Context
Since 1981, the United Nations has established an international day on a subject that concerns everyone: peace. In Charleroi (Belgium), in the Church of Saint Christopher, six communities of different faiths gathered on Sunday 21st September to pray together from 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. in the presence of Mgr. Guy Harpigny, Bishop of Tournai.
Charleroi is fortunate to be a city full of diversity, and it is an act of brotherhood to choose to bring together several confessions and religions in the name of peace, rejecting hatred and fear. Peace begins here and now by creating a haven of peace in each of the communities present and between them.
Peace in each community
Six communities came together in the name of peace: the Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i, Protestant, Eritrean Orthodox and Catholic communities. Musical interludes followed one another, blending different cultures and languages, around the theme for 2025, ‘Acting for a peaceful world’, inspiring everyone to take action and be a driving force for peace.
Peace: a gift and a duty
The Jewish faith has made “Shalom” a central concept of its belief. Among the Baha’is, we find the search for great peace, a world peace towards which humanity is moving. The Protestant community offered an insight into the Book of Jeremiah (Jer. 6), where peace is perceived as a balance: everything and everyone must be in their rightful place. To avoid war, the society in which we live must be just. For the Muslim community, peace is present as soon as we enter into a relationship with another person with the greeting “As-Salam alaykum”, which means “Peace be with you” and is used to greet someone. God is also referred to as Salam, which means peace.
For the Catholic community, the intervention focused on the seventh beatitude. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God’ (Mt. 5:9). Working for peace therefore means entering into a direct relationship with God and becoming a son of God like Jesus. Saint Augustine adds that peace is the tranquility of order. It is therefore necessary to be at peace with God, with oneself, with others, but also with existence and life. Peace is therefore a gift from God, a work to be built with him.
Peacemakers
Before intoning St Francis’ prayer for peace, Bishop Guy Harpigny summed up the gathering in four words: peace, justice, truth and love. Despite their different beliefs, all believers are committed to the same path, a path demanded by God. He concluded the day with a message full of hope: ‘Next year, there will still be an International Day of Peace. I hope that in some parts of the world, peace will have been found.’
Sylvestre Olivier EVES, CSSp
Member of the diocesan commissions for interreligious dialogue and ecumenism
