Karol Darmoros
Questions about war
The starting point of the papal response was a letter from Raffaele from Catania. The author asked: “How can innocent blood be shed, invoking God? How can a name that should unite be transformed into an instrument of division and death?”. Leo XIV describes the images invoked in the letter as “poetic”, and at the same time leading to the most important questions about why man chooses hatred instead of love – reports Vatican News.
Peace born of Christ
The Pope recalls the innocent victims dying from rockets, drones, and weapons – in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other parts of the world. “From the beginning of my ministry – he emphasizes – I have asked for the gift of peace ‘disarmed and disarming, humble and persistent'”. As he points out, this is a peace born of Christ and demanding witness, because “the Church is committed to proclaiming dialogue. It cannot be otherwise”.
Profanation of God’s name
Leo XIV notes that such an attitude may not please some powerful people in this world. “They will try to make distinctions, to cover their warlike intentions with religious justifications… But the mission of the Church, the mission of the Successor of Peter, can be nothing other than to call for peace” – writes the Pope.
He adds that the Church’s task is also “to firmly condemn those who dare to associate the name of God with acts of war”. The name of God cannot be “profaned by the will to dominate, by violence and discrimination; above all, it must never be invoked to justify choices and actions of death”. “Unfortunately – the Pope continues – this temptation to profane the name of God also affects those who consider themselves Christians”.
Paths of peace
The Holy Father calls on Christians to disarm words and not allow the language of faith to be drawn “into political struggle”, to serve “to bless nationalism and to religiously justify violence and armed struggle”. He encourages “cultivating prayer, spirituality, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as paths of peace and languages of encounter between traditions and cultures”. “This is a commitment from which we Christians cannot shy away!” – emphasizes Leo XIV.
