Should peace be our priority?

2018 has begun with a bang giving birth to several new plans, dreams and hopes. But is there a way to prioritise them? In 1968, Pope Paul VI “addressed himself to the people of good will in the whole world to observe January 1 as the Day of Peace”. All the popes thereafter have delivered messages of peace for all, making January 1, 2018 the 51st World Day of Peace.

One wonders as to why starting from Pope Paul VI, all the popes have insisted on peace as their first priority on the very first day of the year. Could they not, for instance, speak about financial growth as a priority which would ensure bread for every hungry stomach? Or think of “faith” since popes are leaders of faith communities?

The address of Pope Paul VI answers that question: “We think that this proposal interprets the aspirations of peoples, of their governments, of international organisms, which strive to preserve peace in the world, of those religious institutions so interested in the promotion of peace, of cultural, political and social movements which make peace their ideal; of youth, whose perspicacity regarding the new paths of civilisation, dutifully oriented toward its peaceful developments is more lively… The proposal to dedicate to peace the first day of the New Year is not intended, therefore, as exclusively ours, religious, that is, Catholic…” Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of the Parliament of Religions, can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com