Attualità della Pacem in terris

At this time of war, when arms have replaced politics in the government of the world, Pacem in terns reminds us that the equation linking war and justice has irretrievably broken and that there is only a tragic sophistry that seeks to keep them together, a sophistry which is overwhelmed by the faces of innocent victims, those innocents, in Pope John's words, whose cries of «Peace» reach us from all parts of the world. The primacy of peace is revealed in its full clarity in Pacem in terris. Its power is extraordinary because it does not originate from doctrinal considerations but rather from a reflection on history. Roncalli total rejection of war and heartfelt appeal for peace was addressed to all men, not just Christians. This is why any attempt to empty Pacem in terris of its deepest meaning in order to reduce it to a general treatise on peace or to make it the basis for academic discussions on the international order are doomed to failure. Pacem in terris could not be clearer in its evangelical language, a testament of peace without if or buts.