At a Vatican ceremony to celebrate 40 years of a peaceful treaty between Chile and Argentina, Pope Francis expressed his hope that it could serve as a model for peace between Russia and Ukraine, as well as between Israel and Palestine.
The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Argentina and Chile, signed on November 29, 1984, ended a period of friction between the two nations over a demarcation of the borders at the Beagle Channel.
Pope Francis hailed the agreement for allowing for a “dignified, reasonable and equitable solution” that brought a “long territorial dispute between the two countries” to an end.
Taking the opportunity to renew an appeal for peace and dialogue, the Pope recalled “the many ongoing armed conflicts, which still cannot be extinguished”:
“I cite two failures of humanity today: Ukraine and Palestine, where there is suffering, where the arrogance of the invader prevails over dialogue,” Pope Francis said. “I hope that the spirit of encounter and concord between nations, in Latin America and throughout the world, eager for peace, will foster the multiplication of coordinated initiatives and policies, in order to resolve the numerous social and environmental crises that affect the populations of all continents, to the detriment especially of the poorest.”
John Paul II and 2 great mediators
Pope Francis went on to recall how the treaty was the fruit of peace talks led by Pope St. John Paul II, in the early months of his pontificate.
He also praised the works of the “two great” mediators, Cardinals Agostino Casaroli (1914-1998) and Antonio Samorè (1905-1983), whose diplomatic efforts were instrumental in reaching a difficult diplomatic solution.
While the Pope hopes that the treaty between Chile and Argentina will serve as a model for peace in several conflicts across the world, the treaty has become strained in recent months.
A report from I.Media noted that during the recent G20 summit in Brazil, the exchanges between the Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, and his Argentine counterpart Javier Milei, were very cold.
Despite recent friction, the Pope continues to hope that the treaty will hold fast, and be a valuable model for peace in the world.
