Pacem in Terris Symposium

 Welcome Address

H.E. Archbishop Celestino Migliore

United Nations Headquarters

7 October 2003

My distinguished panel – His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan, Cardinal-Elect Renato Martino, Mr. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Mr. Julian Hunte, Senator Roche, Ms. British Robinson, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations and the Path to Peace Foundation, I welcome you all to this symposium to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the encyclical, Pacem in Terris, by Pope John XXIII. 

Pacem in Terris, “Peace on Earth.” The place which hosts us is the house of peace par excellence. There is no other place in the world, I believe, that speaks a great deal about peace with such authority as in this house. Recently, the U.N., and its Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 

We are indeed honored and gratified to have among us the  presence of a Nobel Peace Prize honoree. 

In the face of the richness of ideas, of experience, and of initiatives of peace that have been intertwined in this house, it is not easy to return to talk of peace, if the scope of our symposium is only to find new ideas, and new/unpublished concepts. We set out, however, to speak in terms of reflection, shall I say, of serene and interior meditation upon a text that at the moment of its publication forty years ago, the Washington Post called: “Not just the voice of an old priest; nor that of an ancient Church; it is the voice of the conscience of the world.” 

This evening we speak of peace with a somewhat youthful enthusiasm; from the etymological sense of the word “enthusiasm” which comes from the Greek, en Theos, that is, “to be inspired by a god.” But we also speak realistically and with a spirit that is “down to earth,” knowing the effort that each ounce of peace costs everyone of us. 

We are all aware that peace is not essentially about structures but about people. Certain structures and mechanisms of peace – juridical, political, economic – are of course necessary and do exist, but they have been derived from nothing other than the accumulated wisdom and experience of innumerable gestures of peace made by men and women throughout history who have kept hope and have not given in to discouragement. Gestures of peace spring from the lives of people who foster peace first of all in their own hearts. Gestures of peace create a tradition and a culture of peace. 

With our reflections on Pacem in Terris, we would like to give our personal and communal witness by being contributors to the culture of peace.