One of the initial signatories, Marie Dennis, serves as senior adviser of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative Program at Pax Christi International, a group that works to promote peace, respect for human rights, and justice and reconciliation throughout the world.
“I signed the petition for a Christmas truce in Ukraine because I believe that the loss of life, the tremendous suffering in Ukraine and elsewhere, the ecological damage, the generational trauma caused by the Russian invasion and ongoing war, and the threatened use of a nuclear weapon are breaking the heart of a loving God,” Dennis told CNA.
“Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an end to the brutality, an end to the killing, a nonviolent resolution to this catastrophic war,” she added. “Perhaps a cease-fire will create space for negotiations that are the only route toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
In an interview published in November, Pope Francis said that the Holy See is “willing to do everything possible to mediate and put an end to the conflict” in Ukraine. The 86-year-old pontiff has been an outspoken advocate for peace in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of that country began.
“But everyone must commit to demilitarizing hearts, starting with their own, and then defusing, disarming violence. We must all be pacifists. Wanting peace, not just a truce that may only serve to rearm. Real peace, which is the fruit of dialogue,” the pope told the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
Most recently, on Wednesday, he spoke about Ukraine during his weekly catechetical series on discernment.
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