Pope Francis’s messages and actions have showed that he is committed to seeking a world without war.
During his September visit to the United States, Pope Francis used the opportunity to spread a message of peace, hope, and reconciliation as well as bring attention to inequality, marginalized peoples, and those individuals affected by violent conflict around the world. Highlights of the trip include the Pope’s speech to Congress, remarks at the White House, and an address before the United Nations General Assembly.
In the speech the Pope gave to Congress, he recognized that “our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion.” While we are aware that various conflicts have a myriad of root causes, deep socio-economic and political divisions, poor governance, and a history of past violence are common in many areas currently experiencing conflict or at risk.
The Pontiff encouraged increased awareness recognizing that “no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind.” He put out a call against the “the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil.” This false dichotomy disconnects us from our shared humanity, prevents us from seeking common ground and understanding, and inhibits us from working together to find solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges. The Pope advised Congress that our response to these global violence and threats must be “one of hope and healing, of peace and justice.”
In acknowledging our shared responsibility towards one another, we should put aside our partisan interest and adopt a new course of action that prevents further conflict and shift our foreign policy to one that prioritizes peacebuilding. In his speech at the United Nations, the Pope called on all member states to do just that, saying:
“Not only in cases of religious or cultural persecution, but in every situation of conflict, as in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan and the Great Lakes region, real human beings take precedence over partisan interests, however legitimate the latter may be. In wars and conflicts there are individual persons, our brothers and sisters, men and women, young and old, boys and girls who weep, suffer and die. Human beings who are easily discarded when our only response is to draw up lists of problems, strategies and disagreements. As I wrote in my letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 9 August 2014, “the most basic understanding of human dignity compels the international community, particularly through the norms and mechanisms of international law, to do all that it can to stop and to prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities” and to protect innocent peoples.”
Pope Francis’s messages and actions have showed that he is committed to seeking a world without war. We as a people can support this vision by being active participants in the way our foreign policy is shaped. We must lobby congress to set up peacebuilding structures that protect civilians, and prevent, transform and mitigate violent conflict.