Christ the Cornerstone

Look to Christ, the source of unity and peace in life

On Aug. 28, the memorial of St. Augustine, I published “Peace and Unity: A Pastoral Reflection.” The purpose of this letter addressed to all clergy, religious and lay faithful in the archdiocese is to call attention to the Church’s teaching on many of the important issues that we are dealing with today as a society and as the Church.

As Pope Leo XIV regularly reminds us, peace and unity are essential to human flourishing. “Authentic human flourishing stems from what the Church calls integral human development,” the pope says, referring to “the full development of a person in all dimensions: physical, social, cultural, moral and spiritual.”

Human flourishing happens “when individuals live virtuously, when they live in healthy communities, enjoying not only what they have, what they possess, but also who they are as children of God.” The common good is achieved, Pope Leo says, when individuals and communities are free “to seek truth, to worship God and to raise families in peace.”

Since the beginning of human history, the reality of sin has fractured our unity and made true peace impossible to sustain. In “Peace and Unity: A Pastoral Reflection,” I point out that “the desire for peace and the call to unity are basic tenets of all religions. Yet, every religion is subject to manipulation by perpetrators of violence and injustice for purposes of doing evil. It is often noted that what is demonic is divisive but what unites us is of the Spirit.”

Throughout history, the so-called solutions proposed by individuals and groups on both the far-right and the far-left have been proven to be equally ineffective.

Peace and unity are not achieved by ideologies. They require actions undertaken selflessly on behalf of the common good.

As my pastoral reflection states, “Before effectively and efficaciously seeking means of peace and unity in far-off places—such as the conflict in the Middle East or Eastern Europe—or even trying to deal with the effects of polarization among so many in our own local communities, each of us must look within to discern whether true peace and unity have taken root in one’s own heart, mind and soul.”

Authentic peace is not the same thing as capitulation or appeasement in the face of tyranny. Similarly, unity should not be confused with “uniformity.” The peace and unity that our Savior brings are, first and foremost, spiritual realities—attitudes that arise in the human heart and that permeate our lives as individuals and as communities.

My pastoral reflection notes that we Catholics “ground our embrace of peace and unity in Sacred Scripture and Tradition [the Deposit of Faith].” We believe that “Church teaching [in its fullness, not as parsed according to a particular narrative or convenience] and prayerful discernment of God’s will are most readily revealed in Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God.” That’s why we look to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and the One in whom we are all one, to find genuine peace and unity.

In “Peace and Unity: A Pastoral Reflection,” I argue that war rarely resolves conflict, and the resort to war always leaves a scourge on humanity. It is the poor, vulnerable and innocent who suffer its consequences.

The world recently commemorated the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The effects of that weapon of mass destruction, like those of many wars and violent conflicts, continue to impact individuals, families, communities and nations to this very day.

Concerning the threat of nuclear war, Pope Leo XIV recently remarked: 

In our time of mounting global tensions and conflicts, Hiroshima and Nagasaki stand as symbols of memory that urge us to reject the illusion of security founded on mutually assured destruction. Instead, we must forge a global ethic rooted in justice, fraternity and the common good. It is thus my prayer that this anniversary will serve as an invitation to the international community to renew its commitment to pursuing lasting peace for our whole human family, a peace that is unarmed and disarming.” (An X post on Aug. 6.)

In his Angelus message on Aug. 10, exhorting “a type of vigilance that Jesus asks of us,” the Holy Father implored: “Sisters and brothers, let us entrust to Mary this desire and responsibility: may she, the Morning Star, help us to be the ‘watchmen’ of mercy and peace in a world marked by many divisions.”

As we continue to observe this Jubilee Year of Hope, let’s look to Christ who is the source of all unity and peace in our hearts and in our world.
 

(To read Archbishop Thompson’s pastoral reflection in English and Spanish, go to archindy.org/pastoral2025.) †