“While I reaffirm the inalienable right to self-defence, war is always a failure of humanity as a whole and not just of the individual parties involved.” All wars are in contradiction with human dignity and “are not destined by their nature to solve problems, but rather to exacerbate them.” The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Peace’
The real cause of the war in Gaza—and the only path to peace
Monday, April 22nd, 2024
We have already seen six months of war in Gaza. Now, it seems that Israel is beginning its last phase of conquest, after ordering a million and a half people to take refuge in Rafah, a border town with Egypt. Soon, there may be almost no one left in the rest of Gaza. There have Read more
A better world can’t be built lying on the couch
Monday, April 22nd, 2024
A better world can happen but change for the better will materialise only when people are out in the world, “not lying on the couch” said Pope Francis. The pope was talking to a group of Italian schoolchildren saying that each of them can help make peace grow. The youngsters were all involved in the Read more
Climate change is a religious problem, COP28 told
Thursday, December 7th, 2023
In a message to COP28 (Conference of Parties), Pope Francis stressed religious leaders’ responsibility for caring for the planet. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin read the message on Francis’s behalf on Sunday at the COP28 Faith Pavilion. He passed on Francis’s thanks to those in the new Pavilion. They included the Grand Imam of Read more
The real enemy is war
Monday, November 27th, 2023
Over the last weeks the war between Israel and Hamas has come to Australia. In our local park each junction of the path is marked by a stenciled message demanding a ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Large, mainly peaceful, demonstrations in favour of the people of Gaza and of Israel have been Read more
Observing the end of the war to end all wars – the right way
Thursday, November 9th, 2023
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month in 1918 an armistice was declared, effectively ending one of the worst conflicts in history – World War I. On Nov. 11 the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and several other nations will observe the 100th anniversary of that historic day when the warring Read more
Siding with peace in the Middle East
Thursday, November 2nd, 2023
Pope Francis said it well: “War does not solve any problem, it only sows death and destruction, increases hatred, multiplies revenge. War erases the future.” The future for Palestinians and Israelis is being erased each passing day. Before it is too late, the United States and Congress should side with peace, not more war, in Read more
Stop the war say NZ Catholic, NZ Anglican bishops and the Pope
Thursday, October 26th, 2023
Stop the war! The war in the Holy Land must stop. Now. Please. Just stop. In a joint statement, Bishops from New Zealand’s two biggest Christian Churches – Catholic and Anglican – are begging the warring factions in the Holy Land to stop. Stop the war with the accompanying acts of violence it executes, the Read more
NZ Catholic bishops promote open informed life discussions
Thursday, September 28th, 2023
In a significant move, the NZ Catholic bishops are promoting open and informed life discussion through a modernised and broadened document, Te Kahu o te Ora – A Consistent Ethic of Life. The modernisation seeks to fill a twenty-six-year gap and reflect some of the modern challenges. Dr John Kleinsman, director of the NZ Catholic Read more
Jimmy Carter – An appreciation
Thursday, September 7th, 2023
“Enough is enough! I’m writing the President!” After hitting the umpteenth brick wall, my wife had reached the end of her rope. As a Canadian citizen in America, married to an American, obtaining a green card for work should have been a walk in the park for her. But it wasn’t. After three years of Read more