On the occasion of this important anniversary, Pope Francis drew attention to the theme of the culture of care as a path to peace.
The culture of care as “a common, supportive and inclusive commitment to protecting and promoting the dignity and good of all, a willingness to show care and compassion, to work for reconciliation and healing, and to advance mutual respect and acceptance,” and “...a Culture of Care as a Path to Peace... to combat the culture of indifference, waste and confrontation so prevalent in our time.” This is the fulcrum of the Holy Father's Message for the 54th World Day of Peace.
Pope Francis also reserved a special thought for the year that has just ended, noting that the sufferings suffered by humanity in 2020, above all the Covid-19 pandemic, are evidence of how much it is necessary to take an interest in one another. We cannot think of building peace if “we give in to the temptation of being disinterested in others” and if we don't help those most in need.
Therefore, peace can be built, the Holy Father emphasizes, only if we find it within ourselves and in those close to us, but above all by taking care of those in need. It is a new culture that must grow to “defeat indifference, defeat the gap and rivalry, which unfortunately prevail.”
Finally, Pope Francis concluded with the hope that peace reigns everywhere: in hearts, in families, in work, in nations. It is peace, the Pontiff repeats, what we need, today that life is touched “by wars, by enmities, by so many things that destroy… we want peace. And this is a gift.”
The full text of the Pope's message is available here.
