169
these values are threatened, a prophetic voice
must be raised.
219.âNor is peace âsimply the absence of war-
fare, based on a precarious balance of power; it
is fashioned by efforts directed day after day to-
wards the establishment of the ordered universe
willed by God, with a more perfect justice among
menâ.
179
In the end, a peace which is not the re-
sult of integral development will be doomed;
it will always spawn new conflicts and various
forms of violence.
220.âPeople in every nation enhance the social
dimension of their lives by acting as committed
and responsible citizens, not as a mob swayed
by the powers that be. Let us not forget that
âresponsible citizenship is a virtue, and participa-
tion in political life is a moral obligationâ.
180
Yet
becoming a people demands something more. It
is an ongoing process in which every new gen-
eration must take part: a slow and arduous ef-
fort calling for a desire for integration and a will-
ingness to achieve this through the growth of a
peaceful and multifaceted culture of encounter.
221.âProgress in building a people in peace,
justice and fraternity depends on four principles
179
âPaul VI, Encyclical Letter
Populorum Progressio
(26
March 1967), 76: AAS 59 (1967), 294-295.
180
âU
nited
S
tates
C
onference
of
C
atholic
B
ishops
,
Pastoral Letter
Forming Conscience for Faithful Citizenship
(Novem-
ber 2007), 13.
