Pope Francis has denounced violence in its many forms and shed light on nonviolent pathways to a more just and peaceful future. He has called the Church and the world to undertake a revolution of tenderness, creating a “new normal” where the most excluded, their popular movements and youth are the protagonists and where the well-being of all is the top priority. The signposts of the “new normal” Pope Francis envisions include 

• the full participation of those who are now excluded, living on the periphery of our societies;
• a global economy that ensures a life of dignity – access to land, decent housing, good jobs, life-giving work) for all, for all youth;  
• robust protection for the Earth and its non-human inhabitants; 
• an end to war, preparations for war, weapons manufacturing and the arms trade;
• and, much more ...

Pope Francis has taught that there must be another way than violence to transform conflict, safeguard the vulnerable, end war and, foster justice. In his 2017 World Day of Peace message, he specifically called us to this other way: active nonviolence, and he was specific about challenging political and religious leaders, the heads of institutions and business, and media executives to apply the Beatitudes in the exercise of their respective responsibilities.

Nonviolence challenges all forms of violence—from the violence being inflicted on the Amazon and indigenous people to the immense violence facing migrants; from the cataclysmic violence of war to the violence of economic inequality; from the violence of nuclear weapons to the violence of human trafficking and racism. 

At the same time, nonviolence contributes to a culture of peace and fosters more just, peaceful, and sustainable societies. Nonviolence enhances life-giving relationships among humans and with all of creation and, we believe, is central to the survival of life on earth and to the healing of our planet. 

Nonviolence is not just one more important issue among so many critical concerns. Rather it is a cross-cutting dimension of our engagement with all of the major issues addressed by Catholic social teaching.  

Nonviolence is a spirituality, a way of life, a diverse set of tools for engaging violence in many forms, and a universal ethic rooted in a belief that all of creation is imbued with dignity and that everything is connected. Gospel nonviolence is much more than a political strategy; it is a spirituality through which we see and interpret life, a set of virtues and principles for personal and social change, (again) a cross-cutting approach to healing a broken world and facilitating the paradigm shift from a culture of violence to a culture of peace that is so urgently needed. 

This unprecedented global transformation will require enormous creativity and will itself depend on mobilizing worldwide people-power movements for change using active nonviolence. Without a committed and systematic advance of the vision, principles, strategies, practices and tactics of nonviolence, humanity will remain under-equipped to meet this historic challenge.  

Pope Francis’ many documents, exhortations, statements, and actions are imbued with the spirit and dynamic of nonviolence that calls us to bring the power of Jesus’ nonviolence into our lives, our Church, and our traumatized world.  Nonviolence is more than an ideal or the final goal.

Instead, it is central to the process of peace, the journey to justice and the way to reconciliation.

“Put your sword back into its sheath. The words of Jesus resound clearly… In the Gospel of Luke’s version, Jesus tells his disciples, Stop, no more of this! Jesus’ sorrowful and strong, No more, goes beyond the centuries and reaches us. It is a commandment we cannot avoid. No more swords, weapons, violence, war.” (Pope Francis, Peace on Earth: Fraternity is Possible - 2021) 

See, An ethic of peace and justice centred on nonviolence and Pope Francis’ Statements on Nonviolence