CPNN Bulletin for December 1, 2019
THE POPE AND THE CULTURE OF PEACE
Pope Francis is committing the Catholic Church to
nuclear disarmament, sustainable development and the rights of
indigenous peoples, key components of the culture of peace.
Speaking in Hiroshima on November 23,
he said that "The use of atomic energy for the purpose of war is today
more than ever a crime not only against the dignity of human beings, but
against any possible future for our common home."
And at the Vatican from October 6 to 27, the Pope hosted an unprecedented meeting of the Roman Catholic Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region
that denounced attacks on the environment and the life of indigenous
people of the Amazon region and called for radical changes in planetary
lifestyles, including:
- to stop excessive consumption;
- reduce dependence on fossil fuels, plastics and consumption of meat and fish;
- and to seek sustainable alternatives in agriculture, energy, and transportation.
According to the spokesmen of Mouvement de la Paix,
the Pope’s declaration in Hiroshima is another historic step in the
fight for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. His proposal that
the money spent for these works of death should be devoted to human
development and the struggle for the climate corresponds to the slogan
adopted by the 160 or so organizations of the Collective On the Move for
Peace, which called for September 21 (International Day of Peace) to
march "for peace, climate, social justice and nuclear disarmament".
In the United States the Pope’s remarks were welcomed by activists who are opposing nuclear weapons,
including progressive journalist Amy Goodman, whistleblower Daniel
Ellsberg and the Plowshares movement, the group of seven Catholic peace
activists who are awaiting sentencing for breaking into the Kings Bay
Naval Submarine Base. Ellsberg reminds us that the Pope is a" powerful
voice in the world" and that "he has obviously undergone a considerable
education on this, as have the people in Plowshares movement. And if he
can pass that requirement on and its urgency to the bishops throughout
the world, it will I am sure create conditions in which our own
representatives will call on our executive branch at last to . . .
negotiate seriously toward a verifiable mutual elimination of nuclear
weapons."
And according to the Climate Change News,
the decisions of the Amazon Synod set out a collision course with
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro for the future of the Amazon and the
"potential to reach a great audience" given the church’s presence across
the region. Whereas Bolsonaro was elected on a campaign pledge to
open-up the Amazon for mining and developments, the bishops agreed the
need for an alternative development plan for the Amazon, focused on
indigenous rights and environmental protection.
Writing in America, the Jesuit Review, Luke Hansen provides "five key takeaways from the synod":
1. It placed the indigenous communities at the center
of the synod process over foreign economic interests. In the two-year
preparatory process over 80,000 people participated.
2. It called for "conversion", challenging Europeans
and North Americans to examine and change their lifestyles and engage in
political action in solidarity with Amazonian communities.
3. It sought to practice what it preached regarding “integral ecology” and care for our common home.
4. All 120 paragraphs of the synod’s final
document (currently available in Spanish only) were approved with the
necessary two-thirds majority vote, including proposals related to
married priests and women deacons.
5. Since his election as pope in March 2013, Pope
Francis has transformed the Synod of Bishops into a privileged place of
discernment and conversion.
A similar analysis is
made by the Jesuit Michael Shuck from Georgetown University, who adds
that a sense of urgency pervaded the testimonies of Indigenous men and
women throughout the synod. At the final press briefing, Cardinal Czerny
remarked that the ecological and human crisis is so deep that without
this sense of urgency “we’re not going to make it.” This bold assertion
was matched by the Final Document’s declaration that “integral ecology
is not one more path that the Church can choose for the future in this
territory, it is the only possible path.”
While these declarations are welcomed by nuclear
activists, climate activists and Jesuits, we may see them in an even
broader context as a major step in the transition from a culture of war
to a culture of peace.
If you cannot see the photos click here for the internet version. Click here for the bulletin in French or here for the bulletin in Spanish.
DISARMAMENT & SECURITY  Pope Francis' declaration in Hiroshima marks another historic step in the fight for the total elimination of nuclear weapons |
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION  Gambia : Banjul Regional Forum 2019: Engaging Young African Leaders to Achieve the 2030 and 2063 Agendas |
HUMAN RIGHTS  USA: Exoneration of Scott Warren is a triumph for humanity |
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION  Alternative justice strengthens the culture of peace in Chiapas |
EDUCATION FOR PEACE  Dominican Republic: Education ministry continues training on ethics, culture of peace and protection of rights |
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT  Catholic church denounces ‘attacks’ on Amazon people and forest |
TOLERANCE & SOLIDAIRTY  Top 5 takeaways from the Amazon synod |
WOMEN’S EQUALITY  #NousToutes : Tens of thousands march in Paris to condemn violence against women |
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