World Day of Peace, 2014, Pope chooses theme: 'Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace'
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - A "throwaway culture" and the "globalization indifference" can be defeated if we allow ourselves to be won over by the concept of "fraternity" - not to be confused with sterile aid. In short, if we learn to see all human beings as brothers and sisters " called to share the gifts of creation, the goods of progress and culture, to be partakers at the same table of the fullness of life, to be protagonists of integral and inclusive development". 'Pope Francis has chosen 'Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace' as the theme for the 47th World Day of Peace in 2014, his first as Pope.
The
Day is celebrated on the first day of each New Year since it was instituted by
Pope Paul VI. The
World Day of Peace was an initiative of Pope Paul VI and it is celebrated on
the first day of each year. It is sent to
particular churches and chancelleries all around the world, drawing attention
to the essential value of peace and the need to work tirelessly in order to
attain it.
From
the start of his pontificate it has been obvious that Francis cares about
overcoming a "throwaway culture" in favor of a "culture of
encounter". Fraternity,
reads the Vatican press release, " is a dowry that
every man and every woman brings with himself or herself as a human being, as a
child of the one Father. In the face of the many tragedies that afflict the family
of nations - poverty, hunger, underdevelopment, conflicts, migrations,
pollution, inequalities, injustice, organized crime, fundamentalisms -
fraternity is the foundation
and the pathway to peace
".
An
exasperated well-being and the loss of the concept of universal brotherhood is
harming the attainment of peace: " Others, rather than being "like us", appear more as
antagonists or enemies and are often treated as objects. Not uncommonly, the
poor and needy are regarded as a "burden", a hindrance to
development. At most, they are considered as recipients of aid or compassionate
assistance. They are not seen as brothers and sisters, called to share the gifts of creation, the goods of progress and
culture, to be partakers at the same table of
the fullness of life, to be protagonists of integral and inclusive development."
The
importance of fraternity is then explained, a gift and task that comes from God the Father, urges us to be in solidarity
against inequality and poverty that undermine the social fabric, to take care
of every person, especially the weakest and most defenceless, to love him or
her as oneself, with the very heart of Jesus Christ".
In
conclusion, the Pope urges everyone to choose the pathway of fraternity to humanize the face of the world, a world "that is constantly growing more interdependent, the good of fraternity
is one that we cannot do without. It serves to defeat the spread of the globalization
of indifference to which Pope
Francis has frequently referred. The globalization of
indifference must give way to a globalization
of fraternity. Fraternity should
leave its mark on every aspect of life, including the economy, finance, civil society,
politics, research, development, public and cultural institutions".
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02/08/2023 17:48
03/12/2020 14:13
