The death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday has been met with great sadness around the world.
The man ‘from the other side of the world’ – as he described himself at the beginning of his pontificate – had an impact far beyond the Catholic Church and will be remembered above all for his philanthropy. With his commitment to refugees, migrants, the poor and marginalised in our societies, he embodied the Church’s true calling.
His journeys were not lavish state visits, often taking him to areas that were out of the public eye, whether visiting refugees at Lampedusa after they crossed the Mediterranean, or travelling to South Sudan or the war zones of the Central African Republic as a pilgrim for peace.
Francis dedicated his message for the 2017 World Day of Peace entirely to the topic of non-violence.
“In the most local and ordinary situations and in the international order, may nonviolence become the hallmark of our decisions, our relationships and our actions, and indeed of political life in all its forms.(…) Violence profanes the name of God. Let us never tire of repeating: “The name of God cannot be used to justify violence. Peace alone is holy. Peace alone is holy, not war!” (…) I pledge the assistance of the Church in every effort to build peace through active and creative nonviolence. “
He held on to this understanding of politics to the end, against all odds. He gave examples of this when he called Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table last year and when he had both a Ukrainian and a Russian woman carry the cross at the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum at Easter 2022.
It was in this spirit that Pax Christi International founded the Institute for Nonviolence in Rome last year, with the aim of anchoring nonviolence more firmly in the teaching and practice of the Church. Marie Dennis, Senior Programme Director of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, said: “We believe that the Church could do a lot to help the world understand nonviolence. We see nonviolence as a form of spirituality, a way of life, a global ethic that could be universal. And as a spectrum of effective or potentially effective action that is the right response in different kinds of violence.”
With his frequent appeals for peace, his empathy for the victims of war and violence (regardless of their allegiance), with his willingness to engage in dialogue across all denominations and borders, with his resolute stand against militarism and nuclear threats, Pope Francis has, in the words of his famous namesake from Assisi, truly been an instrument of God’s peace.
Thank you Brother Francis!
