For humanity to continue and for life to improve, we need to focus on peace, not just as one idea among many, but as a fundamental principle of human interactions, the primary law of the human family, without which it is not a family. Peace brings life, while war brings only death. As John Paul II says, “The struggle for peace is always a struggle for life.”

Today killings occur even in families; there are simply too many weapons available. Guns, missiles, even bombs are used too easily. And yet, our conscience tells us that arms should exist only for legitimate defense. They should never be used to kill children, women, the elderly, the defenseless! They should be used only in extreme necessity, in actual, not just possible circumstances, used like the surgeon’s knife in an operation and never in order to impose one’s own ideas or might.

There is no doubt that terrorism—an expression of “the power of evil” in the world—has increased and has become a threat to global security. Certainly we have to defend ourselves and we have to utilize every means to avoid further fatal attacks, but we cannot make the mistake of declaring a “preventive war.” This would only create a spiral effect that would threaten the very future of humanity itself. As it is, peace talks have already been interrupted, treaties broken and walls erected.

Nevertheless, the main objective in the fight against terrorism is not a military one. It is political: to dry up the waters in which terrorists navigate. This can be achieved by acting on different fronts, like powerful pumps of peace: breathing new life into international organizations, working for a just distribution of goods and promoting a new spiritual springtime.

A global authority

First, we need to return due credibility to the international organizations, so often held at bay. The war in Iraq has clearly demonstrated the need for a global authority capable of guiding international affairs, while respecting the prerogatives of each nation. How else can the current conflicts—those before our eyes daily, in the Middle East, for example, and those unfortunately forgotten—be resolved?

I remember the day after the terrible tragedy of September 11, 2001. The dominant response from political leaders was not threats of revenge, but appeals to join forces, not only to address the problems associated with terrorism, but also those caused by global injustices, and in this way find innovative solutions. They even spoke courageous words of self-criticism. But the reasons for war, the unilateral responses, plus the setting aside of both diplomacy and the role of international bodies prevailed.

Today we need to re-activate that unified will and make it operational, giving each nation an equal voice in common decisions in order to find adequate solutions—and the solution should never be only war. This does not exclude the fact that one nation or another may play an influential role in resolving a difficult situation—but always and only respecting the norms of the international community and as its spokesperson.

Furthermore, new international entities could be created to meet such challenges. The Second Vatican Council stated: “To keep violence once unleashed within limits, it is absolutely necessary for countries to cooperate more closely together, to organize together international bodies and to work tirelessly for the creation of organizations which will foster peace.”

Social justice

Secondly, I feel it is essential to bring about greater social justice in the world. Political leaders should work for true economic equity. It is a promise universally made at election time, but one needs to deliver on promises made. There is no time to waste in finding effective ways to reach an equal distribution of material goods and technological expertise. A few have much, while many are in need. We need to bring about change, even if slowly in order not to throw the global economy into turmoil. Every effort should be made to eliminate the unbearable scandal of worldwide poverty also by investing in the development of local economies, as well as in education, without which progress cannot be sustained.

A spiritual springtime

Then there is a third level of action. One can’t help but ask oneself: “What drives terrorists to make such a terrible decision as to sacrifice even their lives to reach their goal? They are completely radical in their choice.”

We, too, should be capable of giving our life, certainly not to kill others, but for the great ideal of love for God and neighbor. Unfortunately, the Western Christian world that venerates God who became man and died on the cross out of love for humankind, often forgets him. This secularization is seen by many Muslims as a threat, since in practice it negates God’s presence in the world. If nations with Christian roots were united —because God is one and wants unity—if they displayed a unity of purpose for resolving humanity’s problems, then something might also change in their relations with Islam. If Christians are not united, Jesus Christ cannot be born among us, we could say. He continues to be a “promise,” and for many a distant one. Christians number almost two billion. What witness are we giving to the world?

We need to pursue an authentic spiritual life, which is the basis for peace and the global disarmament of hearts and armies. As I wrote the day after the Twin Towers fell, this will bring about a true revolution, that of giving God the first place in our life.

If we live like this, dialogue among the faithful of different religions is enormously facilitated—as I have experienced firsthand in many parts of the world. Religion is no longer used to foment violence, “the violence that seeks to clothe itself in religion, appealing even to the most holy name of God in order to offend people,” as the Pope said in Assisi on January 24, 2002.

God-given peace

The most visible characteristic of unity is universal brotherhood. This seems to me to be the surest way to counteract the trend of violence, to heal open wounds and to more fully attain freedom and equality.

Jesus brought universal brotherhood on earth by becoming our brother and making us brothers and sisters to one another. This way is valid for world leaders as well as for parents, for volunteers who bring greater solidarity into the world, for those who share their business’ profits to eliminate poverty and for those who choose paths other than war. This universal brotherhood promoted at the leadership and at the grassroot levels will result in peace.

God’s plan for humanity is that we live as brothers and sisters and this is possible even among people of different faiths and convictions, because love of neighbor is imprinted in the DNA of every human being created in the image and likeness of God.

And technology helps. Globalization offers us extraordinary instruments for the spreading of universal brotherhood. The message often sent out through the media is one of fear. Couldn’t we just as well “globalize” hope? Couldn’t we use these means to unite hearts and promote the sharing of material goods?

Let’s not give up on the idea of peace! Unexpected moral thrusts and unthought-of energies have come out of even the most terrible wars. Divine Providence at times uses destructive situations, brought on by individual free choice, to spark new life. There are many signs that point to this. A concerted effort on the part of nations and entities is raising awareness of the urgent need to work together for the common good. This is occurring among nations, whether rich or poor, sophisticated or not in their armaments, aligned religiously or not, yet all daring to “invent a new peace.”

The era of the holy war is over. War is never holy, and it never was. God does not want it. Only peace is truly holy because God is peace. Let us pray unceasingly to God for the gift of peace.

1) Gaudium et Spes, n.83; 2) Refers to Mt 18:20, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.”