The Archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, has affirmed\nthat the Catholic Church places world peace as its utmost priority amid\nthe conflicts occurring in the Middle East. This aligns with the\ndirection of Pope Leo XIV\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n
According to Cardinal Suharyo, messages of peace have been conveyed\nby the Pope since the beginning of his tenure. At that time, the Pope\nfirst appeared on the pulpit of St Peter\u2019s Basilica, uttering a prayer\nfor God\u2019s peace to accompany the entire world.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means he truly wants to state that his period of service as\nPope will strive for peace,\u201d said Cardinal Suharyo after leading the\nPontifical Easter Mass at the Cathedral Church, as reported by Antara on\nSunday (5\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
In the context of the current global conflicts, he said, the Pope\nissued a firm statement that the prayers of leaders who justify war will\nnot be heard by God.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven, with very harsh words regarding war, he said that the prayers\nof leaders who justify war will not be heard by God. Very harsh words\nindeed,\u201d said the Cardinal.<\/p>\n
He assessed that the wars occurring today constitute violations of\ninternational law and the values upheld by the United Nations (UN). He\nstated that their impacts not only damage the world but also cause great\nsuffering to humanity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exists is very bad consequences, not only for the world, for\nthe earth, but for humanity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He further noted that the Pope calls on Catholics worldwide to\ncontinue praying for peace every day, even though hopes for the\nconflicts to end before Easter have not been realised.<\/p>\n
In his reflection, Cardinal Suharyo mentioned that amid the global\nsituation coloured by \u201cdarkness\u201d, there is still hope likened to a small\nlight that continues to illuminate humanity.<\/p>\n
Besides the issue of peace, he also highlighted the importance of\nawareness of \u2018integral ecology\u2019, which is a comprehensive view of the\nliving environment that not only covers technical aspects, such as\nenergy, water, and waste, but also concerns human morality. According to\nhim, environmental damage is inseparable from greedy attitudes that\nignore solidarity with fellow humans.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as greed remains dominant, especially supported by\ndestructive forces, then damage will continue to occur,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Cardinal Suharyo emphasised that ecological repentance must begin\nfrom a change in conscience, not merely external actions. Cardinal\nSuharyo also invited the community to adopt a simple lifestyle as a form\nof self-control, namely living sufficiently without excess.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cardinal-suharyos-message-of-peace-on-easter-highlighting-middle-east-conflict-1775652771", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }