杏MAP导航 Francis: Just peace cannot tolerate hesitation
By Devin Watkins
In a message sent Friday to an Ecumenical Symposium taking place at the Benedictine Archabbey of Pannonhalma, Hungary, 杏MAP导航 Francis invited everyone to work toward the goal of peace.
He drew inspiration from the Rule of St. Benedict and the 6th century saint鈥檚 exhortations for his monks to live in peace.
The 杏MAP导航 noted that the event comes at a time when humanity has been 鈥渨ounded and threatened by a world war fought piecemeal鈥� that has damaging consequences on everyone, but especially the poorest.
He urged religious leaders and all the faithful to seek paths of peace and to pray for peace in our world.
鈥淢ay we ourselves remain on the paths of peace,鈥� he said. 鈥淟et us become messengers and servants of peace in the places where we live and work!鈥�
Seek peace and follow it
杏MAP导航 Francis recalled that St. Benedict, the patron saint of Europe, acted in his own time as a 鈥渕essenger of peace, seeker of union, master of civility鈥�, in the words of 杏MAP导航 St. Paul VI.
The saint urged his monks to 鈥渟eek peace and follow after it鈥� in the prologue to his Rule.
鈥淭he Rule of Benedict does not contain a treatise on the theme of peace,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut rather can be adopted as a good and practical guide in favor of peace.鈥�
The 杏MAP导航 added that St. Benedict wrote for his monks but his message extends far beyond the walls of the monastery, since it 鈥渟hows how human interactions can overcome dangers of disputes and disagreements with the grace of God.鈥�
St. Benedict鈥檚 legacy of peace
St. Benedict, noted the 杏MAP导航, was well-aware of the interpersonal problems among members of the community, which can grow out of differences of language, ethnicity, and culture.
鈥淗e enjoyed a serene and pacific vision, which was fully aware of the equal dignity and value of all human beings,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis.
The saint invited his monks to show proper hospitality to anyone who visited the monastery, seeking to outdo one another 鈥渋n showing each other honour.鈥�
鈥淭he vision of peace of St. Benedict was not utopian,鈥� concluded the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淩ather it was oriented toward a path which God鈥檚 friendship with humanity has set out and which must be followed step-by-step by every community.鈥�
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
