Blessed Are the Peacemakers By Ma Yinglin
Vice Chairman of China Committee on Religion and Peace,
Vice Chairman of Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association,
Secretary-General of Chinese Catholic Bishops College
Honorable friends, ladies and gentlemen,
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Jesus Christ announced the general principles of Catholicism (i.e. the Beatitudes), when he began to preach the gospel and establish the church. Peacemaking is one of the beatitudes as well as the principle and objective of the actions of all Catholics.
The word “peace” contains the meaning of harmony, tranquility, equality and friendliness, and is the antithesis of war, pillage and oppression. Acting on the orders of Jesus Christ, China’s Catholic Church has a strong wish for peace and against war. We have has consistently instructed believers to uphold justice, respect authority, maintain order and practice benevolence. We have proposed praying for world peace several times and called on Catholics all over the world to advocate peace and prevent war through praying, fasting and satisfaction.
Since the end of the Cold War, East Asia has enjoyed peace and there have been no local wars for almost 20 years. This is a fact. However, some hotspot issues and problems left from history have added uncertainties to peace, security and development in East Asia.
China is located in East Asia and is focusing on developing itself and improving people’s lives. China’s development needs a peaceful external environment, a peaceful and stable neighborhood. Peace in East Asia serves the interests of not only China, but also the Republic of Korea, Japan and other neighbors of China. Peace is the foundation and precondition of development; without peace, nothing can be achieved. The Chinese people supports the position of the Chinese government on various hotspot issues such as the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, i.e. always aim to maintain regional peace and stability, resolve disputes through the peaceful means of dialogue and negotiation, call on the related parties to ease, not intensify, tension and safeguard, not harm, the security interests of countries in the region, work together to fundamentally advance dialogue and negotiation, maintain peace and stability and achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and achieve lasting peace in Northeast Asia.
The Chinese religious community fully supports the position of the Chinese government. We Catholics should act as messengers and instruments of peace and bring the peace of God to everyone, like what is said in the Prayer of St. Francis: Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Under the light of Jesus Christ, be brave to sacrifice all we have, even life, work to create the atmosphere of solidarity, harmony and benevolence, jointly promote humanity, happiness and social harmony and create real peace in the world, because we will be called “the children of the God”.
All peace-loving believers in East Asia: let’s give play to religion’s unique functions of “harmony” and “love”, enhance mutual understanding and communication among the people of East Asia, so as to reduce differences, settle disputes and avoid conflicts, and make unremitting efforts for peace, development and cooperation in East Asia.
Thank you.
