Abstract
Peace is a theme that is recurrent in all of the major Eastern and Abrahamic religions. As far as Catholicism is concerned, recent popes, some Episcopal conferences, and Vatican II Council have all given much attention to this issue. In this paper, the focus is on the teachings of the current pope, John Paul II, because the pope is a central figure in Catholicism and because John Paul II has made a particularly important contribution in this area. The paper summarizes John Paul II's ideas concerning war and peace, the just war and nuclear deterrence, and indicates some of the changes that have occurred over the years in his teachings. The paper concludes that, in spite of the fact that popes are often criticized because of their conservatism or their lack of courage and realism, their teachings on peace seem to have become increasingly significant and attuned to the needs of contemporary society.