VATICAN CITY (CNS): Continuing tension and bloodshed in Iraq, the Holy Land and Africa are proof that war and retaliation cannot bring peace, Pope John Paul II says in his message for World Peace Day 2005.
“To attain the good of peace there must be a clear and conscious acknowledgment that violence is an unacceptable evil and that it never solves problems,” the Pope writes in his message for the January 1 observance.
The message, sent to heads of state around the world, was released on December 16 at a Vatican press conference led by Cardinal Renato Martino, who is president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
The theme of the 2005 message is “Do Not Be Overcome by Evil, but Overcome Evil with Good”.
In his message, Pope John Paul writes: “Peace is the outcome of a long and demanding battle which is only won when evil is defeated by good.
“The evils of a social and political nature which afflict the world, particularly those provoked by outbreaks of violence, are to be vigorously condemned,” he says.
Pope John Paul specifically mentions Africa, “where conflicts which have already claimed millions of victims are still continuing”, and the Holy Land, “where the fabric of mutual understanding, torn by a conflict which is fed daily by acts of violence and reprisal, cannot yet be mended in justice and truth”.
He also condemns the continuing spread of terrorist violence, which “appears to be driving the whole world toward a future of fear and anguish”.
“Finally,” he writes, “how can we not think with profound regret of the drama unfolding in Iraq, which has given rise to tragic situations of uncertainty and insecurity for all?”
