Defeat Of Humanity

Back in March Pope Francis gave this address at the Vatican Apostolic Palace with an audience of participants in the International Congress “Educating for democracy in a fragmented world”, promoted by the Pontifical Foundation Gravissimum Educationis.  I provide just part of it here.

(begin) We are used to hearing news of wars, but far away. Syria, Yemen... the usual. Now the war has come closer, it is on our doorstep, practically. And this makes us think about the “savagery” of human nature, how far we are capable of going. Murderers of our brothers. 

Thank you, Msgr. Guy-Réal Thivierge, for this letter that you brought, which is a wake-up call, it draws attention to what is happening. We talk about education, and when one thinks of education one thinks of children, young people... We think of so many soldiers who are sent to the front, very young, Russian soldiers, poor things. Think of the many young Ukrainian soldiers; think of the inhabitants, the young people, the young girls, boys, girls... This is happening close to us.

The Gospel only asks us not to look the other way, which is precisely the most pagan attitude of Christians: the Christian, when he gets used to looking the other way, slowly becomes a pagan disguised as a Christian. This is why I wanted to begin with this, with this reflection. 

The war is not far away: it is at our doorstep. What am I doing? Here in Rome, at the “Bambino Gesù” Hospital, there are children wounded by the bombings. At home, they take them home. Do I pray? Do I fast? Do I do penance? Or do I live carefree, as we normally live through distant wars? 

A war is always - always! - the defeat of humanity, always. We, the educated, who work in education, are defeated by this war, because on another side we are responsible. There is no such thing as a just war: they do not exist! (end)

Since his address, the war in Ukraine has escalated with Russia’s Putin threatening nuclear strikes.  Madmen do desperate things when they sense they are losing their battle for plunder and power.  That war is distant, but it is far closer than we realize with our nation’s enemies waiting to see if Russia makes use of nuclear weapons justifiable.  Our world continues to be threatened by insanity disguised as reasonable responses in war.  Authoritarians, whether at home or abroad, imperil democracy and are warmongers.

Deacon David Pierce