PEACE and

INTEGRIT
Y OF
CREATIO
Since the Post-Vatican II years, the acronym JPIC has
gained an added meaning. It highlights the need for
action towards structural changes that affirm human
dignity, personal responsibility and universal solidarity.
To animate our group in the direction of such action - at
the personal level as well as a community - is a key
challenge. An example is the urgency to promote a
change in lifestyle, advocacy and networking to
safeguard the Integrity of Creation.
The vocation to proclaim the Kingdom in the
“people’s own God-given context” impels a CICM
missionary to confront the environment of blatant
inequality. Uneven opportunities to services, self-
development, and employment are often woven in
the fabric of societal relations. Respect for fellow
humans and equal rights are sorely lacking in the
world today.
The mission of the CICM missionaries towards
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation targets its
concern to the needs and issues of a community like
peace making among societies (Human Rights and
Non-Violent conflict resolutions) and respect for all
created things (ecological issues) and people
(prisoners and less fortunate people) in society as
they bring life to the Gospel and the Gospel to life.
Like Fr. John Couvreur, he campaigned against
illegal logging in Isabela. Here, it exemplifies
that a CICM missionary does not only
evangelize the word of God but also puts these
teachings of the Church through action by
responding to the call of just and peaceful
world and respect for the environment.
It is very true among early CICM
missionaries that even though no education
were conducted on JPIC, their actions and
active responses to the needs of the
community were already visible in their
ministry.
 1. JUSTICE
Christians believed that the ultimate Judge of us all is
no other else than God alone. However some
judgments have to be passed on earth for some
actions and these are the duties of our judiciary. But
how is justice going on in the world? Do we still
have a just world in terms of our relationship with
one another and in terms of our relationship with the
society?
Do we receive just wages in our profession?
Are the prisoners treated humanely and kept in
good conditions? Or do we receive just and fair
judgment in terms of trial? These are some
questions we can possibly raise to measure the
condition of justice in our present moment.
The ministry of Christ is a just mission. He never
excluded anyone in his ministry of healing the sick.
He treated the ill with compassion and love. He
hated inequality and that made him attack those
people who insisted exclusivity. He insisted on
forgiveness rather than persecution. Humans created
the most distractive punishment in the history of the
world, which is contrary to the will of God.
So, when Christ came, he never allowed people to be
persecuted rather He emphasized repentance. Christ’s vision
of justice is a harmony of the human heart and social order
that gives respect to human dignity, practice of the common
good and constant practice of solidarity. Justice for Christ is
giving what is due to the people and to the society. In the
words of Pope John Paul II, “..all are called to live in Justice
and to work for peace. No one can claim exemption from
this responsibility.” (1998, Pope John Paul II. World Day of
Peace Message)
So, our response to Jesus’ Call to Justice is to
be a responsible agent in doing a just act, just
decision and just living, to pay respect to the
law of God and society, and to participate in
maintaining peace and order of the society.
 2. PEACE
According to Pope Francis, “peace is a precious gift,
which must be promoted and protected. Never has the
use of violence brought peace in its wake. War
begets war, violence begets violence.” Justice does
not support the “principle of retaliation”. Christ
wants us to promote love instead of hatred.- that is
the true essence of a peaceful relationship.
Peace is a gift and is not imposed by the way of force
or any forms of threat. Peace must never be pursued
though violence, class struggle or hatred. Peace must
be sought after as a means for shared responsibility in
building the kingdom of God in our midst. In the
final analysis, our desire and commitment to seek and
work for real peace is borne out of our loving
relationship with God because He Himself is our
peace. (PCP II, 308)
There are references in the Old Testament of the
Bible to warfare, it was thought that victory would
belong to the chosen ones. However, Christians
looked forward for the coming of their Messiah and
even considered Him the “Prince of Peace” and His
coming would end war and peace would reign across
the world. But the teachings of Jesus did not support
warfare.
 Peace and Active Non-Violence
Peace is not merely the absence of war. (1965,
Pope Paul VI. The Church in the Modern World,
Gaudium et Spes) Peace is not simply the
avoidance of conflict nor the absence of war,
war starts and can happen also within us and in
our human realationship.
Peace is a need deeply rooted in the heart of
every man and woman. (2000, Pope John Paul
II. World Day of Peace Message) God created
us in His image as good and loving people.
So, despite our indifferences and errors, we
still find peace in us because we were created
out of love.
In Sirach 10:6, it states that: No matter what the wrong, do
no violence to your neighbor, and do not walk the path of
arrogance. Temperance is the right word for this. Christ
wants us to do no harm against anyone no matter what
happens. In the end, there are reasons why people commit
mistake and we are not supposed to hate the doer but his
actions only. In the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, he said:
“Our duty is to hate the sin, but love the sinner himself for
what he is.”
Our response to Jesus’ call for peace is to
control our emotions and anger, to live a holy
life, and treat humans with dignity, obey the
law and follow the will of God.
Ezekiel 45:9
Thus says the Lord God: Enough, you princes of
Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and do
what is right and just! Stop evicting my people!
Says the Lord God. Hate begets hate, love begets
love. We are called to purify our thoughts and
minds by living a just and holy life. Put no anger
or hate among others.
 3. INTEGRITY OF CREATION
According to Pope John Paul II, “world peace is
threatened not only by the arms race, regional conflicts
and the continued injustices among people, but also by
the k lack of respect for nature.” (1990, Pope John Paul
II. Peace with God the Creator, Peace with all of
Creation) When God created the world, He made it
pretty sure that it would be wonderful and very good.
But mankind little by little neglects the
chance to enjoy it due to some irresponsible
actions and decisions that devastate God’s
creation. But the challenge to make it still a
better place to live in lies into our own
human hands.
The cry of humanity now is for human interaction as our
world is getting smaller and smaller, we are getting farther
and farther from one another. Mission would need to bring
back that closeness of the presence of Jesus through flesh and
blood, men and women: spending quality time with people,
especially those who are abandoned, those who are neglected
by soceity and the general culture. (2006. Bishop Luis
Antonio Tagle. CICM-RP Centennial Celebration)
Bayanihan goes into the roots of unspoiled Filipino
spirituality to build and uplift the community through
cooperation and collaboration. Mutual assistance takes
many forms such as transferring a house, planting and
harvesting, cleaning in the neighborhood, or carrying out
a crusade. Our social responsibility is a communal
activity driven with passion to initiate our own care and
concern for the world and humanity.
 Humans as Stewards of God’s
Creation
We are called to be stewards of God’s creation.
Educating people is one of the necessary means to
understand our role as humans in the world.
Everyone is aware of the danger of dumping garbage
anywhere in our surroundings. That is just one part
of messing with the environment.
Destroying the sanctity of the environment from its
natural condition is destroying the habitat of
humanity itself. So, it is a call for everyone to have
social awareness about the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle) to help lessen the impact into our
environment. This is our world and it is our social
responsibility to take good care of it.
 The Missionary who Planted Trees
“Try another lifestyle, a Christ-like way of life.
Simplicity of life: sharing the superfluous,” Fr.
Ben Erkens, CICM, once wrote Philippine Daily
Inquirer columnist Rina Jimenez-David. “That
changes our attitudes, our environment.” In a
nutshell, this was Fr. Ben’s way of main wishes
and dreams come true.
 
Growing up in scenic HoIland, Fr. Ben brought his
passion for plants and trees to the Philippines
when he arrived here as a CICM missionary in
1995. The lush forests, gurgling streams, graceful
hills and verdant valleys of his youth helped Fr.
Ben to develop a deep affection for plants. He
loved them, cared for them and grew them in
every available space.
SMU (St. Mary’s University) Reforestation Project
and Ecological Station is one of the examples of Fr.
Erkens’ legacy towards the environment as the
students continued Fr. Erkens’ tree-planting
crusade so that the forest will come to life once more.
Fr. Ben’s “unusual scholarship and environment
project” really has gained admirers, like the
Inquirer’s columnist David, who has asked readers to
support him.
The apostolate that gave joy to Fr. Ben in his
ministry is expressed in his love for the
environment. CICM missionaries exemplified these
courageous act of concern towards the environment
regardless of any cultural conflict among areas in
the Philippines. Their love for the mission is what
God wants them to be. It is their passion towards
their mission that gave them strength to do it.
 Preserve the Forest
Trees help us not only in providing us furniture and
other things, but most importantly by purifying the
air and also hold the soil with their roots to stop soil
erosion. We are stewards of God’s creation. We
must be responsible in all the things we do
concerning our mother nature. We are called to help
protect and preserve our natural resources.
 
The Philippine Environment Code is composed of the
Air Quality Management whose purpose in section 2
of the Article is to achieve and maintain such level of
air quality as to protect public health, and to prevent
to the greatest extent practicable, injury and/or
damage to plant and animal life and property, and
promote the social economic development of the
country.
Another concern of the Philippine Environment Code is
the Water Quality Management of section 14 whose
purpose is to prescribe management guidelines aimed to
protect and improve the quality of Philippine water
resources through: Classification of Philippine waters,
establishment of water quality standards, protection and
improvement of the quality of Philippine water resources,
and responsibilities for surveillance and mitigation of
pollution incidents.
Section 42, Waste Management, has the purpose to set
guidelines for waste management with a view to ensuring its
effectiveness, to encourage, promote and stimulate
technological, educational, economic and social efforts to
prevent environmental damage and unnecessary loss of
valuable resources of the nation through recovery, recycling
and re-use of wastes and waste products, and to provide
measures to guide and encourage appropriate government
agencies in establishing sound, efficient, comprehensive and
effective waste management.
 MISSONARY RESPONSE
1.a. symposia on non-violent communication
2.b. human rights
3.c. death penalty forum, etc.
4.d. campus re-greening and beautification
5.e. tree-legacy program
 ADDITIONAL
NOTES ON PEACE
 ACCORDING TO
UNESCO:
A culture of peace is a set of beliefs, values, attitudes, traditions
and modes of behavior and ways of life based on:
• Respect for life
• Respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms
• Rejection of all forms of violence
• Adherence to the principles of justice, democracy,
tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, diversity,
dialogue and understanding at all levels of society
 Conclusion
The problems that relate to peace may seem
insurmountable, but they are not if we have
the will to change. But first we need to grow
in our understanding of the problems, their
causes and consequences, and grow in our
understanding of possible alternatives
“Once we understand, we can care,
and once we care, we can change.”
 Conclusion
But the change that we seek is not only outer or
societal change, we also seek the inner
transformation of our mind and spirit because
this inner transformation inspire the outer
work. The inner and outer transformations are
inseparable parts of one whole. As Gandhi once
said,
“Be the change that you wish to see
in the world.”