Fr. Joseph Thomas is Chaplain of Mercer House in Princeton, New Jersey. He is the author, most recently, of Salvation Theology (Scepter Publishers).
In a world in which the military, economic, and strategic aspects of authority often hold sway, Pacem in Terris thus invites us to rethink the meaning of political authority. Authority in its authentic sense, as the Pope indicates in the document, means looking beyond the good of each nation and resisting the temptation of wealthier countries to dominate other nations. It also requires overcoming the logic of arms building, according to which peace might be achieved on "the basis of on equal balance of armaments." Instead, Pope John describes the growing conviction that disputes between nations need to be resolved by negotiation and agreement.
Date posted: 2024-01-22
It's hard to imagine what the Church would look like if Pope John XXIII had continued with business as usual.
Date posted: 2022-11-09