John Paul II Pecem In Terris Summary

In Pecem in Terris Pope John Paul II addresses Pope John XXIII's writing in his Encyclical letter of Pecem in Terris. Pacem in Terris in English term is known as Peace on earth. John Paul II made it very clear to what he wanted to talk about in his version of Pecem in Terris. He actually writes it in a very organized manner. He puts it in almost a list of what has been happening in or before the 20th century, almost like giving us a history lesson of some sort. He then addresses the ideas of Pope John XXIII. He explains that in Pope John XXIII's time period they were in a state of disorder. He continues by stating the 20th century was supposed to be a century for progress. It was supposed to be a little more peaceful than what it was at that moment in …show more content…
He also explains that the goal here is to meet the universal demand for different ways of exercising political authority.
Being honest is another key component of peace according to John Paul II. He states that if everyone honored what they say and/or do, the world would be more peaceful. Also, he states that if one is being untruthful it may lead to a violent use of force to resolve issues.
John Paul II concludes by explaining the culture of peace itself. Peace is not about anything other than people. In order to have peace it must start with us as human beings, and people living in society. He uses certain structures like juridical, political, economic things as mechanisms of peace. However, it starts with humans to make those things better in the long run because we as people set the stage for those mechanisms in the first place. To have peace you must execute peaceful gestures, it creates a tradition and a culture of peace. He finally states that religion plays a vital role in peace, because it fosters gestures of peace that can be very important in the progression of peace to mankind in the