Pope Tawadros II writes preface for Pope Francis’ new book

Pace in terra. La fraternità è possibile (Peace on Earth. Fraternity is Possible) is the new volume published by the Vatican Publishing House, with a preface by His Holiness Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in Egypt.

The book is a collection of the most significant words and speeches of Pope Francis on global peace and fraternity, and includes a previously unpublished text.

The selected texts offer an itinerary of reflections on the need for fraternal unity, and have as their beating heart the speeches of the Pope during his recent apostolic journeys to Japan (November 2019) and Iraq (March 2021). In the previously unpublished text entitled “Fraternity is Possible”, Pope Francis makes an appeal to the consciences of politicians and all the people of God: “Peace begins with not hating, not excluding, not discriminating, not leaving alone” (p.167).

Pope Tawadros in his opening remarks speaks of love as the only weapon of reconciliation: “Brothers and sisters, there will never be peace without love. Only through love can we embrace the other and guarantee justice and equality. If you seek peace, start with love; hate diminishes through love. Peace is the fruit of love, of dialogue and of forgiveness” (p.7).

Peace on Earth forms part of the series entitled “Exchange of Gifts”, featuring an ecumenical focus and always including, as well as the selected texts of the Holy Father together with a previously unpublished text, a preface by a representative of the other Churches or Ecclesial Communities. Previous volumes have offered the contributions of: Martin Junge, Secretary General of the Lutheran World Federation, in Il cielo sulla terra. Amare e servire per trasformare il mondo; Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Diversi e uniti. Com-unico quindi sono; Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in La Preghiera. Il respiro della vita nuova; and of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Nostra Madre Terra. Una lettura cristiana della sfida dell’ambiente.