4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Isaiah 2: 4-5 (New International Version)
If we remain silent, the vision we heard from Isaiah will have no future
In this war-scarred region, I come as a pilgrim of peace.
Peace can no longer be dismissed with rhetoric or one-sided slogans; it demands deep conviction and total commitment, not sentimentality.
Pursuing peace demands clear insight, even amid competing interests, and a firm grasp of the principles and values at stake. The greater the threat to humanity, the greater its moral maturity must be.
We must demand more than the minimum. Peace is more than the absence of war; it rests on inseparable values: freedom, human dignity, justice, solidarity, mercy, love of neighbor, truth, and hope. We overcome threats to peace through progress that honors authentic values—not by denying them.
This is the message of those who fell here: in this remarkable square, even on the ruins of hatred, a house of peace and love can rise again!
Silence lets violence drown out calls for justice and peace, while threats of war and selfishness obstruct dialogue and mutual understanding.
Speaking up can help curb the arms race’s drain on capital, energy, and creativity, redirecting resources to food, health care, development, and housing—especially in the poorest countries.
Yes. If we remain silent, the Lord’s peace cannot take root in human hearts.
How can people live peacefully without seeking and accepting God’s peace? Speaking up helps spread the message of our Lord Jesus Christ, the “Prince of Peace,” “Princeps Pacis.”
Excerpted from the words of His Holiness, Saint Pope John Paul II
Pastoral Visit to Netherlands, Solemn Celebration in Ypres
The Grote Markt, Ypres (Ieper), Belgium – 17 May 1985
Read the Vatican text
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