The John Paul II International Foundation for the Social Teaching of the Church together with the Foundation Europe and Civilization and the Institute of European Studies of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow are organizing an International Conference on “The Holy See in the International Arena during the Pontificate of John Paul II (1978-2005)” that will be held in the Polish city on October 11th and 12th.

 

Msgr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz, an Official of our Dicastery, will be one of the speakers. He will open the Second Working-Session with a lecture on the: “The Ideas and Fundamental Values of the Blessed John Paul II in International Politics”.
 

«For John Paul II, culture and consciousness have played an important role in international politics, determining social and political changes to a much greater extent than physical or even armed power», msgr. Mazurkiewicz said to Emanuela Bambara. «In 1944, in Poland, there was a Resurrection in the national fight against the Germans; a lonely struggle, in which the Poles were not helped by the allied forces. On that occasion, we understood that we cannot fight against the power of the strongest with military forces, but only with the strength of the truth and of the conscience. And this was the message of Pope John Paul II to all nations from the early days of his pontificate on: the world is changed with culture and moral strength».
 

In the Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus (23), we read: «Also worthy of emphasis is the fact that the fall of this kind of oppressive regime, “bloc” or empire, was accomplished almost everywhere by means of peaceful protest, using only the weapons of truth and justice». Hence, msgr. Mazurkiewicz asserts: «It’s the power of the conscience that courageously maintains, in public and private life, the truth that changes the world, and it is the strength of the weak, as the Czech intellectual Vaclav Havel put it. The fall of Communism is a piece of historical evidence».
 

John Paul II spoke of a “moral grammar” that should guide the international political dialogue. There is, therefore, a universal moral sense, inscribed in the individual and collective consciousness, and codified in the natural law. Political persuasion takes place on this foundation common in nature, which also has a religious foundation.
 

John Paul II was «not an idealist, he didn’t believe that there can be a perfect world, with absolute agreement —the Official of our Dicastery said —but, on the basis of his own experience of faith and also as a citizen, he was convinced that Peace can exist only if it is born of forgiveness».