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How Do We End the Cycle of Violence?<\/span><\/h1>\n <\/p>\n
by CAPP-USA<\/span><\/h5>\n <\/p>\n
Not a day has passed recently without a headline of heartbreak: a shooting at a school or house of worship, assassination attempts on public figures, and blatant murder in homes or public places.<\/span><\/p>\nThese tragedies are not isolated. They are the latest reminders of a cycle of violence gripping our nation\u2014a cycle we have become accustomed to watching unfold in real time, though hopefully never reconciled to.<\/span><\/p>\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/A-riot-and-clash-between-police-and-protesters.jpg\")
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The cycle of violence worsens because we are alienated from God and each other.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It feels as if we have reached what Pope Benedict XVI warned of: \u201ca degree of violence that knows no bounds.\u201d (Address at the Meeting for Peace in Assisi)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe cannot turn away. We must ask with urgency:<\/span><\/p>\nWhat will finally end the cycle of violence?<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
Why Violence Always Fails<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Church has spoken with one voice: violence never brings peace.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[P]eace cannot be established by violence\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cChristianity is decisively opposed...to promoting or provoking violence\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[V]iolence is evil...unacceptable as a solution to problems\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cViolence destroys what it claims to defend: the dignity, the life, the freedom of human beings.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cViolence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe must not...seek greater justice through violent means.\u201d (Pope Leo XIV)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cViolence is not overcome by violence.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIn short, \u201cNo to violence!<\/strong>\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nViolence is not just ineffective. It is a lie\u2014promising protection while leaving only destruction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhen We Forget God, Violence Follows<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why does violence erupt again and again in our society?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe Church points to a deeper cause: the \u201cdenial of God\u201d<\/strong>. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe \u201cdenial of God has led to much cruelty and to a degree of violence that knows no bounds...when man no longer recognizes any criterion or any judge above himself, now having only himself to take as a criterion\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cModern societies are characterized by increasing fragmentation and alienation.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cHatred, indifference and selfishness can reign in our hearts.\u201d (Pope Francis, 59)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nViolence can erupt \u201cfrom within, for the sake of pursuing private interests and advantage\u201d. (Pope Francis)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIt is \u201cthe explosion of a blind energy that degrades the person\u201d. (Pope St. Paul VI)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe need to eliminate the roots of violence: greed, envy and, above all, resentment.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nViolence is not just a social problem. It is a spiritual problem<\/strong>\u2014born of alienation from God, from one another, and even from ourselves. <\/span><\/p>\nHow Hatred Feeds the Cycle of Violence<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Once unleashed, violence reproduces itself.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAll who draw the sword will die by the sword.\u201d (Mt. 26:42)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cHate begets hate; violence begets violence\u201d. (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cViolence leads to revolution, and revolution to the loss of freedom...violence concludes its cycle against itself and against the motives that provoked its intervention.\u201d (Pope St. Paul VI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cViolence is added to violence...each one inheriting the hatred which divided those that went before.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 4)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nIn our time, violence has become a \u201cstructure of sin\u201d<\/strong>\u2014fueled by alienation from God, breakdown of the family, the removal of religion from public life, deteriorating mental health, neglect of the poor, and even the justification of other forms of violence such as abortion and racism.<\/span><\/p>\nThe cycle of violence is \u201cthe fruit of many sins\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 37)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Only Path Out: A Return to Christ<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
No political program or social reform will end the cycle of violence. Only faith and trust in Christ can<\/strong>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[B]y entrusting ourselves together to the heart of Christ, \u2018over the ruins accumulated by hatred and violence...the Kingdom of the heart of Christ can be built.\u2019\u201d (Pope Francis, 182, citing St. John Paul II)<\/a>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\nThe \u201c\u2018structures of sin\u2019\u2026can be overcome only through the exercise of the human and Christian solidarity to which the Church calls us and which she tirelessly promotes.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 40)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cEach of us can and must become a peacemaker [and] be able to renounce their own interests in order to achieve the greater good: peace.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe shattered order cannot be fully restored except by a response that combines justice with forgiveness.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 2)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cPeace is a gift of God.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nPeace Is God\u2019s Gift\u2014If We Will Receive It<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
If we do not believe in God, how can we receive His gift of peace?<\/span><\/p>\nOnly Christ breaks the cycle of violence. Only in Him do we find peace: <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt is precisely \u2018the blood of Christ...that creates peace, not the blood which I spill<\/strong>\u2019\u201d. (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nA Prayer for Peace and Conversion<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cFather, have mercy on us! Console the victims and those who suffer. May he convert the hearts of those who carry out brutal atrocities, which bring shame upon all humanity!\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIssues related to the Common Good:<\/span><\/p>\nThe Common Good is a Result, not a Principle<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching and Sacrifice<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSchool Choice and Catholic Social Teaching<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nGun Control and Self-Defense<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhat is Integral Development?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tViolence Begets Violence<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMore about the Common Good<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBack to Articles<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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Not a day has passed recently without a headline of heartbreak: a shooting at a school or house of worship, assassination attempts on public figures, and blatant murder in homes or public places.<\/span><\/p>\n These tragedies are not isolated. They are the latest reminders of a cycle of violence gripping our nation\u2014a cycle we have become accustomed to watching unfold in real time, though hopefully never reconciled to.<\/span><\/p>\n The cycle of violence worsens because we are alienated from God and each other.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It feels as if we have reached what Pope Benedict XVI warned of: \u201ca degree of violence that knows no bounds.\u201d (Address at the Meeting for Peace in Assisi)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n We cannot turn away. We must ask with urgency:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c[P]eace cannot be established by violence\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cChristianity is decisively opposed...to promoting or provoking violence\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[V]iolence is evil...unacceptable as a solution to problems\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cViolence destroys what it claims to defend: the dignity, the life, the freedom of human beings.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cViolence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe must not...seek greater justice through violent means.\u201d (Pope Leo XIV)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cViolence is not overcome by violence.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In short, \u201cNo to violence!<\/strong>\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Violence is not just ineffective. It is a lie\u2014promising protection while leaving only destruction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Church points to a deeper cause: the \u201cdenial of God\u201d<\/strong>. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cdenial of God has led to much cruelty and to a degree of violence that knows no bounds...when man no longer recognizes any criterion or any judge above himself, now having only himself to take as a criterion\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cModern societies are characterized by increasing fragmentation and alienation.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHatred, indifference and selfishness can reign in our hearts.\u201d (Pope Francis, 59)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Violence can erupt \u201cfrom within, for the sake of pursuing private interests and advantage\u201d. (Pope Francis)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It is \u201cthe explosion of a blind energy that degrades the person\u201d. (Pope St. Paul VI)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe need to eliminate the roots of violence: greed, envy and, above all, resentment.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Violence is not just a social problem. It is a spiritual problem<\/strong>\u2014born of alienation from God, from one another, and even from ourselves. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAll who draw the sword will die by the sword.\u201d (Mt. 26:42)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHate begets hate; violence begets violence\u201d. (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cViolence leads to revolution, and revolution to the loss of freedom...violence concludes its cycle against itself and against the motives that provoked its intervention.\u201d (Pope St. Paul VI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cViolence is added to violence...each one inheriting the hatred which divided those that went before.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 4)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n In our time, violence has become a \u201cstructure of sin\u201d<\/strong>\u2014fueled by alienation from God, breakdown of the family, the removal of religion from public life, deteriorating mental health, neglect of the poor, and even the justification of other forms of violence such as abortion and racism.<\/span><\/p>\n The cycle of violence is \u201cthe fruit of many sins\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 37)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[B]y entrusting ourselves together to the heart of Christ, \u2018over the ruins accumulated by hatred and violence...the Kingdom of the heart of Christ can be built.\u2019\u201d (Pope Francis, 182, citing St. John Paul II)<\/a>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n The \u201c\u2018structures of sin\u2019\u2026can be overcome only through the exercise of the human and Christian solidarity to which the Church calls us and which she tirelessly promotes.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 40)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEach of us can and must become a peacemaker [and] be able to renounce their own interests in order to achieve the greater good: peace.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe shattered order cannot be fully restored except by a response that combines justice with forgiveness.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 2)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPeace is a gift of God.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Only Christ breaks the cycle of violence. Only in Him do we find peace: <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is precisely \u2018the blood of Christ...that creates peace, not the blood which I spill<\/strong>\u2019\u201d. (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Issues related to the Common Good:<\/span><\/p>\n The Common Good is a Result, not a Principle<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Catholic Social Teaching and Sacrifice<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n School Choice and Catholic Social Teaching<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Gun Control and Self-Defense<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What is Integral Development?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/p>\nWhat will finally end the cycle of violence?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Why Violence Always Fails<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Church has spoken with one voice: violence never brings peace.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhen We Forget God, Violence Follows<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why does violence erupt again and again in our society?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHow Hatred Feeds the Cycle of Violence<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Once unleashed, violence reproduces itself.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe Only Path Out: A Return to Christ<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
No political program or social reform will end the cycle of violence. Only faith and trust in Christ can<\/strong>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nPeace Is God\u2019s Gift\u2014If We Will Receive It<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
If we do not believe in God, how can we receive His gift of peace?<\/span><\/p>\nA Prayer for Peace and Conversion<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cFather, have mercy on us! Console the victims and those who suffer. May he convert the hearts of those who carry out brutal atrocities, which bring shame upon all humanity!\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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