Forgiveness: Can it be Achieved in the International Relations?

Abstract

The answer to the above question presented in the lecture is as follows: yes, forgiveness can be achieved in the international relations, even if it is rare case, difficult to realize and never perfect. In the first part of his report, author discusses some important steps of forgiveness as a response to the harmful violation. The first step is a withdrawal from the revenge, the next one – resignation from the trial by jury. Yet the deepest meaning of forgiveness is perfectly revealed in the Gospel. Author stresses out that the forgiveness is first of all God’s action, performed by Jesus Christ in the mystery of Redemption. From the Christian point of view every human forgiveness is rooted in the God’s mercy and in His command to be merciful addressed to all His followers. The Parable of Prodigal Son (Lc 15, 11–32) shows that the very essence of forgiveness is the will to reconciliation with the performer of violation, whose absence is recognized as greater evil than the harm  he has done.

The second part of the report includes reflection on some recent examples of the efforts aiming to achieve the attitude of forgiveness, undertaken by the Polish Catholic Church. One of them seems to be very successful (the Polish-German reconciliation), the other ones (concerning the Polish-Russian and the Polish-Ukrainian relations) not so much. Author reflects on the reasons of this difference pointing out the importance of the good preparation of a process of reconciliation between the different nations and states. In the conclusion, author explains why this process must have a permanent character and what should be done to support it.