On the occasion of the 16th World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, being held in Bogota, Colombia, from February 2-5, Pope Francis encouraged them to “promote understanding and dialogue.” He greeted the peace efforts of the Latin American country, after 52 years of conflict.
In a letter addressed to the participants, through the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the Pope rejoiced that the event is taking place in the country of the 2016 Nobel Prize recipient, President Juan Manuel Santos. The news site Il Sismografo published the Message in English.
While the participants are addressing “the numerous challenges to peace in the modern world,” the Pope encourages them to “promote understanding and dialogue between peoples.”
He hopes that Colombia’s efforts “to build bridges of peace and reconciliation” will encourage “all communities to rise against animosity and division.” Because, he added, “when victims of violence are able to resist the temptation to hit back,” they become “credible” promoters of peace.
“May non-violence become the characteristic style of our decisions, of our relations, of our actions, of politics in all its forms,” concluded the Holy Father, quoting his Message for the 2017 Fiftieth World Day of Peace.
