Dear Friends,
In this time of war and struggle for peace, the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor have taken a public stance and desire to be counted among those who live and work for peace. Directed by our Franciscan vocation as peacemakers and our charism to heal the wounds of Christ in poor suffering humanity, we commit ourselves to this Declaration for Peace as of August 11, 2002.
Many of our Associates, collaborators, and friends in Brazil, Italy, Senegal and the United States have joined us in this moral stance. If you would like to sign on as well, please e-mail us at:
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 PREMISE:
At the heart of our charism as Franciscan Sisters of the Poor lies a vibrant and passionate love for poor and suffering humanity. The values of justice, peace and the integrity of creation inherent in our charism impel us to live fully the ideals we have received from Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi and Blessed Frances of Aachen.
"May the peace you announce with your lips be even more abundant in your hearts. Do not provoke anyone to anger or to scandal. May everyone be attracted by your lived example of meekness, peace, goodness and harmony. This is your vocation: to heal the wounds, to mend the broken, to call back the lost."
(Excerpt from "Legend of Three Companions," Chapter IV, #58)Like St. Francis and in accord with the gospel and the teaching of the Church, we strive to become effective agents for promoting peace and understanding, opposing prejudice, war and oppressive forms of nationalism.
(Constitutions and Directory 47, 47.1 of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor)
As Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, we are called to give hope to humanity, to prevent and to heal the wounds of poor and suffering humanity, and to promote forgiveness as the main route to peaceful living among individuals, groups and peoples. As Christians, we feel responsible to work for social justice and peace in collaboration with others, especially the Franciscan family. With the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, both nuclear and otherwise, we are convinced that the principles of the just war theory no longer apply.
Deeply concerned for the victims of war, we beg those who have the power to stop war, to do so, and to seek a solution to conflict through dialogue. John Paul II said: war still is "the most barbaric and ineffective way to resolve conflict."
Therefore, we proclaim this DECLARATION FOR PEACE and we publicly commit ourselves to:
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respect every person so that she/he may live in dignity, according to her/his culture and religion.
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educate people to mutual respect in order to promote peace and solidarity among peoples and nations.
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be a voice for the voiceless so that those unjustly treated may receive justice.
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heal the past wrongs and present errors and prejudices of ourselves and others by overcoming selfishness, hatred and violence.
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dialogue among ourselves and with others, with simplicity and meekness, focusing on what unites us and recognizing that our neighbors' diversity can be an opportunity for our growth in understanding.
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join in the cry of poor and suffering humanity, in solidarity with those who do not return violence for violence, in order to bring about hope for justice and peace.
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influence leaders of the nations, through the means available to us, to be sensitive to the common good and to promote respect for planet earth upon which we all depend for life.
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support Interfaith dialogue through prayer and action, in order to overcome the prejudice and misunderstanding that can lead to conflict.
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CONCLUSION
True love lies in mutual esteem and deep respect which do not have their roots in emotion. The following three points are essential for a life in mutual love: we must give, forgive and be able to give in. (Blessed Frances Schervier)Let the love you have in your hearts show outwardly in your deeds. If we have lived ...we shall, by very little effort, leave others a noble example and gain the prize of eternal happiness.
(Testament of St. Clare, #18 and 6, FRANCIS AND CLARE: THE COMPLETE WORKS)May God bless us and bring our efforts to completion.
The Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor
133 Remsen Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201 - U.S.A. www.franciscansisters.org e-mail: Bernadette0929@aol.com
August 11, 2002
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Feel free to live, copy and share this Declaration for Peace.
Justice Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee
Sister Maria Lúcia Barbosa de Oliveira, SFP
Sister Tiziana Longhitano, SFP
Sister Laura Cantello, SFP
Sister Bernadette Sullivan, SFP
Sister Maria Atorino, SFP
Sister Marcia Dahlinghaus, SFP
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