation to peace,” Pope Benedict wrote in his message for the coming year, entitled “Blessed are the Peacemakers.”

He also pointed out that in “every person the desire for peace is an essential aspiration which coincides in a certain way with the desire for a full, happy and successful human life.”

“The desire for peace corresponds to a fundamental moral principle, namely, the duty and right to an integral social and communitarian development, which is part of God’s plan for mankind.”

Cardinal Turkson reflected on how peace is experienced “always in communion with God. There's a transcendent part of it. Related to and in communion with God, we seek to undertake this venture on earth.”

Pope Benedict underscored the same theme when he said that denying “the true nature of human beings … his intrinsic capacity to know the true and the good and, ultimately, to know God Himself, jeopardizes peacemaking.”

“Without the truth about man inscribed by the Creator in the human heart,” he wrote, “freedom and love become debased, and justice loses the ground of its exercise.”

“The path to the attainment of the common good and to peace is above all that of respect for human life in all its many aspects, beginning with its conception, through its development and up to its natural end,” he stated.

“True peacemakers, then, are those who love, defend and promote human life in all its dimensions, personal, communitarian and transcendent.”

The Pope also took up peace and its relationship with economies around the world.

Economic models, he said, must be based on solidarity and the common good rather than profit maximization.

Pope Benedict’s message finished by saying that teaching on peace is needed, so that there will be a greater orientation to good will, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

His full message can be found at: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20121208_xlvi-world-day-peace_en.html

Uncategorized

Vatican

Previous Post

December 14, 2012

Small town's Christmas tree brings splendor to Vatican

Next Post

December 15, 2012 New book explores spiritual sisterhood with saints

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Saul's son?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jonathan Samuel David Absalom