Vatican City: Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Myanmar has called for a new approach to peace and legitimate defence, saying nonviolence should be placed at the centre of efforts to protect people and build peace.
Speaking to an international conference in Rome, Cardinal Bo said nonviolence should not be seen as passivity or as a refusal to respond to danger. Instead, he argued that nonviolent methods can provide an effective form of defence in a world facing armed conflicts and new military technologies.
The Cardinal highlighted civilian based defence, unarmed civilian protection and active nonviolent resistance as practical ways of protecting people without relying on violence.
The conference, titled Unarmed and Disarming Peace: The Church’s Emerging Paradigm Shift to Gospel Nonviolence, is hosted by the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence, a project of Pax Christi International. It brings together theologians, pastoral leaders, peacebuilders, educators and practitioners from different countries and conflict affected communities.
Cardinal Bo also called for greater investment in diplomacy, restorative justice, early warning peace networks and systematic efforts to reduce tensions. He said these approaches can protect human dignity without repeating the cycle of violence.
Drawing on the experience of the Church in Myanmar, he said people affected by years of conflict and displacement continue to affirm that peace is possible and that peace is the only way.
The Cardinal stressed that choosing nonviolence does not mean accepting injustice or standing aside in the face of danger. Rather, he said, it means refusing to reproduce the evil that people are seeking to overcome. He described this choice as one that requires courage.
Cardinal Bo connected this approach with the Gospel witness of Jesus and the example of figures including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He said lasting peace requires both changes in society and a transformation within individuals.
He also warned that fear, hatred, dehumanisation and the desire for revenge can continue cycles of violence. In his view, peace in society requires a corresponding peace within the human person.
Participants at the Rome gathering also received a message and blessing from Pope Leo XIV, delivered by Archbishop Giovanni Ricchiuti, President of Pax Christi Italy.
The two day conference continues through September 10 as part of a 10 day international initiative. The programme will conclude on September 11 with a pilgrimage to Assisi, drawing inspiration from St Francis and St Clare.