By Fr. Frederick Edlefsen

Join us Tuesday for a “Pizza with the Pope” at 7:00 PM in Tuesday, March 10, in the Parish Hall. Thanks to the Knights of Columbus hosting.  Read Fr. Edlefsen's full article on the topic here.

Pope John XXIII proposed a new vision of international cooperation. His April 11, 1963 letter, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), broke new ground. It was addressed to “all people of goodwill,” a response to the Cuban Missile Crisis when the US and USSR came close to nuclear war. The Crisis was not just about the Cold War. It was about “uneven development” among nations. Since then, the Church has engaged the world on this issue of peace.

From 1945-1960, thirty-six former colonies became new nations. And more were coming. John XXIII proposed revamping the United Nations so that, “Every human being can find in this organization an effective safeguard of his personal rights; those rights…which derive directly from his dignity as a human person, and which are universal, inviolable and inalienable.” People are increasingly “Conscious of being living members of the universal family of mankind.” Nation-states cannot go it alone. Peace and development require cooperation among nations. The “moral order” demands it, he said.

We need international agreements to address the “Rights of nations ... The same law of nature that governs the life and conduct of individuals must also regulate the relations of political communities.” Moreover, John XXIII said more-developed nations must make greater contributions to the “Common cause of social progress.” Peace equals social progress and development. The Pope’s vision: invent a new “Statecraft.”

Nations “going it alone” equals anarchy. A healthy nation hides not from the world nor pushes it away. Rather, a healthy nation seeks opportunities to collaborate and prosper. This new “Statecraft” requires tedious patience in cultivating solidarity – in prayer, thought, study, human interaction, and negotiation. It’s exhausting work with setbacks. But it’s a work of grace. It’s worth it.

To our young adults: Re-imagine a better world. The faults and failures of the past are not reasons to give up. On the contrary, they are reasons to reinvent a brave new vision and pursue a brave new effort. A better world is possible. Pope John XXIII is a saint and a prophet. See you Tuesday at 7:00 PM.