Pope says new international order needed to promote peace

Published: 2004-01-02

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world show the need for a new international order able to settle disputes peacefully, protect human rights and promote solidarity, Pope John Paul II said. Presiding over a Jan. 1 Mass in St. Peter's Basilica marking World Day of Peace, the pope prayed, "May God help us to build the 'civilization of love' together. Humanity will be able to enjoy an authentic and lasting peace only when love has been victorious." While Pope John Paul led the first part of the liturgy and read his entire homily without difficulty, the Liturgy of the Eucharist was celebrated by Cardinals Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state, and Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. In his homily, the pope said, "In the face of situations of injustice and violence that oppress various parts of the globe, before the continuation of armed conflicts frequently forgotten by public opinion, it becomes ever more necessary to build paths for peace together."

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