Historical Context of Pacem in Terris
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses Pope John XXIII's 1963 encyclical 'Pacem in Terris,' which advocates for global peace during the Cold War era. It addresses the Cuban Missile Crisis's threat and calls for mutual disarmament to build trust. The encyclical also condemns injustices, especially under Marxist regimes like the USSR, emphasizing human rights and dignity. Pope John XXIII stresses that peace is unattainable without adherence to divine order, natural law, and personal moral rectitude, urging individuals and nations to prioritize justice for lasting peace.
Takeaways
- 📜 The encyclical 'Pacem in Terris' by Pope John XXIII, published in 1963, emphasizes peace on earth and the importance of human dignity.
- 🗓 It was written during the Cold War, a period of tension and fear due to the threat of nuclear warfare, particularly following the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- 💡 Pope John XXIII called for mutual disarmament and building trust between nations, rather than an arms race, to achieve lasting peace.
- 👨💻 The encyclical addresses the injustices of the time, especially under Marxist regimes like the USSR, where human rights were severely restricted.
- 🏛 It highlights the importance of individual rights such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to participate in politics.
- 🙏 The Pope stresses that humans should not be expendable for the sake of some higher goal, which was a common Marxist view.
- 🌿 The document discusses the natural law and eternal law, suggesting that living in accordance with these laws is essential for peace.
- 🚫 It condemns the violation of natural law through sin, which can lead to injustice and war.
- 🌐 Pope John XXIII emphasizes that justice must start within the individual and extend to relationships between people and between nations.
- ✝️ The encyclical suggests that peace can never be guaranteed without diligent observance of divinely established order.
Q & A
What is the title of Pope John XXIII's encyclical published in 1963?
-The title of Pope John XXIII's encyclical published in 1963 is 'Pacem in Terris', which means 'Peace on Earth'.
Why was it unusual for Pope John XXIII to publish an encyclical during the Second Vatican Council?
-It was unusual because normally, a Pope would not publish an encyclical while a council was ongoing, indicating the importance Pope John XXIII placed on this document.
What was the historical context of the Cold War as mentioned in the script?
-The Cold War was a period of tension between the United States and the USSR, marked by the threat of nuclear warfare and a policy of mutually assured destruction to deter attacks.
What specific event in 1963 heightened the fear of nuclear war mentioned in the script?
-The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963 was a significant event that narrowly avoided nuclear war, increasing the fear of such a conflict.
What did Pope John XXIII call for in response to the arms race during the Cold War?
-Pope John XXIII called for mutual disarmament and the building of trust between countries, rather than relying on fear.
What was the other important context for 'Pacem in Terris' mentioned in the script?
-The other context was the injustice practiced in many countries, particularly under Marxist regimes like the USSR, where human rights were severely restricted.
What freedoms were suppressed in the USSR as an example of injustice during the time of 'Pacem in Terris'?
-In the USSR, freedoms such as media control, voting choices, religious liberty, and freedom of association were suppressed.
How does Pope John XXIII emphasize the dignity of the human person in 'Pacem in Terris'?
-Pope John XXIII emphasizes the dignity of the human person by stating that the state exists for the person, not the other way around, and by highlighting rights such as freedom of religion and the right to life.
What does Pope John XXIII mean by 'the diligent observance of the divinely established order' in 'Pacem in Terris'?
-He refers to living in accordance with natural law and eternal law, which are reflections of God's goodness and the way humans are meant to live well.
How does the Pope connect sin to the problem of injustice and peace?
-The Pope suggests that sin, rooted in human nature, leads to injustice. He argues that justice must start within the individual, ordering oneself according to natural law, to be a force for justice in the world.
What does Pope John XXIII suggest is the first place justice needs to happen?
-Pope John XXIII suggests that justice needs to happen first within the individual, by becoming well-ordered according to the natural law.
Outlines
📜 Papal Encyclical and Cold War Context
The paragraph introduces Pope John XXIII's encyclical 'Pacem in Terris' (Peace on Earth), published in 1963. It highlights the historical context of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which created a tense atmosphere of fear due to the potential for nuclear war. Pope John XXIII, aware of his impending death from cancer, emphasized the urgency of peace and mutual disarmament between the USA and the USSR. He called for trust-building and a gradual disarmament plan to prevent the arms race from escalating further. The encyclical was published during the Second Vatican Council, underscoring its significance.
🗽 Injustices and Human Rights in Marxist Regimes
This paragraph delves into the injustices prevalent in many countries, particularly under Marxist regimes like the USSR. It discusses the suppression of human rights, including freedom of religion, media control, restricted voting, and persecution of religious individuals. The Pope's encyclical 'Pacem in Terris' stresses the dignity of the human person and the importance of rights such as freedom of worship, participation in politics, and the pursuit of truth. The Pope also addresses the violation of natural law and the role of sin in perpetuating injustice, which he sees as obstacles to peace. He advocates for justice at all levels—individual, societal, and international—to achieve peace.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Parchment Ares
💡Cold War
💡Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
💡Disarmament
💡Marxist Regimes
💡Natural Law
💡Eternal Law
💡Human Rights
💡Dignity of the Human Person
💡Sin
💡Justice
Highlights
Introduction of the new unit on 'Pacem in Terris', an encyclical by Pope John XXIII published in 1963.
The title 'Pacem in Terris' translates to 'Peace on Earth', reflecting the encyclical's central theme.
Pope John XXIII was aware of his terminal cancer while writing the encyclical.
The encyclical was published two months before his death, emphasizing its importance.
It was published during the Second Vatican Council, an unusual timing for an encyclical.
The Cold War context of the encyclical, marked by the threat of nuclear warfare.
The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963 heightened fears of nuclear war.
Pope John XXIII called for mutual disarmament to build lasting peace.
The Pope emphasized trust-building between countries over an arms race.
The injustices practiced worldwide, especially under Marxist regimes, were a significant context for the encyclical.
The USSR's suppression of human rights and freedoms was a stark example of the injustices addressed.
The Pope stressed the dignity of the human person and the state's role in serving the individual.
The encyclical emphasized rights such as freedom of religion and participation in politics.
The Pope discussed the importance of natural law and eternal law for achieving peace.
The concept that peace can only be established through adherence to divine order was introduced.
The Pope highlighted the need for justice at various levels: within the individual, between individuals, and between nations.
The encyclical suggests that peace is undermined by sin and the violation of natural law.
The Pope called for individuals to order themselves according to natural law to be forces for justice.
Transcripts
hello students welcome back time to
start a new unit the unit on parchment
Ares which was published in 1963 by pope
john xxiii the encyclical title means
peace on earth and that is what the
encyclical is concerned with pope john
xxiii knew he was dying of cancer while
he wrote this encyclical he died two
months after it was published he
published it during the Second Vatican
Council which is not normal for a pope
to publish an encyclical as a council
goes on that shows I think the
importance that he gave to this
encyclical as one of the last things
that he did on earth and as something
that he published during a council what
is the context of this I'm going to give
two contexts for this in the history at
the time
one is the Cold War the Cold War lasted
from about the end of World War two
until 1989 when the Berlin Wall came
down the Cold War was the world powers
above all the United States of America
and the USSR threatening one another
with nuclear weaponry recognizing that
the other had the power to totally
destroy their nation and to kill most if
not all of the people in that nation and
making sure that they could send
something back to destroy their nation
as well the idea being to through the
principle of what was called mutually
assured destruction to make sure that
there was deterrence that if one group
shot they knew they were going to be
destroyed so they're very likely not to
fire off nuclear weaponry this was a
very tense and terrifying time if you
look at the literature of the period
like dr. Strangelove you can see that
this was kind of an overwhelming fear
that people had that they their children
their whole life could be snuffed out in
the blink of an eye if nuclear weapons
were fired the whole world as we know it
could be destroyed well in 1963 there
was a particularly strong sense of fear
because the Cuban Missile Crisis had
been narrowly avoided thanks
God it was avoided nuclear weapons
weren't fired between the USA and the
USSR but the whole world saw this could
easily have gone the other way so it was
a time of justified fear of nuclear war
the Pope called for mutual disarmament
he said that the arms race could never
build a lasting peace that lasting peace
could only come about by building trust
between countries not fear he did not
necessarily condemn one country building
up weaponry if the other refused to stop
doing so he doesn't talk about that
explicitly but what he does call for is
agreement between the two parties
between the US SA and the Europe the USA
and the USSR that the two parties agree
to stop building up weaponry and come to
some sort of plan of gradual disarmament
where each can kind of oversee what the
other is doing making sure that
someone's not cheating on their side of
the treaty he really wants that to
happen
another important context for this
encyclical is the injustice practiced in
many countries throughout the world and
in particular I think the injustice
practiced under Marxist regimes looking
at the USSR as a striking example of
this you had in the USSR many freedoms
many human rights that were pushed down
very intensely so for example all media
was controlled by the state outside
media was prohibited as far as that was
possible an order that people would not
be able to think about things or at
least have help in thinking about things
that were contrary to the communist
ideas you had voting now voting was
allowed but all of the candidates were
chosen by the Communist Party so you
didn't really have any other option
other than the Communist Party chosen
people when you voted religious liberty
was at least strongly curtailed it
wasn't absolutely forbidden to be
religious but religion was ridiculed was
pressed down atheism was aggressively
pushed within the school's church
property was taken away oppression in
different ways of people who are
religious keeping them out of positions
of authority certainly but also torture
imprisonment by even death for people
who are religious and especially
religious leaders was commonplace in the
USSR there was no right to a symbol to
attain political ends or labor ends all
of those associations that were legal
were run directly by the state and so
pushed the normal propaganda there were
show trials that were conducted or to
give the appearance of justice but the
decision was already made before the
trial began so this was a context for
parchment Ares and you see that I think
in what the Pope stresses first the
dignity of the human person that the
person does not exist for the state but
the state for the person he goes through
rights that seem like many of them ones
that are on exactly the opposite side
from what would happen in the USSR and
other Marxist nations he emphasizes the
right to worship God the right right of
freedom of religion the right to a
symbol and to attain important ends the
right to take part in politics in an
active free way the right to justice
within the community a right to life to
not be killed a right to seek truth and
not have that kept from you all of these
seem to be exactly on the other side
from Marxism which is why I think that
is an important context for the Pope's
encyclical one more thing before we end
this is not really an historical context
but
something that I think is important an
important theme of the encyclical that
I'd like to bring here the Pope starts
the encyclical in this way I found this
very striking peace on earth which man
throughout the ages has so longed for
and sought after can never be
established never guaranteed except by
the diligent observance of the divinely
established order what he means by that
he draws out later on he's talking about
the natural law and the eternal law the
natural law is the law of our nature how
we live well as human beings
specifically that's our nature our
personal human nature natural laws that
that's inscribed in us from the eternal
law which is the truth about himself
that is known by God for all eternity we
and our nature are a particular
reflection of the eternal law of God of
His goodness and we live well by living
in accordance with that law inscribed
within our being an example of acting
against that is when persons are
considered as disposable for the sake of
some higher goal as happened in the USSR
when people were considered explicitly
to be expendable so that the Marxist
revolution could go on its way to attain
its final end it's purely
consequentialist you can use people
however you want as long as you're
attaining some greater good the hopes
idea is exactly contrary to that another
aspect in which we violate the natural
law and in so doing work against peace
is actually through sin sin that's
rooted in us think of the deadly sins
avarice lust Envy those sins rooted in
us lead us to injustice if it weren't
for seeking things in a way that is
unfitting to us as human beings or a way
that's too strong too much we would
never do injustice if there were no
avarice there would never have been
slavery so the first place where justice
has to happen
within ourselves we need to become well
ordered according to the natural law we
need to love things in the right way at
the right time etc to seek the proper
order within ourselves so that we then
can be a force for justice in the world
rather than being those who kind of seek
our own ends too much in the wrong way
and become part of the problem the
injustice that leads to war that leads
to lack of peace and then cyclical it
seems to me that is stated here in this
wonderful quote that you see on the page
within the person the problem of sin
then you have he talks about the
relationship between human and human
that that needs to be just between
nation and persons that that needs to be
just and then only does he talk about
relationship between nation and nation
at all these different levels person
between us between nation and person and
between nations there needs to be
justice if there's going to be peace god
bless you see you soon
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