Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation

The invitation we give to celebrate Peace resounds as an invitation to practice Justice: "Justice will bring about Peace" (Cf Is 32:17). "If you want Peace, work for Justice". We have such trust in the power of the associated ideals of Justice and Peace to generate in modern man the moral energy to actuate them, that we are confident of their gradual victory. Peace is under the austere and serene sign of Justice. (Paul VI, Message for 1972 Day of Peace)

Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation speaks to the daunting reality that we face in this poor, battered, wounded world. Poverty and starvation, sectarian violence, environmental degradation, global warming, the looming wars over water, the current violence in the name of oil, the battles over land and food, all these call us to change.

The crisis is real, but the first and last word is hope: we hope that there are things worth living for, things that give, bring and sustain life – love, reconciliation, compassion, justice, peace, solidarity and healing. We have indeed crafted a world that is at risk: heeding the Jesus’ message we can turn and live a different way: instead of culturing violence, to culture peace.

What does JPIC mean? It’s a spirituality that bursts forth from the Gospel, expands the compassion of God by refusing wars & economic disorder & working for social injustice. JPIC is a way of doing mission as a commitment to justice and peace and a working methodology in building development and projects. JPIC transforms advocacy for a new world, denunciation of injustice, and protest against power into evangelical activity –a fight without violence.

The spirituality of JPIC is like a rooster placed on top of the roof of the church as a faith and Christian vigilance symbol. It has but a mission: “to keep the eyes of the Church open, the heart of the Church sympathetic, and the hands of the Church ready to act charitably, which is what the Church is called to accomplish in the world.” (Paul VI)

The Comboni Missionaries, following the example of St. Daniel Comboni, are committed to the option for the “poor and most powerless on Earth.” To grow in their commitment, they seek to name and examine the root causes of systemic structures of oppression in the economic, political, social, cultural and religious fields; they seek to build the culture of non-violence and of peace, and to promote respect for and the defense of Human Rights and of Creation, aligned with Catholic Social Teaching. For this reason they are committed to JPIC.

Comboni Missionaries work in close memberships with VIVAT International at the United Nations, with Africa Faith & Justice Network (AFJN) in Washington, D.C., and with Africa Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN) in Brussels. In his evangelizing activity the missionary is committed to total human liberation from sin and selfishness, from war and ignorance, from injustice and structure of oppression. (RV n.60)

That, in a nutshell, is what this blog is about. Stop Land Grabbing: our Land is our Life.On earth there are enough resources for all, but not for the greed of few. It’s the greed that generates poverty (Gandhi).