50th World Day of Peace: Pope Francis shares special message and calls for 'Christian response'

World Day of Peace is on January 1.

Pope Francis calls for a Christian response toward ongoing violence. For the 50th World Day of Peace, which is on January 1st, the pontiff explained just what sort of response that is.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to the Global Peace Index 2016, of the world's 195 countries, there are only ten that can be considered at peace.

Steve Killelea, founder of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) which has provided the Global Peace Index for the past decade, cited Iceland as the leading country for peace.

He believes the world can learn from it, as well as the other nine countries currently at peace - Denmark, Austria, New Zealand, Portugal, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Canada, Japan and Slovenia.

Killelea explained: "They are practising what we call positive peace, which are factors which create and sustain peaceful societies [such as] acceptance of the rights of others...low levels of corruptions...the free flow of information...[and a] well functioning government.

"If positive peace is strong enough, then a country which is presented with shocks won't actually have a deterioration in peace [as measured by violence]."

Though Killelea isn't wrong, Pope Francis offered a solution rooted in the Gospel.

On December 8, Pope Francis' message for the 50th World Day of Peace was signed and was published December 12. The theme was "Nonviolence: A Style of Politics for Peace."

During his address, the Holy Father said, "To be true followers of Jesus today also includes embracing his teaching about nonviolence."

Christ has always promoted peace and called for forgiveness. It is a Christian's duty to obey the Lord, not the selfish and twisted desires of the heart.

Pope Francis quoted a few verses in the book of Mark to emphasize this point: "The true battlefield, where violence and peace meet, is the human heart... [I]t is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come."

The pontiff then quoted his predecessor, retired Pope Benedict XVI, to say the best response to violence is to teach nonviolence: "because it takes into account that in the world there is too much violence, too much injustice, and therefore that this situation cannot be overcome except by countering it with more love, with more goodness.

"For Christians, nonviolence is not merely tactical behavior but a person's way of being, the attitude of one who is so convinced of God's love and power that he or she is not afraid to tackle evil with the weapons of love and truth alone."

He continued, explaining the true ethics of nonviolence can be found in the cessation of nuclear threats, domestic violence and abuse.

The Pope cited excellent humanitarians, such as St. Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

He claimed women are often the leaders of nonviolence and, though many believe a call for peace is the same as surrendering, "this is not the case."

Pope Francis quoted Mother Teresa, when she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She said the world didn't need "bombs and guns" to promote peace. What it needs is for us to "get together [and] love one another."

In closing, the pontiff spoke of the Beatitudes and encouraged the faithful to promote nonviolence in their everyday lives.

"Active nonviolence is a way of showing that unity is truly more powerful and more fruitful than conflict," he stated, explaining differences may result in smaller problems but as Christians we should face them "constructively and non-violently, so that tensions and oppositions can achieve a diversified and life-giving unity, preserving what is valid and useful on both sides."

The best way to do this, is through "small gestures and acts."

Pope Francis explained: "May we dedicate ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming nonviolent people and to build nonviolent communities that care for our common home.

"Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer. Everyone can be an artisan of peace."

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