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Pope Francis: Strive for hope to be translated into peace

In a Message for the VI International Conference “For World Balance,” Pope Francis invites participants to “work with courage so that hope may be translated into peace for the world.”

By Christopher Wells

Hope is “a very appropriate value” for the Sixth International Conference, “Por el Equilibrio del Mundo” (“For World Balance”), Pope Francis says, precisely because the forum’s “aspiration to be open, plural, and multidisciplinary” gives it the capacity “to look into the reasons that move the heart of today’s men and women.”

In a Message to participants in the Conference that takes place in Havana, Cuba, from 28 to 31 January, the Holy Father focuses on the Jubilee Year theme of hope, which gives Christians the faith and love for Jesus Christ” that allows them to be ready to share in the struggles that are a part of the life of every person and society.

Working to translate hope into peace

Recalling his indiction of the Jubilee Year, the Pope points to the signs of hope in the “signs of the times,” inviting participants to recognize the good in the world so as not to be tempted “to consider ourselves overcome by evil and violence.”

He expresses his hope that this conviction might “impel us to work with courage so that hope ‘may be translated into peace for the world’” still “immersed in the tragedy of war.”

This conviction, he said, calls us to abandon “the logic of violence” and commit ourselves to working for dialogue and democracy “in order to build with courage and creativity spaces aimed at a lasting peace.”

Looking to the future with hope

The Pope explained that this requires helping all those facing difficulties in life “to look to the future with hope,” which in turn involves supporting “initiatives and paths” that can help the poor and excluded to regain confidence “in themselves and society.”

“The poor and the sick, the young and the elderly, migrants and displaced people, even those deprived of their freedom, must be at the centre of our considerations,” he insisted, “so that no one is excluded and everyone's human dignity is respected.”

Pope Francis said that Christ’s admonition, “What you did to the least of these my brethren, that you did to me,” invites Christians to recognize the image of God in every man and woman, who are called to be “brothers and sisters” in the human family, and children of God.

Contributing to the common good

But even for those who do not share faith in Christ, the Pope said, “This affirmation retains its full force, for we are all called to live in fraternal gratuitousness, and everything we do for others has repercussions for us as individuals and as a society.”

“Let us learn this lesson from love,” the Pope said in conclusion, “building hope that seeks that all may have what is necessary, teaching others to share with the poor, and to open ourselves with generous welcome to others, so that we may know how to contribute what we are and what we have to the common good.”

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29 January 2025, 12:54
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