1998 General Chapter

                                   Justice and Peace

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we recognize that all the material, spiritual, cultural and other blessings we have received are gifts from God and not just the results of our own work.

As religious of Holy Cross and educators in the faith, we are troubled by the culture of death as identified by Pope John Paul II.  Through our efforts for justice and peace, we pledge to join hands with men and women of good will to work for a culture of life and light.  Our Constitutions call us to be men who are competent to see and have the courage to act.  We see both the world our our local situations with open eyes.  We stand against in justice wherever and in whatever form it may take.  Prejudice and discrimination, domestic and ethnic violence, destruction of the environment and unequal distribution of food, violation of human rights and world debt are but a few issues this Chapter highlights.  As men of peace we must be reconcilers in a world that continues to grow more violent. 

We see ourselves as calling the people in our apostolates, as well as ourselves, to a constant conversion to the Lord.  This is manifested in our stewardship of our own property, of the goods in our apostolic works, and society's use of public money and public institutions.

As educators in the faith, we want to remind ourselves first, and then others, that our Lord tells us that in many ways we are keepers of our sisters and brothers.  Every time we come around the table of the Lord, we are reminded that we belong to one another:

• We celebrate a sacrifice in which Jesus offered himself for all;

• We pray for the needs of the Church, civil society, the oppressed and suffering and those around us;

• As brothers and sisters we pray to our common God;

• We extent to one another without distinction a sign of peace and pledge ourselves to work that all have true peace.

Justice and peace efforts are an integral part of our mission to spread the Gospel(1), and because the Gospel itself orientates these efforts, it is essential that we have a common understanding of the words "justice" and "peace."

Justice is present when all members of society participate in the social, economic, political and cultural processes; justice also demands that persons of faith advocate for the marginalized and those who can not speak for themselves(2).  Peace is fullness of life; it is present when all human beings have the material, social, cultural and spiritual resources necessary to live and work in dignity as children crated in the image and likeness of their Father(3).

As a consequence, justice and peace efforts mean looking for the root causes of injustice and institutional violence, and necessarily working for the creation of a more just and fraternal society(4).  The preferential option for the poor, which commits us to using our resources and personnel in favor of the economically poor, is not alien to all of this(5).

This General Chapter reaffirms the Congregation's commitment to make the biblical values of peace and justice a reality in our world today.  Empowering those who are marginalized and powerless, enabling all Christians to evangelize in their areas of activity(6), and working with people of good will to build up the kingdom of justice, peace and love(7) are essential elements of our mission as religious of Holy Cross.

Footnotes:

1.  Evangelii Nuntiandi, CF, especially Nos 17, 22, 29, 30; Also Introduction, "justice in the Modern World," Puebla, no. 355

2.  National Conference of Catholic Bishops (USA), "Pastoral Letter on the Economy, No. 44 ff.

Laborem Exercens, Nos. 9, 24, 25; Gaudium et Spes, No. 39; Message of Pope Paul VI, Jan. 1, 1973 (World Day of Peace), cf. Nos. 1171, 1177, as in Consortium Books; Populorum Profressio, No. 76; cf. Romans 14:17

4.  Puebla, No. 792.

5.  P. 8, "Holy Cross, 1985, Part 1" Circular Letter no. 23  

6.  Evangelii Nuntiandi, No. 70

7.  Preface of Christ the King