During a visit to Rome the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit called on the churches to be congregations of peacemakers. Tveit also met with Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church as part of his participation in an event sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

Tveit invited the Roman Catholic Church and the Pontifical Council to join in the “ecumenical pilgrimage for justice and peace”, saying that “churches are included in God’s work for peace”. Tveit made these comments at a 50th anniversary celebration of the encyclical letter Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth) issued by the late Pope John XXIII in 1963. The event took place from 2 to 4 October in Rome.

In his message at this week’s event Pope Francis shared reflections on the theme Pacem in Terries. “I wonder if we have learnt the lessons of 'Pacem in terris'. I ask myself whether the words 'justice' and 'solidarity' exist only in our dictionary, or if we indeed all work towards making them a reality,” he said. “On political, economic and social matters there is no dogma to indicate practical solutions, but rather to favour dialogue, listening, patience, respect for others, sincerity and also willingness to revise one's opinion,” added Pope Francis.