Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World
In 1963, the world was on the brink of nuclear war. It was at that time that Pope St. John XXIII issued his ground breaking encyclical letter, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). It was a heart-felt plea to the Church and all people of goodwill for an end to war and for the banning of nuclear weapons. He promoted a peace which is grounded in the inalienable and inviolable dignity of every person. His successors up to the present have echoed the same impassioned plea.
In the 2024 – 2025 Social Justice Statement, “Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World”, Australia’s Bishops scrutinise the signs of our own troubled times, observe the violence around us, and ask why it is so. They also ask what is needed if there is to be peace.
In a world full of pessimism, they put their faith and hope in the possibility of peace.
Using scripture and the guidance of Pope St. John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris and Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutti, we learn that peace is possible if we put our trust in Christ who is the way, the truth and the life and the Prince of Peace. It is from him that we learn about the architecture of peace. From him, we learn a commitment to the culture of encounter, the value of dialogue at all levels and the importance of seeing everyone as our sister, our brother.
The statement also provides some suggested actions to help us to build on our commitment to be peacemakers locally and internationally.
The statement will be available in electronic form and a small amount of hardcopies are available from the ACBC shop. A file suitable for commercial printing will be available for you to organise your own print run. The Statement and a postcard sized prayer and action card that accompanies the Statement will be available electronically and in hard copy via the ACBC Online Shop.