November 24, 2017 – Pope’s Message for World Day of Peace, Call for UN Action

https://zenit.org/articles/popes-message-for-world-day-of-peace-call-for-un-action/

Pope Francis said that peace is a “profound aspiration for everyone,” in his message for the January 1, 2018, celebration of World Day of Peace. The Vatican released the text on November 24, 2017.

Peace is sought “for each individual and all peoples, and especially for those who most keenly suffer its absence.” The Holy Father said. And he stressed: “I constantly keep in my thoughts and prayers, I would once again mention the over 250 million migrants worldwide, of whom 22.5 million are refugees.”

He called on the United Nations to take action on the migration issue during 2018, by creating two Global Compacts: one for safe, orderly and regular migration; and the other for refugees.

“As shared agreements at a global level, these compacts will provide a framework for policy proposals and practical measures,” Francis stated. “For this reason, they need to be inspired by compassion, foresight, and courage, so as to take advantage of every opportunity to advance the peace-building process. Only in this way can the realism required of international politics avoid surrendering to cynicism and to the globalization of indifference.”