Pope Francis has urged everyone to pray and work for a non-violent culture which promotes peace in his prayer intention for the month of April. Source: Vatican News.
As the Church marks 60 years since Pope St. John XXIII published his encyclical Pacem in Terris, Pope Francis is calling on Christians to pray for a nonviolent culture.
The Pope released a video accompanying his prayer intention for April 2023, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
He recalled that “war is madness” which is “beyond reason”.
“Any war, any armed confrontation, always ends in defeat for all,” he said.
Pope Francis contrasted a conflictual mentality with one based on nonviolence.
“Living, speaking, and acting without violence is not surrendering, losing or giving up anything, but aspiring to everything,” he said.
Everyone, added the Pope, is called to “develop a culture of peace.”
Nonviolence, he said, can offer a guide for our actions, “both in daily life and in international relations.”
“Let us remember that, even in cases of self-defence, peace is the ultimate goal, and that a lasting peace can exist only without weapons,” he said.
Pope Francis wrapped up his intention video with the heart of his prayer appeal.
“And let us pray for a more widespread culture of nonviolence,” he said, “which will progress when countries and citizens alike resort less and less to the use of arms.”
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Pope’s April prayer intention: ‘For a nonviolent culture’ (By Devin Watkins, Vatican News)
