Pope Francis to diplomats: Paul VI and peace ...

(Vatican Radio) In the final part of his speech to the diplomatic corps on Monday 13^th January, Pope Francis quoted from the encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI ‘Populorum Progressio’, of the 26^th March 1967. Speaking in Italian Pope Francis said:
“Pope Paul VI noted that peace: 'is not simply the absence of warfare, based on a precarious balance of power; it is fashioned by efforts directed day after day towards the establishment of an order willed by God, with a more perfect justice among men and women'."
It’s a quote Pope Francis had already highlighted in his encyclical letter ‘Evangelii Gaudium’, adding: “ In the end, a peace which is not the result of integral development will be doomed; it will always spawn new conflicts and various forms of violence”.
But perhaps the most well – known words relating to Paul VI and peace were those he pronounced in French at the United Nations headquarters in New York on October 4th 1965 when he made an impassioned plea for peace. The late Cardinal John Patrick Foley was present as young journalist on this occasion. He once shared with Veronica Scarisbrick his impressions of that historic occasion. Listen to this interview and to the voice of Paul VI in a Vatican Radio archive recording making this appeal.
A programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick :