In the introduction to a new, seasonal compilation of his speeches on hope, Pope Francis reflects on the legacy of the great German theologian Johann Baptist Metz.
Shaped by the early experience of living through the horrors of the Nazi era, Metz’s political theology was a passionate warning against the danger of a self-absorbed Christian piety. Instead he urged a hopeful “mysticism with open eyes” — one that clear-sightedly bears witness to, and seeks to alleviate, the suffering of others.
At a time of the year associated with renewal and new birth, it is not necessary to share Metz’s religious convictions to feel the power of that message.
This year has been filled with heart-rending images from the ongoing wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere.
The weekend brought reports of yet more innocent casualties of Israel’s relentless bombing campaign, including children sheltering in a school. Meanwhile, more than 12,000 civilians have been killed since the start of Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, along with more than 43,000 soldiers, according to Kyiv’s estimates.
Faced with human catastrophe on such a scale, there is a temptation to turn away in despair or resignation.
Further horror came on Friday, in the form of the shocking terror attack at Magdeburg’s Christmas market, in which five people including a nine-year-old boy were killed.
More needs to be understood about the motives of the attacker, a Saudi-born refugee who was reportedly an anti-Muslim supporter of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party. But the atrocity is already being exploited to fuel generalized anti-immigrant sentiment, ahead of Germany’s snap election in February.
These feel like dark times. Yet in the midst of such tragedy and sorrow, there continue to be inspiring examples of committed hope. In Gaza, NGO workers for War Child — one of the conflict-linked charities supported by this year’s Guardian and Observer Christmas appeal — have endured lethal risks to give lifesaving support to more than 100,000 children trapped in a hellish landscape.
In the war-ravaged east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics to help thousands of victims of sexual violence, our reporter was told of the incredible compassion of survivors who make it their task to comfort and console new arrivals.
Elsewhere, there have been extraordinary acts of individual heroism aimed at furthering the common good.
In France, Gisèle Pelicot’s decision to insist that the trial of her multiple rapists be held in public was a momentous act of solidarity with other victims. Her courage has raised hopes of lasting and belated cultural change.
The death of the activist Alexei Navalny, who died while being held in a jail 40 miles north of the Arctic Circle, was a desperately bleak moment in Putin’s Russia. But his assertion on Facebook that “if your convictions mean something, you must be prepared to stand up for them” will inspire future democratic activists.
The pope’s reflections have been published in conjunction with the Catholic church’s latest jubilee year, which begins on Christmas Eve and is dedicated to the theme of hope. They may not find their way on to too many secular bookshelves over the coming holidays.
But ahead of a year in which peacemaking must become the world’s absolute priority, a Metzian faith in our ability to navigate through the worst, towards the light, feels like a decent starting point.
