by Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J.
Today we have heard of the scathing attacks on our Holy Father by someone who is supposed to be the leader of the strongest nation on earth. The public response so far has been disbelief, feelings of insult, and deep hurt.
As our Holy Father has rightly stated, his role is not that of a politician but of a peacemaker, proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. That is, God does not want war but peace for all. The truth is that wars as moral issues cannot be just as they imprison people, innocent ones in particular, locked in a state of loss, fear, helplessness, bitterness and hate, with violence and killings happening throughout.
“While war only devastates communities and the environment, without offering solutions to conflicts, diplomacy and international organisations are in need of new vitality and credibility.” Extracted from Pope Francis’ letter to Luciano Fontana, editor in chief of the Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera” dated 14 March 2025, less than two months before his passing.
In contemporary history, popes such as Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and now Leo XIV have all spoken out for peace and against war. Our world desperately needs peace — everyone deserves peace. In peace, we can breathe freely with hope and joy. In the Season of Easter, we have our gaze fixed on the risen Lord. Our hope for eternal peace and joy should be ever so real.
Another dimension of Pope Francis’ message is that diplomacy and the accompanying dialogue have lost a lot of their credibility recently. Sadly so, sincere diplomacy and genuine dialogue were missing in the processes leading up to wars.
Like any relationship, when respect and trust are absent, it becomes superficial and fragile. We cannot tell others that they are part of us when we simply look down on them or treat them as disposable. We need to treat them with fairness and respect, and genuinely be interested in their welfare and in helping them out of their low points. Easter is not just about coming back to life but about rising into a new and transformed life for eternity.
But there are individuals in our society who might be walking freely, but are in fact ‘captured’ by public stereotypes, unable to enjoy a respectable life. Here, I would like to briefly mention two groups for our genuine reflection.
The first group comprises of sexual minorities, especially our fellow Catholics. Many of them choose to remain in our Church, but they are neither acknowledged nor treated with respect. Nowadays, some use ideological terms to condemn them, such as gender identity which is arguable in the first place. Because some from this group prefer to adopt a more assertive stance to gain recognition, the entire group becomes a target of segregation and marginalisation by their pastors and congregations. In fact, most of our sisters and brothers in this group just want to be respected and publicly acknowledged for who they are and as equal members of the Church. They are not trying to have the Church change her teaching on the issue.
The second group comprises of ex-prison inmates. Research has repeatedly indicated that former inmates with little support from families, friends, and their social communities have a higher likelihood of re-offending. Imagine you are an ex-inmate with a not-so-serious criminal record. You are trying to engage yourself in a study program or a career of your desire. However, because of your criminal record, you have no choice but to abandon your quest after unsuccessful appeals. These repeated setbacks leave you ever more lonely and increasingly vulnerable to the recruitment of your ‘former’ undesirable friends.
We are all God’s children, loved and called into a deeper relationship with God through conversion. This all-loving and inclusive God is much different from our narrow-mindedness, demanding near-perfection from others. Yet everyone — whether a sexual minority, or a former inmate, or not — has their own journey of conversion to travel and in their own paces. So, in the spirit of Easter, are we prepared to let go of our personal and communal stereotypes, so that the victims of our prejudices can be set free and eventually rise with Christ?
+ Stephen Cardinal Chow, S.J
