Peace is a Great and Precious Value

Peace is a Great and Precious Value Dear friends

Gamarjoba! Over the last few days I accompanied His Eminence Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See, on his official visit to Georgia (28-30 December). The visit brought together my work in Georgia and built upon an ongoing centuries old relation between the Holy See and Georgia. During the many meetings of the official visit, one thing was very evident: Georgia wants peace. The greatest institutions in the world are those who have provided the conditions for peace. One might say that the greatest accomplishment of the European Union was that of providing the conditions for peace in a continent that had been ravaged by two world wars. Undeniably, since regaining its independence in the last twentyeight years Georgia has accomplished gigantic leaps in its development. Of course, its aspirations are even greater. But any aspirations for development cannot occur without peace: international, social, domestic. Attaining peace must give the rightful place to the processes that foster it. The structures and institutions of the nation are continually called to be great in providing the processes and conditions for peace. Every year we celebrate the World Day of Peace on the 1st of January when Pope Francis writes a letter on this timely question and asks that we pray for peace in the world. Indeed “peace is a great and precious value”. It is “a journey of hope: dialogue, reconciliation and ecological conversion”. Pope Francis writes, “we need to pursue a genuine fraternity based on our common origin from God and exercised in dialogue and mutual trust. The desire for peace lies deep within the human heart, and we should not resign ourselves to seeking anything less than this.” (Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the celebration of the World Day of Peace, 1 January 2020) On the eve of the New Year, Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s visit was a gesture from a friendly State, that through the Catholic Church’s institutions wishes to be in solidarity with Georgia and Georgians as an instrument of peace in our society and in our world. As we begin the New Year 2020, I wish and pray that this great and noble country may find the peace to fulfill its deepest and most magnanimous aspirations.

Didi, Didi, Madloba Sakartvelo!
+José A. Bettencourt
Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia