CrossCurrents A Catholic Reflects on Faith in Our Times

Bernard F. Swain, Ph.D. www.CrossCurrents.us

The Truth of Peace

Like many American Catholics, I have been anxious to form a clear impression of our new Pope. Joseph Ratzinger’s reputation as reformer-turned-reactionary-turned-Vatican-watchdog gave me, like many others, grave misgivings about the kind of papacy Benedict XVI might have in store for us. It’s still too early to be definitive (the Pope’s first encyclical letter, which is due out soon, may shape his image more sharply), but as we begin the new year I am at least happy to report one hopeful sign: Benedict XVI’s January 1 message for World Day of Peace.

Many Catholics hardly noticed when the feast of the “Circumcision of the Lord” was dropped as the Holy Day observed on January 1. But the eventual change to “World Day of Peace” fits perfectly with the agenda of John XXIII, Pope Paul VI and John Paul II, all of whom saw peacemaking as a major priority for the Catholic Church in our time.

Calling his predecessors “astute promoters of peace,” Benedict makes their peace agenda his own, and declares his intention to follow the path they set, in order to show “the steadfast resolve of the Holy See to continue serving the cause of peace.” He even says he chose his name with peace in mind: first thinking of St. Benedict who, as patron saint of Europe, “inspired a civilization of peace,” but especially for Pope Benedict XV, famous for condemning World War I as “useless slaughter.”

Benedict takes his theme from Vatican II, which said our hopes for a better world depend on a humanity that is “renewed in spirit and converted to the truth of peace.” The rest of the Pope’s message spells out his understanding of what “truth of peace” really means.

He reminds his readers that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, and quotes the fuller 1917 definition of Benedict XV that peace is “the fruit of an order… which must be brought about by humanity in its thirst for ever more perfect justice.” He also quotes St. Augustine defining peace as “the tranquility of order.” For his part, the Pope’s conviction is that “the foundations of authentic piece rest on the truth about God and man.” In his view, any threat to truth is also a threat to peace, so we face several challenges if we Catholics are proclaim the Gospel of Peace:

Overcoming the Lies in Our Time. Benedict clearly blames the 20^th century’s horrific death toll on the “big lies” that dominated so many people, when “aberrant ideological and political systems willfully twisted the truth and brought about the exploitation and murder of an appalling number of men and women, wiping out entire families and communities.” The Pope is referring, of course, to forces like imperialism, fascism, Nazism, Soviet communism. But he takes these, not merely as past history, but as lessons for the future, and urges all women and men to be vigilant against contemporary lies which he calls “the framework for menacing scenarios of death in many parts of the world.”

Overcoming Cultural arrogance. I was impressed by Benedict’s view of peace as an interior yearning that is universal among people, regardless of their particular cultural identities. In fact, he sees the insistence on one’s unique identity as an obstacle on the common path to peace:

All people are members of one and the same family. An extreme exultation of differences clashes with this fundamental truth. We need to regain an awareness that we share a common destiny which is ultimately transcendent so as to maximize our historical and cultural differences, not in opposition to, but in cooperation with, people belonging to other cultures. These simple truths are what make peace possible.

Here Benedict reaffirms his predecessors’ call to all Catholics to become “Citizens of the World.”

Embracing International Law. Benedict repeats his predecessors’ conviction that both the prevention and the conduct of war must rest on a legal foundation:

International humanitarian law ought to be considered as one of the finest and most effective expressions of the intrinsic demands of the truth of peace. Precisely for this reason, respect for the law must be considered binding on all peoples. Its value must be appreciated and its correct application ensured; it must also be brought up to date by precise norms applicable to the changing scenarios of today’s armed conflicts and the use of ever newer and more sophisticated weapons.

Benedict’s position clashes directly, of course, with the US rejection of the International Criminal Court.

Rejecting Faith-Based Fanatiscism. Benedict acknowledges terrorism as a major source of violence, and points out that previous popes saw terrorism growing out of hopelessness, and that sometimes hopeless people turned desperately to false hopes:

Religious fanaticism, today often labeled fundamentalism, can inspire and encourage terrorist thinking and activity. From the beginning, John Paul II was aware of the explosive danger represented by fanatical fundamentalism, and he condemned it unsparingly.

Holding Authorities Accountable. After citing some contemporary hopeful signs, the Pope warns against “naïve optimism” by focusing his attention on the way world governments impede peace. He includes policies that create hostility to other nations, policies that maintain nuclear arsenals or create new ones, and policies that support “continuing growth in military expenditure and the flourishing arms trade.” He also charges that, meanwhile, efforts to disarm are “bogged down in general indifference.”

As the world’s #1 arms dealer and #1 nuclear arsenal, the US is a clear (though unnamed) target of Benedict’s critique here.

Partnership with the UN. This might be the most controversial of all the Pope’s points, but it too merely repeats and reaffirms his predecessors’ work. Americans tend to be conditioned to a negative view of the UN, but the Vatican has consistently championed the organization for more than 40 years, and here Benedict is no exception. Indeed the UN is the only governmental body the Pope refers to by name:

The Catholic Church, while confirming her confidence in this international body, calls for the institutional and operative renewal which would enable it to respond to the changing needs of the present time...The United Nations Organization must become a more efficient instrument for promoting the values of justice, solidarity and peace in the world.

So while Benedict acknowledges the need for UN reform, he repeats Paul VI’s 1965 call for a partnership between the UN and the Catholic Church.

Why am I so encouraged when I read all of these points from the Pope’s message?

“Peace” has been a common theme crossing all the differences between the last three popes. What John XXIII began with his encyclical “Pacem in Terris,” and Paul VI continued with his “No More War!” UN speech in 1965, John Paul II extended by speaking of a “Peace Church.” With Benedict XVI, I feared that common theme might be lost. But his World Day of Peace message makes it crystal clear that our new Pope embraces with enthusiasm the last 40 years of papal activism on behalf of peace.

In that respect, at least, Benedict XVI is not turning the clock back to an earlier era of Catholic life. Instead, he is picking up the torch for the renewal of the Church’s Peace mission, and holding its light high. My hope is that American Catholics, though immersed in a culture that celebrates war and rejects most of the Church’s peace doctrine, will soon see the light.

© Bernard F. Swain PhD 2006

Send Your Comments and Questions to bfswain@juno.com

Dr. Swain’s opinions do not represent the views of this parish or any other official body.

Bernie Swain has devoted more than 30 years to adult spiritual formation in dioceses in the US, Canada, and France. Since 1991 he has maintained a private practice as trainer, teacher, and consultant to leaders in parishes and other religious organizations. He holds degrees in theology and political science from Holy Cross, Harvard, The University of Paris, and The University of Chicago.

His writings include Liberating Leadership (Harper & Row, 1986) and more than 200 articles in periodicals such as The National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, The Miami Herald, The Catholic Free Press, The Pilot, Harvard Theological Review, and Liturgy.

A lifelong layperson, he lives in Boston with his wife and three children. Visit his website at:

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