By Eli McCarthy*.

Pope Leo XIV’s first words were: “Peace be with you… This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.”

What could this mean? Many of us wondered. What pathways were being pointed to and opened up for the Church?

Six days later, Pope Leo XIV elaborated further, explaining: “Leaders should view peace not as a political tool but as a moral imperative, grounded in respect for human dignity.” That is, to live in accordance with our human dignity means to live according to this kind of peace—“unarmed and disarming.” Human dignity is the foundational principle of all Catholic Social Teaching and, thus, is central to a wide array of issues.

What might it look like to live in this way of peace, and therefore in fidelity to our human dignity?

Sixteen days later, on May 30th, Pope Leo XIV illuminated this path of peacemaking. He stated:

“In the face of wars, terrorism, human trafficking, and widespread aggression, children and young people need experiences that educate them in the culture of life, dialogue, and mutual respect. And first of all, they need witnesses of a different, nonviolent lifestyle.
Thus, from the local and everyday level to the global order, when those who have suffered injustice and the victims of violence know how to resist the temptation of revenge, they become the most credible protagonists of nonviolent peacebuilding processes.
Nonviolence as a method and as a style must distinguish our decisions, our relationships, and our actions.”

The call is clear: to make active nonviolence the distinguishing mark of our actions. This is the essence of Christian love. This is what it means to live in accordance with our shared human dignity. Nonviolence becomes a positive expression of reverence for life and dignity.

Today, we hear a desperate cry from our human family in Gaza, as well as from many in Israel, to break the catastrophic cycles of death and violence in the region. Numerous nonviolent actions have already taken place, and many more are needed. These include advocacy meetings with government officials, identifying credible messengers among key stakeholders, petitions and open letters, published articles, social media campaigns, educational efforts, prayer and public vigils, fasting, bridge-building across adversarial communities, trauma mitigation, humanitarian aid collection, boycott and divestment campaigns, conscientious objection to military service, resignations of government officials in protest, unarmed civilian protection and accompaniment delegations to the West Bank, demonstrations and vigils at the Gaza border, mass protests in cities, university encampments, disruptions of public events, and hundreds of arrests for civil disobedience.

At times, these efforts have been strategic and impactful, shifting public awareness, altering power dynamics, and mitigating violence. Still, we are only beginning to grasp the full strategic potential of nonviolence. We have much critical work ahead, especially with regard to Gaza.

In mid-June, large-scale marches to Gaza from Egypt and Israel unfolded to increase pressure and demand an end to the ongoing inhumanity.

What if a prominent religious leader or a multifaith coalition joined these actions? What role might Pope Leo XIV play in such a potentially transformative nonviolent witness? What if he, along with other religious leaders, were to walk into Gaza—or to one of its entrances?

Who will join the ongoing accompaniment delegations to the West Bank, such as those organized by Sabeel? When will our Catholic institutions divest from weapons manufacturers and companies that profit from violence and war?

And what if our Catholic formation programs prepared us thoroughly in the principles and practices of active nonviolence—so that more of us are ready and willing to engage in spiritually rooted non-cooperation and civil disobedience when the moment calls for it, as it does now, in Gaza?

With Pope Leo XIV, let us commit to making active nonviolence the distinguishing mark of our actions. This is what it means to live in accordance with our shared human dignity. This is Christian love.

* PhD. Professor in Theology and Religious Studies Department as well as Justice and Peace Studies program at Georgetown  University. Member of the Coordination Committee of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence.

By Eli McCarthy*.

Pope Leo XIV’s first words were: “Peace be with you… This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.”

What could this mean? Many of us wondered. What pathways were being pointed to and opened up for the Church?

Six days later, Pope Leo XIV elaborated further, explaining: “Leaders should view peace not as a political tool but as a moral imperative, grounded in respect for human dignity.” That is, to live in accordance with our human dignity means to live according to this kind of peace—“unarmed and disarming.” Human dignity is the foundational principle of all Catholic Social Teaching and, thus, is central to a wide array of issues.

What might it look like to live in this way of peace, and therefore in fidelity to our human dignity?

Sixteen days later, on May 30th, Pope Leo XIV illuminated this path of peacemaking. He stated:

“In the face of wars, terrorism, human trafficking, and widespread aggression, children and young people need experiences that educate them in the culture of life, dialogue, and mutual respect. And first of all, they need witnesses of a different, nonviolent lifestyle.
Thus, from the local and everyday level to the global order, when those who have suffered injustice and the victims of violence know how to resist the temptation of revenge, they become the most credible protagonists of nonviolent peacebuilding processes.
Nonviolence as a method and as a style must distinguish our decisions, our relationships, and our actions.”

The call is clear: to make active nonviolence the distinguishing mark of our actions. This is the essence of Christian love. This is what it means to live in accordance with our shared human dignity. Nonviolence becomes a positive expression of reverence for life and dignity.

Today, we hear a desperate cry from our human family in Gaza, as well as from many in Israel, to break the catastrophic cycles of death and violence in the region. Numerous nonviolent actions have already taken place, and many more are needed. These include advocacy meetings with government officials, identifying credible messengers among key stakeholders, petitions and open letters, published articles, social media campaigns, educational efforts, prayer and public vigils, fasting, bridge-building across adversarial communities, trauma mitigation, humanitarian aid collection, boycott and divestment campaigns, conscientious objection to military service, resignations of government officials in protest, unarmed civilian protection and accompaniment delegations to the West Bank, demonstrations and vigils at the Gaza border, mass protests in cities, university encampments, disruptions of public events, and hundreds of arrests for civil disobedience.

At times, these efforts have been strategic and impactful, shifting public awareness, altering power dynamics, and mitigating violence. Still, we are only beginning to grasp the full strategic potential of nonviolence. We have much critical work ahead, especially with regard to Gaza.

In mid-June, large-scale marches to Gaza from Egypt and Israel unfolded to increase pressure and demand an end to the ongoing inhumanity.

What if a prominent religious leader or a multifaith coalition joined these actions? What role might Pope Leo XIV play in such a potentially transformative nonviolent witness? What if he, along with other religious leaders, were to walk into Gaza—or to one of its entrances?

Who will join the ongoing accompaniment delegations to the West Bank, such as those organized by Sabeel? When will our Catholic institutions divest from weapons manufacturers and companies that profit from violence and war?

And what if our Catholic formation programs prepared us thoroughly in the principles and practices of active nonviolence—so that more of us are ready and willing to engage in spiritually rooted non-cooperation and civil disobedience when the moment calls for it, as it does now, in Gaza?

With Pope Leo XIV, let us commit to making active nonviolence the distinguishing mark of our actions. This is what it means to live in accordance with our shared human dignity. This is Christian love.

* PhD. Professor in Theology and Religious Studies Department as well as Justice and Peace Studies program at Georgetown  University. Member of the Coordination Committee of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence.