Pacem in Terris – an Incessant Appeal for Peace on Earth

New Delhi, 18 April 2013. ‘India – the largest importer of arms in the world, and one of the 24 countries that abstained from the UN Arms Trade Treaty – particularly needs to learn right lessons from what Pacem in Terris says about Arms race’ said a Press release by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI)’s Office for Justice Peace and Development, on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of Pope John XXIII’s famed encyclical Pacem in Terris, on Wednesday.

It is ‘a constant reminder to the individuals and the nations that they always chose the path of peace abandoning the path of war and strife. On the fiftieth anniversary of the encyclical, let us choose to be an agent of change and an instrument of peace that the world we live in may become more habitable’, it further said.

Pacem in Terris, being the last encyclical of Pope John XXIII, and a heartfelt cry for the cause of justice and peace, is a testament to the incontestable fact that Pope John XXIII was an apostle of peace. Envisioning a new relationship under the sway of truth, justice, love and freedom, the encyclical recommends a culture of peace, the communique added.

None can miss the historical context of the encyclical. It was issued shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis – an “arm wrestle” between the U.S. and the USSR – in 1962, and after the erection of the Berlin Wall. Given the ‘existence and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, ’an atomic war seemed imminent and John XXIII’s encyclical helped deactivate the horrific mechanism of the crisis.

The encyclical had the distinctive feature of being ‘an open letter to the world’ as it was addressed to “all people of good will”, to both believers and non-believers, beyond borders and “blocs”. Not unexpectedly, the encyclical’s ‘optimistic tone and development of a philosophy of rights’ gave the encyclical a universal appeal and evoked favourable response almost from all the quarters and blocs. The then UN Secretary U-Thant said: “The encyclical is certainly in line with all ideas and objectives espoused by the United Nations.” Soviet agency Tass widely distributed the text, stressing, above all, the part about disarmament. The U.S. Department of State welcomed it “as a historic encyclical of global importance.” The Washington Post wrote that the encyclical “is the voice of the conscience of the world,” and that Pope John XXIII had the support of the people. Even in Britain, a number of Anglican representatives presented a motion praising John XXIII’s message.

Pacem in Terris is just as pertinent now as it was half a century ago. In fact, on 40th Anniversary of this encyclical, in 2003 Pope John Paul II came out with the World Day of Peace titled: Peace on Earth: a Permanent Commitment. The encyclical sets out four main guidelines for following the path of peace: the importance of the inviolability of a person’s rights; the universal nature of the common good; the moral foundations of politics; the strength of reason and the beacon of faith.Source: CBCI