Cardinal de Mendonça on World Poetry Day: ‘Poetry is on the side of peace'

Poetry is one of the deepest forms of listening. It originates from silence and perhaps requires poets to become, more than authors, interpreters capable of attuning themselves to the visible and invisible realms of the universe.

From this mysterious dialogue with creation, the word takes shape through the voices of poets. Moreover the ability to make space within oneself turns poetry into education for peace.

"The beating of a butterfly’s wings," observes Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, "or the beating of syllables in a word, ignite dynamics of meaning, light, or darkness in the human heart. Poetry offers us unarmed and even disarming words because it works with surprise. Poetry is a precursor to the art of peace."