Dear Friends,

As members of the "Together for Peace Foundation" you have gathered in Rome to honour a group of men and women especially distinguished in their service of friendship and peace among the peoples of the world. I am pleased to welcome you to the Vatican and to encourage you in your work.

The aspiration to peace is deeply felt by the vast majority of men and women of good will, and all the more so when the threat of war seems to take increasingly concrete form. The memory of past conflicts and the sad consequences of a world divided into opposing blocs are still vivid enough for people everywhere to understand that only peace is capable of bringing progress and justice. In the Christian view, furthermore, peace corresponds to a call by God to recognize all human beings as belonging to the one family, created in the image of the same Father. To serve the cause of brotherhood and solidarity among peoples is truly a noble ideal. To alleviate want and suffering is a most necessary and constructive act of peace-building.

Peace is the fruit of moral responsibility and respect for the rule of law. It requires the efforts of everyone. It is the result of individual and collective endeavour. Organizations such as the "Together for Peace Foundation" can play a substantial role in educating for peace and in bringing the talents of many to bear on the work for peace. May you persevere in the lofty mission you have set yourselves and "may the God of peace be with you all" (Rom. 15:33).