Summaries / Resúmenes - Studia Moralia

316 BRIAN V. JOHNSTONEToday the universal common good presents us with problemswhich are world-wide in their dimensions; problems, therefore,which cannot be solved except by a public authority with power,organization and means co-extensive with these problems, andwith a world-wide sphere of activity. Consequently the moral orderitself demands the establishment of some such general form ofpublic authority (# 137).When we ask about the “historical project” we need also toask about the conditions which are necessary for this project tobe realized. These include social and political conditions, andspiritual and psychological supports. The kind of world-wideauthority called for by the Popes will not be possible without asignificant change in political conditions and without a considerablechange of heart on the part of many people.The Catholic pastorate for peace is directed to a moral community,comprising all persons of good will. It works on theassumption that general moral appeals can be addressed to all.That is, it assumes some version of the “natural law,” in terms ofwhich appeals can be made to both Christians and non-Christians. Even when “good will” is not present, there is still thepossibility of conversion and the role of the Church is, in thewords of Cardinal Casaroli, “to make the good will emerge,” andto assist those with good will to meet each other. 19The most significant agent of this kind of pastorate, accordingto John Yoder, has been the Roman Catholic Church, and inparticular the Popes over the years. Noteworthy examples havebeen Benedict XV (1914-1922) who made continual efforts toreconcile the warring nations of World War I. 20 Yoder calls thisa “catholic” peace concern using “catholic” in the more generalsense of “universal” or “concerning the whole human community.”Numerous Protestants, secular “world-federalists” andincreasingly the World Council of Churches follow a similar line.19Cardinal CASAROLI, Declaration on his return from U.S.A., OR., 26 Nov,1983. Cited in Joseph Joblin, L’église et la guerre: conscience, violence, pouvoir(Paris: Desclée de Brouwer, 1988) 300.20YODER, Nevertheless, 15.