The Evangelical Pope | Trust, Justice, and Peace

Each week we let Saint Pope John Paul II share meaningful signposts to spark socio-economic resolves through justice and righteousness combined with mercy and compassion; in short, love. 

               ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

               __ Galatians 3:28 (New International Version)

The Vatican – 31 May 1987 | Social communications are vital for dialogue, central to my Pontificate and Paul VI's focus: promoting peace through justice. We aim to shift from terror to trust, fostering a society where peace stems from ethical, informed communication.

The Role of Communication in Peace and Justice

Having previously discussed peace on the World Day of Peace 1983, I now wish to continue reflecting on the work of justice that brings about peace. This year, my focus is on the strategy of trust as a means to fulfill justice in the pursuit of true peace.

Effective communication shapes society by sharing information and raising awareness. Achieving global peace depends on understanding the individuals and communities involved. An informed public influences justice and peace, as highlighted in the 1982 Message for World Peace Day.

Your role goes beyond transmitting information; you inform to shape understanding. As news spreads rapidly worldwide, sometimes dangerously, social media users depend on you to understand the dangers of terror and the hope that comes with trust.

Dialogue as the Foundation of Peace

Peace depends on dialogue, which requires all parties to be well-informed, whether in the East, West, North, or South. Your goal is a "total dialogue" as part of a global strategy covering information, entertainment, publicity, art, education, and cultural values. This approach helps realize the trust plan.

From apprehension and fear, leading to terror, emerges a "cold peace"— not true peace. A genuine desire for "warm peace" can only grow through open communication and meaningful dialogue.

Similarly, "cold justice" is not true justice. Justice requires trust; otherwise, it becomes "justice against" rather than "for" or "with" every human.

Mass Communication and the Strategy of Trust

Mass communication, carefully organized, must transmit a trust strategy with seven key components:

1. Raising awareness
2. Denouncing injustice
3. Renouncing violence
4. Overcoming barriers
5. Contributing to peace
6. Spreading initiatives
7. Affirming human dignity

Peace relies on informed global dialogue that blends information, culture, and education to counter fear and "cold justice."

Sevenfold Communication Strategy

Raising Awareness through Education

The media must educate, stressing that war causes loss and peace protects all. Highlighting injustices that trigger violence helps understand the conflict's roots.

Denouncing Violence and Injustice

Communicators must expose causes of violence like the arms trade, oppression, terrorism, and discrimination. The media's role is vital in promoting justice and peace by highlighting these issues.

Renouncing Violence’s Roots

The media should reject dominance and promote cooperation, collaborating with others instead of against them. This fosters collaboration and mutual respect.

Overcoming Mistrust and Encouraging Ethical Commitment

Social communication bridges divisions, transcending intolerance and discouragement, and urges ethical responsibility in the face of technological progress. Mistrust of partiality and intolerance must be overcome through the development of moral attitudes.

Affirming Human Rights and Love

Justice and peace rely on inalienable rights, respect for sovereignty, and love as life’s source. Fraternity and love overcome terror, creating a more humane society.

The Work of Justice and the Role of Intelligence

Peace stems from intelligence and awareness. War causes loss; peace protects what is valuable. Communication reveals war's causes—many injustices that incite violence, with each inequity having the potential to lead to war.

Violence is something we all carry within us, but by working to free ourselves from it, we can find true peace. Justice grows through wise and positive decisions, even in the face of injustice and conflict.

Denouncing Causes of Violence

Communicating constructive choices for justice and peace involves denouncing causes of violence and conflict such as armaments, arms commerce, oppression, torture, terrorism, militarization, security issues, North-South tension, domination, occupation, repression, exploitation, and discrimination.

To denounce effectively, communicators must reject the roots of violence and injustice, especially the idea of supremacy, which fuels mutual fear.

It's crucial to "disarm spirits." By sharing their requests and reactions, media users can help reject the notion of the strongest. We should strive for justice by working "with and through" others, particularly in the media landscape.

Overcoming Barriers to Justice and Peace

The trust strategy aims to overcome justice obstacles for peace. Social communication can bridge race, class, and cultural barriers. Mistrust, driven by bias and intolerance, can be replaced by trust through ethical commitment at all levels.

As communication technology advances, we must uphold strong ethical standards. As the field evolves, moral responsibility remains crucial.

Contributing to Peace through Information

Your role is to enable peace through justice. Information raises awareness, verifies facts, and helps shape reality on the path to peace—debates and media discussions further this, where imagination and user engagement are key.

Spreading Initiatives for Peace and Justice

Media outlets need to consistently promote efforts that advance peace and justice—from local initiatives to global summits. Creating a new global information and communications system that prioritizes peace and justice and provides equal access to information is especially crucial.

As communicators, your role is ongoing education. Social media users must seek information that informs their opinions and raises awareness of their responsibilities. We all share responsibility for the future of justice and peace.

Affirming the Values of Justice, Peace, and Love

When spreading these messages, we must affirm key conditions for justice and peace: inalienable rights, equal liberties, respect for sovereignty, and duties of aid. We should emphasize the value of life, moving from merely struggling to live to living wisely and compassionately. Love, rediscovered through daily fraternity, is the greatest force against terror. Inspired by divine gift, love can influence communication techniques, also divine gifts.

Conclusion

As workers and users of social communications start their programs, I urge you to remember justice and peace. I trust you and encourage you to earn the trust of all humanity. With this spirit, I give my Apostolic Blessing.

Extracted from:

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER JOHN PAUL II FOR THE 21st WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY, "Social Communications at the Service of Justice and Peace," Sunday, 31 May 1987

https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/messages/communications/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_24011987_world-communications-day.html

SWISS INTELLIGENCE COLONEL JACQUES BAUD: THE CHANGING GEOPOLITICAL LANDSCAPE

Colonel Jacques Baud, a seasoned former military intelligence analyst from the Swiss Army and a prolific author, shares insights on a pivotal shift in global power dynamics. He emphasizes that the most significant change of our era is the decline of Western dominance in the international arena. An important question arises: how can the Political West effectively find its place in a world that no longer revolves around hegemonic power? Addressing this question with care and clarity could help prevent ongoing chaos and potential collapse, guiding us toward a more stable future.

View the Video Here (1 hour, 8 minutes, 7 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
11 September 2025

Joining us today is Jacques Baud, a retired colonel from the Swiss strategic intelligence service, to discuss the latest developments in Europe, including the presence of Russian drones in Poland and whether we're on the cusp of a new era in modern warfare.

Professor Glenn Diesen’s interview with Colonel Jacques Baud explores critiques of Western democracy and security policies, revealing the gap between our ideals and actual practices. The conversation emphasizes NATO’s challenges in adapting to a world with multiple power centers, stressing the need for collaboration and open dialogue over confrontation. Baud encourages embracing different governance styles and being open, arguing that these are crucial for a stable and thriving international community.

Shifting Power Dynamics and Western Hegemony

• The conversation begins with an examination of the shift in global power dynamics, where the long-held dominance of Western powers is giving way to a more multipolar world.
• For a long time, the West has promoted a single model of civilization, expecting others to conform to it.
• However, countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and India are taking different approaches, focusing on finding common ground and addressing shared challenges.

This divergence in viewpoints engenders persistent tensions.

• The Western perspective frequently characterizes interaction with alternative power centers as unacceptable, equating their conduct with breaches of universal principles.
• Initiatives by non-Western nations to diversify and pursue their national interests are often perceived as conspiratorial or hostile, resulting in diplomatic pressure and unresolved disputes.

The Collapse of Western Dominance

Colonel Baud contends that the decline of Western hegemony is a consequence of its own dominance. The United States exemplifies this transition: formerly a leader in technological and industrial output, it has progressively outsourced manufacturing to nations such as China and India. As a result, its economy is now predominantly propelled by financial engineering rather than industrial innovation, thereby diminishing its capacity to produce and supply goods globally.

At the same time, other parts of the world have developed their own industrial capabilities, with China emerging as a significant new player on the global stage. This has allowed the rest of the world to stand up to the West, particularly since Western interventions—both military and economic—have often led to instability rather than growth.

Security Through Cooperation vs. Confrontation

Historically, the West has relied on force and confrontation to maintain security. In contrast, regions like Russia have pushed for a more cooperative approach to security. This strategy, built on past initiatives such as the Helsinki process and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, aims to resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiation rather than military force.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) exemplifies this model by offering a platform for nations such as India and China to engage in collaborative dispute resolution. The increasing interest in such organizations reflects a global shift towards resolving issues through dialogue rather than the use of force.

Western Interventions and Global Instability

The analysis emphasizes the disruptive consequences of Western interventions in regions such as Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and Syria. These measures, frequently justified by objectives of regime change or humanitarian concerns, have resulted in considerable instability and increased migration. Colonel Baud questions the justification for these interventions, proposing that self-determination and internal reform are more appropriate than external interference.

Examples from Africa demonstrate how Western involvement can sometimes have unintended consequences. When leaders are removed, it can lead to power vacuums and the emergence of extremist groups. These situations are often misunderstood or misrepresented in Western media.

The Role of Ideology and Democracy

Western support for liberal democracy has turned into a defining identity, giving them the right to interfere in other countries. This ideological stance portrays the West as the "good guy," allowing it to criticize and intervene in different nations. However, the inner workings of democracy are often watered down, with dissent suppressed and opposition labeled as backing authoritarian regimes.

Colonel Baud highlights some disturbing paradoxes in Western democracies, where governments often claim to represent the people's wishes but sometimes appear to act in their own self-interest. He mentions the Democratic Perception Index, which reveals that people in countries like China and Switzerland see their governments as more democratic than those in France, even though their political systems are pretty different.

NATO, Security, and European Policy

Colonel Baud discusses NATO’s evolving role in a new interview, noting that the organization has not yet fully adapted to the current geopolitical landscape. He remembers NATO talks about the need for a more collaborative security approach, one that's closer to Russia's views. Looking back, examples such as the Swiss and Austrian neutrality guarantees demonstrate that security can be achieved through cooperation between major powers.

Colonel Baud underscores that the prevailing confrontational attitude within NATO represents an extension of Cold War-era perspectives. This mindset is incompatible with the realities of a multipolar world, where economic, political, and influence-based equilibria have transitioned to favor non-Western nations.

The Importance of Dialogue and Openness

The discussion concludes with an appeal for transparency and dialogue as the most effective means to promote security and international stability. Colonel Baud cautions against ideological fundamentalism that criminalizes engagement with opposing viewpoints, emphasizing that genuine advancement and peace necessitate understanding, collaboration, and a readiness to consider diverse values and perspectives.

Colonel Baud banks on the concept of "security by cooperation," arguing that confrontation can only deepen authoritarian tendencies and hinder the opportunity for everyone to grow together. The West’s struggle to keep up with the changing global landscape could lead to more loneliness and disagreements. But if we choose to listen and talk more openly, it could open the door to a safer and more prosperous future for all of us.

Final Thoughts

Jacques Baud’s insights highlight the importance of a fresh perspective on how the West approaches international relations. Embracing the legitimacy of different governance models and focusing on cooperation rather than confrontation can help us navigate our rapidly changing world and protect the core values that make Western civilization unique.