The Australian Catholic Social Justice Council’s Briefing for February is now up on the website. The Briefing covers issues of Catholic social teaching in November 2017, highlighting resources, media items and diary events. It can be read here.
In this month’s briefing the ACSJC Secretariat, John Ferguson, writes about the Pope’s Message for the 2017 World Day of Peace:
…Early in his Message, Pope Francis has a poignant description of the state of today’s world. Unlike last century, which was racked by two world wars and the so-called Cold War, this century sees us ‘engaged in a horrifying world war fought piecemeal’. He lists the ways in which this violence is manifested:
… wars in different countries and continents; terrorism, organised crime and unforeseen acts of violence; the abuses suffered by migrants and victims of human trafficking; and the devastation of the environment.
Against this culture of violence, fostered by many governments, radical groups and criminals, Pope Francis offers us the great model of Jesus and his preaching of God’s unconditional love. Jesus shows us this in his teachings and actions: his bidding to love our enemies and turn the other cheek; his intervention when the crowd sought to stone the woman caught in adultery; his command to Peter in Gethsemane to put away his sword. In this way, Pope Francis says, Jesus ‘marked out the path of nonviolence’.
He walked that path to the very end, to the cross, whereby he became our peace and put an end to hostility. Whoever accepts the Good News of Jesus is able to acknowledge the violence within and be healed by God’s mercy, becoming in turn an instrument of reconciliation. [n 3]…
