The January 1st mass marking World Day of Peace will be celebrated at Cathédrale Saint-Louis at 09:00. The Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission, responsible for organizing the mass, has chosen “Building peace on our roads” as its theme. The celebration will be broadcast live on Radio Maurice.
Father Jean Maurice Labour, head of the Justice and Peace Commission, explains the choice of theme: “We are all obliged to be on the roads. On foot, on two wheels, in cars, buses and trucks. The road is therefore a place for living together, a place for human relations. In Mauritius, we have 650,000 vehicles for 2600 kms of roads and tracks, which works out at 250 vehicles per km. Not all vehicles are on the road at the same time, but if only 1/3 of vehicles were on the road at the same time, that would be 80 vehicles per kilometer. This is already very dense. With this density of road traffic, with increasingly powerful vehicles, with tight schedules to keep to, the road has become a place of stress that’s hard to manage, a place of competition and violence. So we need to work towards peace on our roads.
The mass will be presided over by Mgr Jean Michaël Durhône, who will deliver the homily. As a reminder, Mgr Durhône had also addressed road accidents in his Christmas message, urging Mauritians to “pran konsians ki nu responsab nu lavi ek lavi sak dimoun kan nu lor larout”.
Children are expected to take part in this celebration: they will open the entrance procession, carrying placards bearing the key words for harmonious living together on the roads, “Respect …..Vigilance ..Patience .. Smile .. Courtesy”.
Mr. Alain Jeannot, Chairman of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and member of the Justice and Peace Commission, will give a presentation, complete with figures, on the situation on the roads.
At the end of the celebration, slam artist Jerry Joson will declaim a slam entitled “Konsiantize”. His clip can be viewed on Youtube: Jerry Joson – Konsiantize (CLIP OFFICIEL) – YouTube
The World Day of Peace is a global day established at the initiative of the Roman Catholic Church in 1968 to promote peace in the world. It takes place every year on January 1. On this day, the Pope frequently addresses environmental and social issues.
The Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace, responsible for organizing the World Day of Peace mass, is an official body of the Catholic Church, present in all countries where the Catholic Church is present, including Mauritius. Its mission is to contribute to national reflection on issues of social interest, economic development and justice, and to share the Social Doctrine of the Church. The Commission is made up of committed lay people appointed by the Church, with Father Jean-Maurice Labour as Chaplain and Mr Jean-Paul de Chazal as Chairman.
