Catholic Archbishop Pavel Pezzi of Russia Reveals the Key Contribution to Peace and says "To end this conflict...what is needed is humility...and by sitting down at the negotiating table"


 Archbishop Pavel Pezzi, currently serving as Latin Rite Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Moscow (Russian Federation), says:
"Forgiveness Is The Contribution That We Catholics, Like No One Else, Can Make To The Cause Of Peace"
Archbishop Pavel Pezzi shared his impressions and hopes in the context of the Synodal Assembly in Prague, to which he brought with him the experience of synodality from Russia.
“I must say,” said Archbishop Pezzi, “that in Russia we came to synodality a little earlier. For several years now ... we have been organizing biennial assemblies in the same synodal spirit, namely, not particularly worrying about the result - which was also there - but caring more about how to deepen our faith in this way and find better ways for the mission, so that it is not only effective, but also affective.
Speaking about his impressions after the assembly in Prague, Monsignor Pezzi emphasized the “attention to charisms”, but also a negative aspect: “a certain sociological bias, that is, the risk of perceiving the synodal path more in a sociological way than in a pastoral one and, why not, theological."
The hierarch answered a question about the situation of the Catholic community after February 24 last year.
“In communities, in families, but also in the very heart of people, real difficulties arose in understanding, also because we have faithful of Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Lithuanian origin, not to mention Polish and German: these roots began to manifest myself, I would say, in a complex way. However, all this has led us to positively discover or rediscover forgiveness as a contribution that we Catholics, like no one else, can make to the cause of the world.”
“At first,” the archbishop said, “there was confusion, an inability to perceive this conflict. Then it resulted in resentment and even mutual hatred, which has nothing to do with the Catholic community of believers. I can say that I have met Ukrainian Catholics who believe that this is not the worst and in any case inevitable way out. In the same way, I have met Russian Catholics who are unable to accept [what is happening] and cannot come to terms with it. Therefore, sometimes hatred is born, or at least anger, disrespect, which simply leads to hostility towards another, whoever he may be - in the family, at work, in the end, to the rejection of themselves ... Very many, especially during Lent and then Advent, proceeded to the Sacrament of Confession. I also know the touching stories of people
To end this conflict - like any other - an initiative is needed that would be above the field of conflict. In other words, what is needed is humility and confidence that nothing will be lost by forgiving and accepting forgiveness and by sitting down at the negotiating table without preconditions.”
Antonella Palermo - Prague

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