Building peace

Card. Michele Pellegrino (1903-1986) led the diocese of Turin from 1965 to 1977. Paul VI appointed him cardinal in 1967 and participated in the last phase of Vatican II with particularly significant interventions. From the beginning she accompanied Sermig with his friendship and participation. In 1976 he had written to us: «Dear friends of Sermig! Thank you for what you have done and are doing for the benefit of so many brothers. For the poor near and far. For young people to whom you show concretely how one can be committed to Christ and to one's brothers. For what you have said and continue to say to the community, to the rich, to politicians, to us bishops, frankly and with love. I will tell you with Paul: "I give thanks to my God always for you, because of the grace which was given you in Christ Jesus" (1Cor 1-4) and, again with Paul, I would like to exhort and encourage you: "Be vigilant, stand firm in faith, behave like men, be strong. Let everything be done among you in love" (1Cor 16, 13-14)".

If I were a politician, I would certainly have to examine myself on how to carry forward the discourse of peace, in a real work of peacemaking. I am nothing but a man of the street, politically speaking; but I am a Christian, a bishop and I think what we must do is pray, today as always, but more today when peace is threatened in such a way that the saints could not have imagined, and I am referring to nuclear weapons, in particular...

John Paul II in this year's message (Peace, a gift of God entrusted to men, editor's note), reminded us that peace is a gift from God: if it is a gift, we must ask for it insistently, as we ask for it at every mass, before the time of communion. And then, the Pope added, we must welcome this gift within ourselves, that is, we must work so that this gift bears fruit. And so it is necessary to seize all the opportunities to sensitize and encourage all the initiatives that work for peace. 

excerpts from “Progetto” (now “NP”), 1982, n. 2

Michele Pellegrino

NP Gennaio 2023