Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria, called for an end to weapons of mass destruction and held out hope for world peace at a Mass in the University of Notre Dame's Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
The April 13 Mass opened the Catholic Peacebuilding Network's Conference on the Future of Catholic Peace-building, the capstone of a five-year project to develop a systematic theology of peace.
"I believe it is true to say that humanity is at a crossroad on the crucial issue of peace," Archbishop Onaiyekan said in his homily. "On the one hand, our planet is sitting on a dangerous time bomb of huge stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction sufficient to blow ourselves up many times over.
"It is no longer enough to insist on nonproliferation and breathing hot air on the necks of those some decide to consider not responsible enough to keep these weapons," he said. "It is necessary, if we are to be consistent and effective, to be serious about total elimination of such weapons.
"On the other hand, there is the good news that humanity has devised technological ways and means to make our planet a peaceful and prosperous home for all. The possibility for peace in our world is available. A lot is being said at many levels about how to save the planet, resolve conflicts and establish world peace," he added.
In an interview after the Mass, Archbishop Onaiyekan, who attended peace-building conferences in Burundi in 2006 and Bogota, Colombia, in 2007, said the meetings provide support for those working in violent societies.
The April 13 Mass opened the Catholic Peacebuilding Network's Conference on the Future of Catholic Peace-building, the capstone of a five-year project to develop a systematic theology of peace.
"I believe it is true to say that humanity is at a crossroad on the crucial issue of peace," Archbishop Onaiyekan said in his homily. "On the one hand, our planet is sitting on a dangerous time bomb of huge stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction sufficient to blow ourselves up many times over.
"It is no longer enough to insist on nonproliferation and breathing hot air on the necks of those some decide to consider not responsible enough to keep these weapons," he said. "It is necessary, if we are to be consistent and effective, to be serious about total elimination of such weapons.
"On the other hand, there is the good news that humanity has devised technological ways and means to make our planet a peaceful and prosperous home for all. The possibility for peace in our world is available. A lot is being said at many levels about how to save the planet, resolve conflicts and establish world peace," he added.
In an interview after the Mass, Archbishop Onaiyekan, who attended peace-building conferences in Burundi in 2006 and Bogota, Colombia, in 2007, said the meetings provide support for those working in violent societies.
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