As crisis looms, cardinal puts the question: 'Has war any role in human affairs today?'

This is the text of Cardinal O'Connor's homily at the Mass for the World Day of Peace, Sunday, Feb. 15, in St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The words of today's Gospel could not have been spoken by one who was only human. They are too contradictory to human wisdom. They are the opposite of everything the world teaches about power and glory, about getting ahead, about ''making it,'' about wealth and success and prestige. Listen to them again, these words of what is traditionally called the Sermon on the Mount: the Beatitudes.

''Blest are you poor, the reign of God is yours.

''Blest are you who hunger; filled you shall be.

''Blest are you who are weeping; you shall laugh.

''Blest shall you be when men hate you, when they ostracize you and insult you and proscribe your name as evil because of the Son of Man. On the day they do, rejoice and exult, for your reward shall be great in heaven. Thus it was that their fathers treated the prophets.

''But woe to you rich, for your consolation is now.

''Woe to you who are full; you shall go hungry.

''Woe to you who laugh now; you shall weep in your grief.

''Woe to you when all speak well of you. Their fathers treated the false prophets in just this way.''

This is the same kind of other-worldly wisdom that permeates this year's World Day of Peace Message of Pope John Paul II: ''From the Justice of Each Comes Peace for All.'' Each time I reread it I hear more powerfully the words of the Sermon on the Mount: the Beatitudes. In the interest of time here and now, I will read only excerpts from the message, but substantive excerpts.

From the Justice of Each Comes Peace for All

''Justice goes hand in hand with peace and is permanently and actively linked to peace. Justice and peace seek the good of one and all, and for this reason they demand order and truth. When one is threatened, both faIter; when justice is offended, peace is also placed in jeopardy.

''Precisely because there exists a very close connection between the justice of the individual and the peace of everyone, in the present Message for the World Day of Peace I wish to address above all the Heads of States, keeping in mind that today's world, though marked in many regions by tension, violence and conflict, is nevertheless seeking a new composition and a more balanced stability, with a view to a true and lasting peace for the whole of humanity.

''Justice and peace are not abstract concepts or remote ideals. They are values which dwell, as a common patrimony, in the heart of every individual. Individuals, families, communities and nations, all are called to live in justice and to work for peace. No one can claim exemption from this responsibility.

''At this moment my thoughts turn to those who, without wanting it, are caught in the midst of bitter conflicts. I also think of the marginalized, the poor, the victims of all kinds of exploitation. These are people who are experiencing in their own flesh the absence of peace and the terrible effects of injustice. Who can remain indifferent to their craving for a life rooted in justice and in genuine peace? It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that they achieve their desire: there can be no complete justice unless everyone shares in it equally.

''Justice makes whole, it does not destroy; it leads to reconciliation, not to revenge. Upon examination, at its deepest level it is rooted in love, which finds its most significant expression in mercy. Therefore justice, if separated from merciful love, becomes cold and cutting.

''From the first moment of life, each human being exists in relationship to others, in such a way that the good of the individual and the good of society go hand in hand.

''The human person is by nature endowed with universal, inviolable and inalienable rights.

''Fifty years ago, after a war characterized by the denial for certain peoples of the right even to exist, the General Assembly of the United Nations promulgated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That was a solemn act, arrived at after the sad experience of war, and motivated by the desire formally to recognize that the same rights belong to every individual and to all peoples. 'Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.' The concluding words: 'Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.' That document must be observed integrally, in both its spirit and letter.

''On the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, being celebrated this year, it is fitting to recall that 'the promotion and protection of human rights is a matter of priority for the international community.' ''

Globalization With Solidarity

''The vast geopolitical changes which have taken place since 1989 have been accompanied by veritable revolutions in the social and economic fields. The globalization of the economy and of finance is now a reality, and we are realizing more and more clearly the effects of the rapid progress related to information technologies. We are on the threshold of a new era which is the bearer of great hopes and disturbing questions. What will be the effect of the changes taking place? Will everyone be able to take advantage of a global market? Will everyone at last have a chance to enjoy peace? Will relations between States become more equitable, or will economic competition and rivalries between peoples and nations lead humanity towards a situation of even greater instability?

''The challenge, in short, is to ensure a globalization in solidarity, a globalization without marginalization. This is a clear duty in justice, with serious moral implications in the organization of the economic, social, cultural and political life of nations.''

I digress from the Papal Message for a moment: From mid-November to mid-December of 1997, cardinals and bishops of all America met in a synod presided over by the pope. During that month we came more and more to recognize the solidarity of all peoples of America, North, Central and South, and indeed of all peoples everywhere throughout the world, all made in the image and likeness of God, all brothers and sisters to one another regardless of racial, ethnic, geographical or religious orientation. Above all, we recognized our total interdependence on one another. I return now to the papal text.

The Heavy Burden of External Debt

''Nations and whole regions of the world, on account of their fragile financial or economic potential, risk being excluded from an economy which is becoming globalized. Others have greater resources, but unfortunately cannot take advantage of them for various reasons: unrest, internal conflicts, a lack of adequate structures, environmental degradation, widespread corruption, criminality and other reasons as well. Globalization has to be linked with solidarity. Special aid must be forthcoming so that countries which are unable to enter the market successfully on their own strength alone can in fact overcome their present situation of disadvantage. This is something owed to them in justice. In a true 'family of nations' no one can be excluded; on the contrary, it is the weakest, the most fragile which must be supported, so that they too can develop their full potential.

''My thoughts go here to one of the greatest difficulties which the poorer nations have to face today. I refer to the heavy burden of external debt, which compromises the economies of whole peoples and hinders their social and political progress.

''The debt question is part of a vaster problem: that of the persistence of poverty, sometimes even extreme, and the emergence of new inequalities which are accompanying the globalization process. If the aim is globalization without marginalization, we can no longer tolerate a world in which there live side by side the immensely rich and the miserably poor, the have-nots deprived even of essentials and people who thoughtlessly waste what others so desperately need. Such contrasts are an affront to the dignity of the human person. Certainly there is no lack of appropriate means for eliminating poverty, including the promotion of consistent social and productive investments on the part of world economic bodies. This presupposes that the international community intends to act with the necessary political determination. Praiseworthy steps in that direction have already been taken, but a lasting solution requires a concerted effort by everyone, including the States concerned.

''I appeal above all to you, Heads of States and Leaders of Nations, the principal guardians of the rule of law in your respective countries. Certainly this is not an easy task for you to fulfill, but it constitutes a primary obligation. May the codes which govern the States you serve be a guarantee of justice for the people and an incentive for an ever growing sense of civic responsibility.

''The Jubilee of the Year 2000 is fast approaching, a time which for believers is devoted in a special way to God, the Lord of history, a reminder to all of the radical dependence of the creature on the Creator. But in the Biblical tradition it was also a time for freeing slaves, for returning land to its rightful owner, for forgiving debts, thus restoring the conditions of equality willed by God among all the members of the people. It is therefore a special time for seeking that justice which leads to peace.

''The distinctive mark of the Christian, today more than ever, must be love for the poor, the weak, the suffering. Living out this demanding commitment requires a total reversal of the alleged values which make people seek only their own good: power, pleasure, the unscrupulous accumulation of wealth. Yes, it is precisely to this radical conversion that Christ's disciples are called.

''I wish to repeat to the Christians of all continents the admonishment of the Second Vatican Council: 'The demands of justice should first be satisfied, lest the giving of what is due in justice be represented as the offering of a charitable gift.' A society of genuine solidarity can be built only if the well-off, in helping the poor, do not stop at giving from what they do not need. Moreover, offering material things is not enough: what is needed is a spirit of sharing, so that we consider it an honor to be able to devote our care and attention to the needs of our brothers and sisters in difficulty. Christians, the followers of other religions and numberless men and women of good will today feel called to a simple life-style as a condition for making the just sharing of the fruits of God's creation a reality. Those living in poverty can wait no longer: they need help now and so have a right to receive immediately what they need.''

And now, briefly, and very much within the context of this World Day of Peace Message, I read another very brief message from our Holy Father delivered when he prayed the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter's Square on Feb. 8, 1998.

''With great apprehension,'' he said, ''I am following the developments of the Iraqi situation and continue to hope that those responsible for the lives of nations will take recourse in diplomatic instruments and dialogue, to avert every form of the use of arms.

''I am convinced that the parties involved still have the possibility of coming to an agreement and of reaffirming the principles which peacefully regulate international coexistence. The very situation which exists in Iraq and in the entire Middle East region teaches us that armed conflicts never solve anything, but create greater misunderstandings among peoples.

''The Holy See,'' the pope concluded, ''can only encourage everyone who is committed to continuing negotiations, aimed at avoiding acts of war and at favoring a path of peace. For this we are praying intensely.''

The seven cardinals of the Church in the United States this week expressed our Holy Father's same message in their own words and with their own sense of urgency in a letter to the President of the United States that they have made public. Last Sunday, from this pulpit, I delivered my own appeal and read messages sent by our Holy Father in January 1991.

Now permit me to quote the director-general of UNESCO, Mr. Federico Mayor: The ''parties concerned in the latest Iraqi crisis must overcome obstacles and continue along the path of diplomacy and dialogue,'' UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor declared today in an appeal calling for the resumption of dialogue and expressing his total support for the recent call from Pope John Paul II ''to avert every form of the use of arms.''

''In Iraq, and throughout the region, armed conflict will not solve problems,'' Mr. Mayor said, ''We must, under the aegis of the United Nations, take stock of the situation and then act resolutely, but without resorting to the use of force. In a recent appeal in support of the Middle East peace process, I urged all parties to honor their promises, to respect signed agreements, and to avoid an outbreak of violence. I call once again today upon all concerned parties to make the only possible choice: to resume the dialogue, to search tirelessly for a diplomatic solution. If justice can take root on an international scale, it would be a great achievement at the end of a century which so often has proven the failure of war and violence.''

I will conclude with my own brief comment, made with deep respect for the complexities of a situation which admits of no easy answers and with an equally deep conviction that the leaders of my own country, a country I love profoundly, want to do the morally right thing. The question I see confronting them and all of us is precisely: ''What is the right thing to do?''

Wherever I go I am asked by sincere, concerned people: ''What can we do if we don't go to war?'' I reply: Must we not first try to agree on what we should not do before we try to determine what we should do?

Is not the question much deeper than what Iraq should do, what the United States should do; what should either or any other nation do in response to what one or the other does?

Isn't it time we asked seriously, each of us here, each citizen of each nation, each chief of state, the United Nations: Has war itself any role in human affairs today? Must the international community, the human race, not design a response to evil or perceived evil that goes beyond killing or threatening to kill? Does any country have the right to spend its wealth on weapons systems ever more destructive, when its own people may be starving, or plagued with disease or deprived of education and other basics?

How do we deter or radically reduce threats to peace and to justice and to human rights and to human lives in today's world, except by taking seriously some such forum as the United Nations, or a binding international treaty or the equivalent? Can nations put men and women in space and bring them safely back, yet be unable to design instrumentalities of peace with justice for all? Are we unable or unwilling?

Pope Paul VI called the United Nations the last great hope for peace. Mr. Secretary-General, may I express my own deep faith in the United Nations and in a special way in you as its chief representative?

What I say now is said, not to embarrass you, of course, but to demonstrate just how deep that faith is. It is my profound conviction that if, after prayerful consideration and an analysis of the situation which you are much more capable of making than am I, the whole world would be deeply grateful if you were to decide to go personally and almost immediately to Iraq, before the outbreak of hostilities. I personally believe quite firmly that your presence in Iraq could be immensely more effective in helping to achieve peace with justice for all than any weapons systems ever created, and would at least help greatly to deter hostilities. Perhaps I risk discourtesy by expressing what I suspect is the unspoken wish of countless numbers who long for peace, for ''no more war, war never again.'' If so, forgive me. Better to risk discourtesy than to risk war. My prayers are with you. Blessed are the peacemakers.