While leaders of the world try to carry out their jobs to make their country a better place, so does the pope have his job in guiding the universal church to reflect the message and mission of Christ around the globe.  Jesus is often called The Prince of Peace.  His resurrection greeting is a message of peace.  Central in our lives, as Christians, is to advance peace.

Pope Leo, in his first Easter message as pontiff, asked the worldwide church to join him in prayers for peace, to work for peace, and to dedicate our actions toward peace.  Though peace seeks the end of conflict and wars between nations (as well as individuals), it is so much more than the absence of strife.  It is also a striving to alleviate anxiety, anger, angst, grief, and fear.  Though these are natural human tendencies, the Bible tells us hundreds of times to fear not, to be unafraid, to not get caught up in anxiety or worry, to not get trapped by grief or anger.  In Scripture, peace is not just the absence of fighting and discord, it is the presence of compassion, understanding, and harmony.  It is the presence of God and of love. 

Throughout history, people have wanted peace.  In earlier civilizations, like the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament, it came through a “might makes right” theory whereby “to the victor go the spoils” and in which peace is established through strength and dominance.  In some ways we have advanced from this archaic notion of peace but, in many ways, we have not.  It is expected that leaders of nations be nationalists, i.e., those who make every important decision based on what is good for their country.  Most church leaders, though taking pride in their homeland and responsibility for their nation’s reputation, make decisions based on ecclesial teachings, in our case, the ways of Jesus as we understand them.  Some people think it would be good if God, with almighty power, took control to make humans submit to peace, even if it robbed us of freewill and decision-making ability.  But most Christian church leaders appreciate that we have a choice to follow our Lord and make decisions thoughtfully. 

Three American cardinals, earlier this week in a 60 Minutes interview, expressed their alignment with Pope Leo in opposing wars of choice, the gamification of military force, and nationalism when it dehumanizes people.  Like the President, they want Catholics to be good patriots.  They framed patriotism as a societal lifestyle that fosters the dignity of every person and the common good of all humanity.  Therefore, they might suggest that patriots do not march to the rhythm of “my country right or wrong” but rather commit to labor as “one nation under God” by which we accompany each other along a path that the Lord sets for us.  These Catholic prelates understand that it is often difficult to see the road or follow the faith-lit trail because of competing voices of leadership, from theocrats to bureaucrats.  Addressing fighting in the Middle East, they admit that the Iranian regime is abominable but contend that it does not justify going to war.  They urge us who are Catholic and American to embrace a seamless garment philosophy that sanctifies life at every stage from birth to natural death, especially with respect to those without a voice and who are weakened or marginalized by our world.  They also imply that the pope’s current trip to visit impoverished countries and Independence Day journey to a place of suffering immigrants provide a good example for Catholics to commemorate our nation’s semi-quincentennial. 

While the president and government leaders carry out their job on behalf of the nation, the pope and other ecclesial leaders carry out their job on behalf of God’s children.  Sometimes church and state seem to give contrary messages though they pursue that same goal, in this case, peace.  They may have different understandings of what it means and will have different methods of attaining it.  We Catholics of the United States can help by praying for peace, by reaching deeper understanding of how to live as people of peace, by being patriots who demonstrate compassion for the tired, poor, huddled masses, by not living in fear, anger, or strife, and by caring for the least among us as Jesus taught us to do.