杏MAP导航

By Edoardo Giribaldi

鈥淎ctive non-violence is not passivity. It is an effective method of confronting the evil that exists in our world that often engenders conflict.鈥�

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, and Cardinal Robert McElroy, Bishop of San Diego, took part on Sunday in the inauguration of the new Catholic Institute for Nonviolence, founded by Pax Christi International, a movement that promotes peace and consists of 120 organizations from all around the world.

The Rome-based Institute will be dedicated to promoting nonviolence as a central teaching of the Catholic Church, embarking on the mission of making research, resources, and experiences in nonviolence more accessible both for Church leaders and global institutions.

The event was held at the 鈥�Istituto Maria Santissima Bambina鈥� in Rome, and featured the presence of Sister Teresia Wachira, from the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as renowned author and researcher Dr. Maria Stephan, who moderated the event and conversation.

Nonviolence as the foundation of the Church

In an interview with Vatican News ahead of the event, Cardinal McElroy stressed the difficulty in sharing the ideal of nonviolence in the current context, which is marred by conflict and violence. 鈥淗owever, it seems to me it's the only message we have in the light of the Gospel and in the times that we are living in,鈥� he said.

The way forward, said the Cardinal, is the one 鈥渋ndicated by ,鈥� which questions 鈥渉ow can we show forth that love that we are called to have towards brothers and sisters in the world in these most difficult situations, including that of armed conflict.鈥�

The answer to such questions cannot be 鈥渃ontinuing war and returning attack for attack or generating new attacks.鈥�

On the contrary, said Cardinal McElroy, the answer must 鈥渂e founded in a willingness to take steps and sometimes to take risks to achieve peace, preserve peace or enhance peace.鈥� In this is embodied the 鈥渃all of the Gospel,鈥� he said, painting a definition of nonviolence capable of eschewing mere passivity to the cruelties of the world.

Make no mistake, noted the American Cardinal, nonviolence 鈥渄oes not solve all problems鈥� but stands, nevertheless, as 鈥渢he fundamental position that the Church should have, rooted back in our early traditions in the life of the Church, and certainly articulated by 杏MAP导航 Francis very effectively and consistently.鈥�

Nonviolence represents the 鈥渇oundation鈥� of the Church and 鈥渋ts witness and its efforts should tend to assist particular situations of conflict in the world.鈥� This will involve a 鈥渄ifficult鈥� task, 鈥渘ot always effective,鈥� but still 鈥渢he Christian way in its essence.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� message

The conversation among the four speakers was preceded by a brief speech by Archbishop Giovanni Ricchiuti, president of Pax Christi in Italy, who reported 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� greetings. He said the 杏MAP导航 was 鈥渨armly pleased with the praiseworthy initiative鈥� and wished 鈥渁 renewed adherence to the values of peace and fraternity鈥� for the participants in the event.

杏MAP导航 Francis, said the Archbishop, urged everyone to work together 鈥渢o ensure the defense of the rights of every creature,鈥� as well as seeking to be 鈥渂uilders of a society founded on mutual love.鈥�

鈥淢ay it be charity and nonviolence that guide the world and the way we treat one another,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航 in his message.

Peace built on nonviolence is unshakable

The first to take the floor was Cardinal Bo, who explored the figure of Jesus, 鈥淧rince of Peace,鈥� alongside those of other great 鈥渁postles of peace: Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.鈥�

They urge us 鈥渢o march forward with courage, toward a promised land where every brother and sister lives in dignity, peace, and prosperity.鈥� The Cardinal recalled the sufferings of the Israeli, Palestinian, and Ukrainian peoples, as well as those in his homeland of Myanmar.

鈥淲e are called to pause and reflect: Can we continue on this destructive path?鈥� he wondered. 鈥淥r must we, as one human family, make a profound shift from a paradigm of war and violence to one of peace and nonviolence?鈥�

Picking up on the concept expressed by Cardinal McElroy, Cardinal Bo explained how 鈥淛esus鈥� rejection of violence was not weakness; He proclaimed that love is stronger than hate, that peace endures longer than war, and that justice, when built on the foundation of nonviolence, is unshakeable. As He told us in the Beatitudes, 鈥楤lessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God鈥�.鈥�

In this context, the creation of the Institute 鈥渨ill help us reclaim the nonviolence of Jesus, drawing from the wisdom of theological reflection, the practical strategies for addressing violence, and, most importantly, the lived experiences of marginalized communities who embody this radical call to peace.鈥�

A dream that can come true

Sister Teresia Wachira recalled that the basis of nonviolence is 鈥渨elcoming everyone, even the enemy.鈥� She said this was a lesson she learned from her childhood years in Kenya, traced through her recollection of her mother's teachings, as opposed to the notions she was taught in university.

鈥淲e were discussing gender-based violence, and it was said that it was okay for a man to beat his wife,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is because our culture says that when a man beats his wife, he loves her. And I was wondering, how can that be?鈥�

Too often, said Sr. Wachira, 鈥渋n African culture, the one I can speak for, structural violence can become a norm.鈥�

The moderator, Dr. Maria Stephan, then invited Cardinal McElroy for his input, and he pointed out that nonviolence remains 鈥渁 dream,鈥� yet something 鈥渕uch better than the nightmare we are living in these days, which is destroying people and their connections.鈥�

Anyone who participates in the Institute's activities will 鈥渄ream鈥� and help others recognize how nonviolence 鈥渃an work.鈥�

鈥淭his is the great obstacle,鈥� according to the Cardinal. 鈥淭hat everything remains just a dream. Instead, we must say that it can become reality.鈥�

The Institute's first seminars

As part of the Institute鈥檚 activities, theologians, researchers and key practitioners of nonviolence will be invited to become associates of the Institute, working in areas such as Gospel nonviolence, nonviolent practices and strategic power, and contextual experiences of nonviolence.

Members of the Advisory council already include María Clara Bingemer, a professor in the department of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Archbishop Peter Chong of Suva in Fiji, and Erica Chenoweth, who, as dean and professor at Harvard University, is considered a leading authority on strategic nonviolence.

As early as October 2024, following the considerations on the topic of nonviolence reported by the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod, the Institute will offer seminars addressing precisely these issues in relation to both self-defense and large-scale conflict management.