Summaries / Resúmenes - Studia Moralia

312 BRIAN V. JOHNSTONEport the Pope’s confidence: without major war, many of the divisionsin Europe were overcome, Poland was liberated, Germanywas reunited, and South Africa achieved major political changeand reconciliation.What is the status of Pope John Paul II’s concept of peace?He has often used the term “form,” for example, he envisionsChristianity as being the “form” of a new Europe. This word suggestsassociations with Neo-Platonic “ideas” and more particularly,with St. Augustine’s thought in which the ideas are situatedin the mind of God. When the Pope speaks of “peace” heseems to invoke such an idea. It is not just a dream, it has a certainreality. It cannot be perfectly achieved in concrete humanhistory, yet it is the good or goal which governs human strivingin history. The content of this “idea” is provided by Revelation,which, when inserted into the “idea,” significantly modifies it.More than the traditional natural law doctrine is involved here.Earlier Church documents generally invoked some form of thenatural law as the basis for teaching on peace and war, togetherwith very general theological references and the citation ofScripture for motivational purposes. 8 The idea of peace, for JohnPaul II, is an integrated composite, shaped by faith in redemptionand resurrection, 9 while being explicated in terms of aphilosophical notion of the idea of peace. This vision, accordingto the Pope, should guide our thinking and action.The embodiment of this idea in history is to be some form8E. G. GAUDIUM ET SPES, (#72) “Whoever in obedience to Christ seeks firstthe Kingdom of God, takes therefrom a stronger and purer love for helpingall his brethren and for perfecting the work of justice under the inspirationof charity.” www.vatican.va/archiv/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html.9World Day of Peace Message, 2002, (#7), “The followers of Christ, baptizedinto his redeeming Death and Resurrection, must always be men andwomen of mercy and forgiveness.” www.vatican.va/holy-father/john_paul_ii/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_20021217_xxvi-world-day-forpeace_en.html;Rosarium Virginis Mariae ../../../../holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginismariae_it.html,n. 40.