Fr. 972

Although “war” and “peace” are often presented as contradictory terms, closer examination reveals them to be contrary rather than contradictory. Although a given situation may not be simultaneously an instance of war and peace, the fact that it is not war does not entail that it is peace or vice versa. That is to say, that peace is not simply the negation or the absence of war. In the absence of war, there may still be conflict and violence. Similarly, in the absence of soldiers, there may still be perpetrators and victims. Perhaps one might even speak of structural violence, independent of individual actors.