The link between peace and justice was not something emerging as a trendy construct of the late 20th century. Admittedly two popes of the Vatican II era did write on the topic. Pope Paul VI (1972) did write succinctly, “If you want peace, work for justice.”  Nine years before that, Pope John XXIII wrote his ground-breaking encyclical, “Pacem in Terris” (“Peace on Earth”). Pope John correctly linked not only peace and justice, but also, truth, human freedom, and love.

Although the documents seemed ground-breaking at the time, both relied heavily on a long tradition going back to biblical times. Pope John XXIII specifically cited the prophet Isaiah: “Justice will bring about peace; right will produce calm and security” (Isaiah 32: 17).

If we look at the world today, we see great injustice. One country invading another, one people dominating another, denial of legitimate civil liberties, oppressive regimes, terrorism, and numerous other injustices. When people or nations are treated unjustly, they rebel against the oppressor. Even when they merely perceive oppression, the reaction is the same. The great tragedy, of course, is death and the human suffering caused by people pushing back against the oppression.

Is it any wonder then that the people of Ukraine are fighting fiercely to take back the land that Russia seized? The hostilities in the Middle East have been legendary and all related to real or perceived injustices. And there are many other conflicts simmering or exploding around the world. Without justice, peace is not going to flourish.

Within our own country, there are real injustices that drive much of our social and political tension. We need not go much farther than the single issue of race to illustrate my point. There is no question that the enslavement of African captives began pervasive tension surviving for 400 years.

With grave inequity in income, housing, education, and healthcare, along with racial disparity in policing and the criminal justice system, it is small wonder that racial tensions in this country remain high.

Oppression in many other countries has resulted in multiple millions of refugees seeking new homes. This reality has posed serious backlogs at the U.S.-Mexican border. Refugees trying to escape war and oppression have posed a serious problem in numerous European, African, and Middle Eastern countries. These migrants are seeking a better life for themselves and their families than they have in their own country. On a practical level, perhaps admitting some of these individuals (after proper screening) would serve to alleviate the labor shortage we have heard about in the news.

What can we do about this? As Catholics following the teaching of Jesus, we need to assess how much of our energy, time, talent, and treasure we can devote to helping to overcome these persistent problems. We need to discern these issues through serious prayer. It is also essential that in an election year we also look for political candidates capable of helping to move our local, state, and federal government in the direction of greater justice for all.

Ignoring these issues is simply not an option – either morally or practically speaking. Indifference will not make the problems disappear, but only grow. Those hungering for justice must assert themselves toward that goal. Peace will flow from the justice that we promote.

Perhaps God will even shift the mindset of others to follow our lead.

For God’s sake, we must do something!

—Deacon Pete Gummere serves at Corpus Christi Parish in St. Johnsbury and is the retired director of the diaconate for the Diocese of Burlington. He is also a bioethicist.

—Originally published in the Spring 2024 issue of Vermont Catholic magazine.