The Role of Time in Conflict Resolution in the Thought of Pope Francis

This article engages with the way in which Pope Francis worked with his principle that time is superior to space, and how this influences his approach to conflict resolution. It begins by offering a short introduction to the principle itself, also in relation to another of the pope’s four principles, that unity prevails over conflict. It then addresses Pope Francis’s opposition to war, showing how he saw it as always a failure, given his vision of what it is to be human before God. The final part of the article critically investigates the pope’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, pointing both to the problems that have arisen from it, especially in Ukraine, and yet seeking to show the consistency in the pope’s approach.