In the Gospels, we see Jesus listening and talking with many different people. Jesus is not afraid to enter situations of conflict. Conflicts are the result of how people relate to each other, how we talk and how we treat each other. It is something to which we have all collaborated, with greater or lesser awareness, and it is born and fed in the gestures and words that we express to each other. This means that conflicts are not simply one person’s “fault,” but rather a “group effort” in which everyone, by their actions or omissions, contribute to a greater or lesser extent.

As a result, conflict management must be accomplished through word and reciprocal gestures. Often we will retrace conflicts along the same paths, and with the same actors. Only those who feel responsible for the conflict will try to resolve it. That is why it is necessary to listen to ourselves regarding our responsibilities, as well as our wishes, needs and expectations. Pope Francis tells us, “To come closer, to express oneself, to listen to each other, to look at each other, to know each other, to try to understand each other, to look for points of contact– all of this is summed up in the phrase ‘to dialogue.’ To encounter and help each other we need to dialogue.” Dialogue can help resolve all types of conflicts, especially group conflicts where many are responsible for the conflict and work together to resolve it.

Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network
Argentina – Uruguay