Catholic women committed to peacemaking

(October 21, 2010) Members of Catholic women's organizations are underlining their commitment to peacemaking, ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. This affirmation was made in a centenary statement of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) after the 2010 general assembly, which took place Oct. 5-11 in Jerusalem. The statement quoted Pope Benedict XVI's words in his visit to the Holy Land last year, where he called Jerusalem "a microcosm of our globalized world […] a place that teaches the universality and respect for others, dialogue and mutual understanding; a place where prejudice, ignorance and fear that fuels them, are overcome by honesty, integrity and the pursuit of peace." In this perspective the women committed themselves “to the study of the Word of God and to the social teachings of the Church, to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and to peacemaking." The union, which represents 60 countries worldwide, is celebrating its centenary this year. The women reaffirmed the union's objective, to "promote the presence, participation and co-responsibility of Catholic women in society and the Church, in order to enable them to fulfil their mission of evangelization and to work for human development." They particularly dedicated themselves to "increasing educational opportunities, poverty reduction and the advancement of human rights beginning with the fundamental right to life."