HUMAN FAMILY, A COMMUNITY OF PEACE MESSAGE WORLD DAY OF PEACE 2008
1. At the beginning of a new year I wish to send my fervent good wishes for peace, together with a heartfelt message of hope to men and women around the world. I do propose to our common reflection the theme which I opened this message, and that is particularly close to my heart: The Human Family: Community of Peace. In fact, the first form of communion between persons is that born of the love between a man and a woman determined to permanently join together to build a new family. But the peoples of the earth are called to build relationships between their solidarity and cooperation, as befits members of one human family: "All peoples - has ruled the Second Vatican Council - are one community and have one origin, because God has the entire human race to dwell on all the face of the earth (cf. Acts 17:26), and also have one final end, God, "read the entire message
