Peace requires a leap of faith - Pope

Vatican, Jan. 02 (CWNews.com) - As he celebrated Mass on January 1, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) said that the quest for world peace requires "a 'jump in courage and faith in God and in man."

On the feast of Mary, Mother of God, which coincided with the 39th annual World Day for Peace, the Holy Father devoted his homily to the "great heart-felt aspiration of every man and every woman" for peace. He said that "faced with situations of injustice and violence that continue to oppress the different areas of the earth, faced with the challenge of the newest and most insidious menaces to peace-- terrorism, nihilism and fanatic fundamentalism-- it is ever more necessary to work together for peace."

The Pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, with all the members of the Vatican diplomatic corps in attendance for the formal release of his message for the World Day of Peace. The text of that message, entitled "In Truth, Peace," had been made public on December 13. Pope Benedict added further thoughts in his homily.

The Second Vatican Council left the Church a legacy of commitment to world peace, particularly in the pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes (doc), the Pope said. At the time that document was approved, he noted, the world was afflicted with tensions much like those of the current day.

Peace is the aspiration of all peoples, the Pope continued, but the quest for peace is a particular responsibility of Christ's followers. As Christians come to a fuller realization of the importance of "the Gospel of Peace," he said, they will become more fully engaged in that work.

The Pope called upon world leaders, and especially on the UN and other international organizations, to take the lead in promoting peaceful resolution of conflicts. He closed his brief homily by invoking the "the maternal help" of the Virgin Mary in the quest to honor "the Prince of Peace."

The Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican basilica was enlivened by a combined youth choir of 4,000 voices, directed by Jean-François Duchamp. The choir was composed of members of the international group Pueri Cantores, which had recently concluded an international meeting in Rome; the singers came from Germany, Belgium, the United States, France, Italy, and other countries.

During the Mass, prayers of petition were read in Russian, Chinese, Arabic, and Polish. The Arabic prayer was dedicated to "the tortured populations of Palestine, the land of Jesus and his Mother Mary," as well as for the people of war-torn countries in Africa and Asia. The Chinese-language prayer was for "the leaders of nations, for those who work in international organizations and those engaged in restoring the conditions of peace." The Mass was concelebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano (bio - news), the Vatican Secretary of State; Archbishops Giovanni Lajolo and Leonardo Sandri, the assistant secretaries; Cardinal Renato Martino (bio - news), the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; and Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, the secretary of the same Pontifical Council. The source....