Pope Francis in stark words reminded governments of their responsibility for peace, including the German government. On International Day of Peace, Sept. 21, he tweeted on his German language X account @Pontifex_de two messages. The first: “Peace is not achieved with weapons, but through patient listening, dialogue and cooperation; these are the only humane means of resolving conflicts.” A second post followed a little later: “The heads of state will work for peace or not, and they will be judged by history. We, on the other hand, have the task of spreading love and overcoming hatred with our daily actions. In this way, we can do something to change the world. #Peace,” it said.
In another welcome move, the Protestant-linked Action Committee for Service for Peace (AGDF, Aktionsgemeinschaft für den Frieden rejected the planned deployment of U.S. medium-range missiles in Germany at their general meeting on Sunday, Sept. 22, by a large majority. The AGDF is an umbrella organization of 31 organizations, which work in Germany and internationally for peace.
