“We are faced with radically new circumstances, which demand of us an equally radical commitment to peace”. Peace is the focus of the Encyclical Letter from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I to the great international ecumenical meeting organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Kingston, Jamaica, from 17 to 25 May 2011. The event, sponsored by Christian Churches across the world, marks the end of the “Decade to Overcome Violence”. In his letter, the Patriarch expressed concern over the world situation and called on everyone to always reject “violence and war”. In fact, the Patriarch wrote, “human conflict may well be inevitable in our world; but war and violence are certainly not”. An he added: “the pursuit of peace has always proved challenging. Yet, our present situation is quite unprecedented”. “The pursuit of peace calls for a radical reversal”, it requires “conversion, commitment and courage” because “we have it in our power either to increase the hurt inflicted on our world or to contribute toward its healing. It is a matter of choice”.

The Patriarch then appealed to the responsibility of Christian Churches, which are called to make a concrete contribution to the promotion of peace “in an increasingly complex and violent world”. Today Churches are called to “move beyond mere rhetorical denunciations of violence, oppression and injustice, and incarnate their ethical judgments into actions that contribute to a culture of peace. This responsibility is grounded on the essential goodness of all human beings by virtue of being in God’s image and the goodness of all that God has created”. And he added: “the Church understands peace and peacemaking as an indispensable aspect of its life and mission to the world”. In his Encyclical Letter, the Patriarch also called for an examination of conscience: “Many of our efforts for peace are futile because we are unwilling to relinquish wasteful consumerism and prideful nationalism. In peacemaking, then, it is critical that we perceive the impact of our practices on other people - especially the poor - as well as on the environment. This is precisely why there cannot be peace without justice”.

© SIR - may 11th 2011