“Peace to this household”. A Peace Statement by the German Bishops

"Peace to this house" is an attempt to express the message of peace in the Gospel of Luke (10:5) in a principled, nuanced and realistic way in the face of the current global political situation. The present age is characterized as a "world in disorder" - with growing potential for conflict and threats of violence. The war against Ukraine and in the Holy Land are current examples of the distortions of the international order that was created to some extent after the Second World War and deepened as a result of the collapse of Soviet communism; for some years now, this order has been threatening to disintegrate more and more. In its analysis of the global situation and also in its recommendations for action, the document is based on three interwoven trends: the violent phenomena of the present; the erosion of international law and global organizations; and the growing importance (and explosiveness!) of cultural and religious identity and belonging for coexistence and conflicts between peoples and groups.

The document is structured in such a way that the basic theological and peace ethics chapter is followed by an analysis of current issues and a discussion of political options for action, before the final chapter formulates recommendations for the peace practice of Christians and the churches.