Sun with CLouds

Ambassadors of Hope

Four Keys from the Perspective of Viktor E. Frankl’s Logotherapy and Existential Analysis

Prof. Maria Marshall, PhD, RP & Prof. Edward Marshall, PhD, RP

Introduction:

Dr. Frankl once remarked that “…If we wanted to build a bridge from person to person—and this also applies to a bridge of reconciliation and understanding, the bridgeheads must not be the heads, but the hearts” (Frankl, 1992:162). We wholeheartedly agree with this statement because we believe that when we are gathered to talk about the possibility of peace, we are less concerned with the facts and the numbers, the calculated chances for the possibility of war and peace, but the human experience of what it means to live during war and peace. And if we are serious about engaging with people who have experienced both peace and war, they will tell us that the difference is striking. In fact, the experience of the encounter may make us conclude that “…any peace is better than war” or, at least with the words of Marcus Tullius Cicero, “…any unjust peace is better than a just war.

Recently, in the US and some countries of Europe, we celebrated Memorial Day, and we remembered and honored those individuals who gave their lives in the service of their country during times of war. Indeed, without a strong liberating army, the fate of the Jewish people in Europe during the Second World War would have been sealed. Throughout his life, Dr. Frankl remembered and celebrated the anniversary of “27 April 1945” the day of his liberation from the concentration camps as his second birthday. (Frankl, 2014:174; Klingberg, 2001). So, it is important that we remember the cost of our peace and that we call in mind the reality of our world devoid of peace.

In a world where there is a general sense of fear about the possibility of war, and in a world ravaged by numerous conflicts, we need to look for sources of hope. A hope that humanity can find a common goal and unite to strive toward common values, and hope that this can happen with complete surrender of the heart and disarmament before our planet is engulfed in conflicts that destroy the Earth and all who dwell on it.

In his annual address for the World Day of Peace on January 1, 2025, Pope Francis recalled that we are all “pilgrims of hope.” (Pope Francis, 2024). Our lives, our history, and dreams are intertwined and interrelated as we journey together to understand more deeply the reason for our existence and seek meaning, and a renewed sense of hope (Pope Francis, 2025). During his speech to ambassadors who gathered in the Vatican, he offered the exhortation to be the advocates of hope through dialogue, even when that is challenging, and to practice a diplomacy built on four pillars: truth, forgiveness, freedom and justice (Pontac, 2025). I find it fitting for those of us interested in the diplomacy of peacemaking to reflect on these four keys and to examine in what ways we could understand them and implement them from the point of view of Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy. Thus, let us listen to the words and attempt to discern in what ways logotherapeutic principles can be lived as we apply these pillars of hope to our diplomacy of hope.

Four Keys of the Diplomacy of Hope

I. Truth

“What is the truth?” This is a big challenge in our society today. News outlets give us various perspectives on what’s happening in the world around us. Technological advancements have brought forth the phenomenon of the so-called fake news, and deep fake, which give a distorted image of reality and have the potential to further polarize communities and societies. Critical thinking and reflection are important skills in navigating the landscape of today’s information overload. Returning to a common language anchored in the reality of things would help to discern the truth, the truth that we all long and thirst for, stated the Pope.

During a lecture tour which included Harvard University, Dr. Frankl pointed to the motto of this institution: “Veritas” –Truth (Klingberg, 2021). He then illustrated that the fact that many of us can see the same picture from different vantage points does not take away from the reality of the picture we are observing. Similarly, our different vantage points, when put together can give us a richer understanding of the truth. What was the truth that he observed about war? War has opened the hearts of people and exposed the depths of their souls, their innermost thoughts. “Life in the concentration camp tore open the human soul and exposed its depths” (Frankl, 204: 81) …” People unmasked themselves, both the swine and the saints” (Frankl, 2014:145). He remarked that “…There are only two types of politicians: The first are those who believe that the end justifies the means, and that could be any means…While the other type of politician knows very well that that there are means that could desecrate the holiest end” (Frankl, 2014:180).

Logotherapy does not turn away from the reality of suffering. In the “tragic triad of human existence,” Frankl named pain, guilt and death as aspects of our lives that confront us in a very concrete way, in a singular way, in that when suffering is unavoidable, no one can take our place, none can suffer in our place (Frankl, 2014:73). Our opportunity lies in the way we carry our burden and the way in which we face our suffering. Indeed, the numbers of dead, the millions of the displaced are not just nameless and faceless things. They are people, like you and I: mothers, fathers, siblings, and aunts and uncles. They have names and faces and they have a history that we may not know about. Nevertheless, our knowing or not knowing cannot alter the reality of their existence, or as Frankl said: “…Having been…is perhaps the safest form of being,” their tears and joys are “…safely stored in the granary of the past.” (Frankl, 2014: 142). Similarly, “…What we ‘radiate’ into the world, the ‘waves’ that emanate from our being, that is what will remain of us when our being itself has long passed away” (Frankl, 2019:45).

In the human family, we cannot remain indifferent toward the fate of our neighbors and our brothers and sisters because that would mean denying and ignoring or forgetting about a part of ourselves. As Dr. Frankl taught us acknowledging the truth and facing the reality of suffering allows us to realize “hidden opportunities for achievement,” which otherwise would be easily overlooked (Frankl, 2014:73).  The person who is afflicted is addressed by life: “How will you carry this cross?” The person who suffers is confronted with a decision is confronted with: “What will you make of your pain?” In the answer lies a person’s own heaven or hell. We may choose to become bitter and to hit back. Alternatively, we may choose to renounce the impulse of revenge and build something new and constructive (Lukas & Schőnfeld, 2024). According to Frankl, the meaningful thing to do is to avoid or alleviate suffering that is avoidable, otherwise it leads to masochism. In the case of unavoidable fate, we still retain our freedom to choose our attitude. “Suffering makes us clairvoyant and the world transparent,” wrote Frankl. (cited in Lukas, 2025). Often it is in dire moments that people become aware of what really matters and what matters the most: the love we received as we were given the gift of life, the people we loved, and love that remains.  The truth is written in the laws of the universe “The salvation of man is in love and through love” (Frankl, 2014:35).

For the truth to be heard, we need a dialogue. The prerequisite of a meaningful dialogue is active listening and being with others. (Marshall & Marshall, 2023). Often in logotherapy, we speak of “burdened communication” when two people assume that they know what is on the mind of the other and they try to assert their view over the other. (Lukas, 2019). This ultimately leads to confusion and misunderstandings.  In the spur of the moment, we tend to overreact and react without much forethought. The first rule if we want the truth to guide us is to slow down, be ready to listen, even if we do not agree with what we are hearing, and it is unpleasant or disagreeable, and summarize what we heard.

Being allowed to express oneself and being listened to is a gift in our fast-paced society. It is the cornerstone of having a dialogue that upholds and honors the truth. As Pope Leo XIV remarked:

…Building peace starts by standing alongside victims and seeing things from their point of view. This approach is essential for disarming hearts, approaches and mentalities, and for denouncing the injustices of a system that kills and is based on the throwaway culture… In an age like our own, marked by speed and immediacy, we need to recover the patience required for this process to occur. History and practical experience have taught us that authentic peace takes shape from the ground up, beginning with places, communities and local institutions, and by listening to what they must tell us. In this way, we come to realize that peace is possible when disagreements and the conflicts they entail are not set aside, but acknowledged, understood and surmounted.” (Pope Leo XIV, 2025)

Therefore, listening to the truth is the first key in the diplomacy of hope.

II. Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the second pillar in the diplomacy of hope. As finite, vulnerable and fallible beings, it is a human prerogative to become guilty and to experience a dissonance between our values, universal human values, and our actions, or the actions of others. (Frankl, 2104). In most cases, guilt can be a sign of a healthy and functioning conscience which indicates that values and guiding principles have been trespassed. Actions of omission or commission in logotherapeutic terms mean that we have failed to seize the meaning of the moment or failed to act in accordance with our conscience.

As it is a human prerogative to feel guilt, it is also a human privilege to be able to find a suitable response to our own shortcomings and those of others. Reconciliation requires to acknowledge the wrongdoing, its nature and consequences. Reparation can be made to the person who was wronged, to someone else, or on a moral level, by changing oneself for the better (Lukas 2014). In some families, for example, children are taught from early on to apologize to each other if they have hurt each other’s feelings or caused harm. Beyond just saying the word “sorry,” they are taught to turn to the other, express what they are sorry for and why and apologize. The child who was hurt is asked to listen to the apology being offered, and when ready, accept it. There can be physical signs of reconciliation such as a hug or a kiss. Occasionally, there is also a reparation offered. A favorite toy is shared, or a chore is completed to please the other and express the sincerity of one’s awareness of the mistake and the show an intention to do better next time. Invariably, when children feel that they are forgiven, they learn to be aware of their words and actions and kind to each other.

The roots of empathy start with the understanding that we can all make mistakes. Even parents are not immune from making them. Thus, the biggest lesson is when they can admit when they have made a mistake and seek forgiveness from their children. It is amazing how forgiving and understanding children can be. Such lessons teach them early on that just as one can be in the position to seek reconciliation, one can be in the position to grant pardon and forgiveness. If you ask them, they will tell you that it is hard to be in the first position, but it is great to be in the second position! To be sure, to forget does not equal forgetting, for it is not a cognitive act. It is an act of the mercy of the spirit with which the offended party can rise above the hurt feelings and offer peace from the heart.

Frankl advocated that guilt can be only personal guilt, and not collective guilt, or even retroactive collective guilt (Frankl, 2014:177). That is, one is responsible only to the extent of one’s area of freedom. Young children and people with conditions that limit their insight do not understand the nature and consequences of their actions. Thus, their responsibility is next to none, or limited. Just as the parents bear responsibility for any damage they cause to others, there is collective responsibility, and collective liability, as well as guilt in joining a collective that is committing acts of violence and atrocities. (Frankl, 2023). Like personal guilt, merit is also personal, although can be helped by the right community, and “heroism” can only be demanded from one person—oneself (Frankl, 2014:174). Therefore, Frankl advised to “…live as if you were living for the second time and as if you have acted as wrongly as you are about to act now!” (Frankl, 2019:46).

Soon after the war, in 1945, Rabbi Leo Baeck formulated a prayer, a Prayer for Reconciliation, in which he stated: “…Only the good will count” (Frankl, 2014:175) In recognizing our shortcomings, we acknowledge that there are ideals and values and that we are striving toward these ideals together, even though we may not be able to always realize them or to reach the very best. This makes us aware that there is so much room for improvement and for bettering ourselves and the world. In this task everyone is precious and no one’s place can be replaced. We all need, wanted and called by life. Frankl remarked that “The world is in a bad situation. But it will get worse if each one of us does not do our best. So be alert in a double sense: “Since Auschwitz we know what human beings are capable of. And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake” (Frankl, 2014:145).

According to an ancient Jewish belief, there are only thirty-six righteous people who are responsible for keeping the world afloat (Frankl, 2014). The identity of these people needs to be kept secret, because as soon as they are discovered, they are removed. Someone once asked the question, why this must be the case, why a righteous person would be removed. The answer is that they would then become superfluous and assigned a different task. Dr. Frankl used this anecdote to illustrate that even in the most unlikely places, there can be people who show acts of mercy, kindness and compassion.

There are, of course, difficult situations in which almost every option has a drawback and to live according to an ideal seems nearly impossible. In such scenarios, we can still aim for the optimum, the option which leads to the least amount of suffering for all those who are involved. (Lukas & Schőnfeld, 2024).   

Forgiveness, a resource of the human spirit, a human capacity, makes us aware that we have an area of freedom in which we control our actions, and an area of fate, such as the actions, the thoughts and the responses of others, over which we have no direct control. By granting forgiveness, we exercise the human freedom to break the chain of hatred and grant grace and mercy to someone who is as much a fallible human being as we ourselves. Forgiveness channels the mercy we have received from above toward the healing of the world through our hearts. It brings into the world the possibility of a new chance and a new beginning.

During the encounter of Movements and Associations of the ‘Areana of Peace’ in Verona, this year in 2025, participants witnessed a courageous embrace between Maoz Inon, an Israeli whose parents were killed by Hamas, and Aziz Sarah, a Palestinian, whose brother was killed by the Israeli army. Pope Leo XIV who presided the meeting, wrote: “They are now friends and work together. That gesture remains as a testimony and sign of hope” (Pope Leo XIV, 2025).

Therefore, seeking and granting forgiveness is the second key of the diplomacy of hope.

III. Freedom and Responsibility

Freedom is very precious in our modern world. On one end of the spectrum, there are so many places where people are subjected to inhumane conditions. On the other, people unwittingly subject their freedom to a lifestyle that entices them to seek power, prestige, or success. (Pope Francis, 2025). Worse, they subjugate their freedom to dependencies and addictive habits that limit their potential.

Freedom is not freedom from, stated Dr. Frankl, but “the freedom to…discover values and meaning worth living for” (Frankl, 2014). It is a misconception to think that people whose lives are in some ways limited because of their sociological, biological, or psychological fate, are lives not worth living. This view rests on a utilitarian idea that people’s value depends on their use for society. It is a reductionistic view of the person that equates human dignity with productivity. It considers a person akin to a psychophysical mechanism, which is replaceable once not fully functional. This leads to the modern notion of “cancel culture,” in which people with different abilities are discriminated and unwanted, and in which people who develop an incurable disease conclude that their lives have become useless and meaningless (Merlo, 2024). This is dovetailed by the “culture of death” and indifference to the suffering of others (Catholic News Agency, 2014; Batthyány, 2021).

Aside from service to the community, which reinforces the uniqueness and the value of a person, Frankl, asserted that there is another way in which the specific and unique meaning of a person’s life may be fulfilled, which is different from an active way, because it is a more or less passive path, without striving and without doing—‘without doing anything  for it’—in being loved. In being precious and worthy in the eyes of another, grace so to speak falls into the lap which otherwise one would have to earn. Indeed, one cannot earn love, stated Frankl, because it is not a reward but a blessing (Frankl 2019:76): “…On the path of love a person thus receives by ‘grace’ the things he would otherwise have to strive for or obtain through action; the realization of both uniqueness and individuality. For it is the nature of love that makes us see our loved one in their uniqueness and individuality’” (Frankl, 2019:76).

There are three types of love, stated Frankl: philia, eros and agape. (Frankl, 2000). Philia is physical love which considers the outward appearance of the person and can judge it favorably or unfavorably. Eros is psychological and emotional attraction to the qualities of others, their likes and dislikes and their personality. Neither philia or eros are exclusive, only agape, which is unconditional love and can see the other as one of a kind, wanted and loved, regardless of their health or the lack of it; regardless of their status or the lack of it; regardless of their wealth, or the lack of it. Only through the eyes of such love can one appreciate oneself and others as wanted by life (Frankl, 2000). This allows to reverse the question “What can I expect from life?” to “What is life expecting from me?” and to ponder, “What is life expecting from my neighbor?” (Frankl, 2019:33).

Freedom is innate to human beings. A person who is aware is capable of self-awareness, and beyond self-awareness, self-reflection and self-discovery. Such a person can realize that human freedom does not reside in the dimension of the body, for the body is subject to illness and disease. Human freedom is not part of the psyche, because the psyche is influenced by thoughts and emotions. Human freedom is freedom in the spirit in which a person can choose a position toward their predicament. He or she is capable of self-distancing and observing oneself and one’s situation from the outside. He or she is capable of self-transcendence, the ability to reach out to values and actualize them, just like to one can reach out with love to cherish and to behold. Thus, a human being, as Frankl affirmed, is not two dimensional but three dimensional. A human being is an entity of body, mind and spirit. While the body and mind work in tandem to achieve e state of balance, rest and homeostasis, the spirit is ontologically and qualitatively different from the body and the mind; it operates in a tension state between what is and what ought to be—dynamic– and reaches toward meaning.

Frankl’s anthropological view of the person affirms that the essence of the person is spirit, which cannot become ill. Its expression may be temporarily blocked by disease, but as a potential it is always present (Frankl, 2019b). This anthropological view of the person is the basis of human freedom: the ability to reach out to creative, experiential and attitudinal values and actualize them. Through creative values we can become co-creators and bring something new into the world. Through experiential values we can behold and encounter each other. Through attitudinal values we can take a stand toward suffering. Finiteness, vulnerability and fallibility do not take away from the meaning of life—the opposite—they reinforce our responsibility to use our resources wisely and to bring into the world through us and through our actions what is yet to come (Frankl, 2019:105).

I have set before you life and death, so choose life,” says the Psalmist. Starting with each individual and each community—a bottom-up approach–our “…hands, hearts and minds” can serve as instruments to bring peace and reconciliation to our suffering world” (Pope Francis, 2025). Through freedom and responsibility, we can complement the tragic triad of pain, guilt and death with the value triad, and bring healing to the world. (Frankl, 2014)

“…All too much violence exists in the world and our societies. Amid wars, terrorism, human trafficking and widespread aggression, our children and young people need to be able to experience the culture of life, dialogue and mutual respect. Above all, they need to witness men and women who embody a different and non-volent way of living. From local and everyday situations up to international order, whenever those who have suffered injustice and violence resist the temptation to seek revenge, they become the most credible agents of nonviolent peacebuilding process. Non-violence as a method of style, must distinguish our decisions, our relationships and actions” (Pope Leo XIV, 2025)

Thus, freedom and responsibility to embody non-violent ways of living is the third key in the diplomacy of hope.

IV. Justice

In his lectures “The Pluralism of Sciences and the Unity of Man,” Frankl considered one universal humanity, which notion he referred to as called Monanthropism, as he described the person as an indivisible and un-summable entity—a complete anthropological unity. (Frankl, 2010:137-155; Frankl, 2000:135) As part of humanity, each of us is called to uphold universal human values, such as the dignity of people and the sanctity of life. We are called to live in harmony and peace. Peace is not just the opposite of war but the outpouring of solidarity toward each other beyond limitations, beyond boundaries, beyond class, race, ethnicity or nationality. Like peace, justice is a universal value that has to do with equality, accountability, and the ideal of right action.

At the level of the body one can speak about what is healthy and unhealthy. At the level of the mind, one can name what is adaptive or maladaptive. At the level of the spirit we speak about what is right and wrong (Lukas & Schőnfeld, 2024). One either acts in line with one’s conscience or ignores and turns away from the voice of conscience. Conscience is a resource of the spirit that is oriented toward what ought to be realized and ought to be actualized (Frankl, 2014b). It is like an inner antenna, trained toward meaning. But human conscience can err. Nevertheless, “…crime in the final analysis remains inexplicable inasmuch as it cannot be fully tracked back to biological, psychological and sociological factors. Totally explaining someone’s crime would be tantamount to explaining away his or her guilt and to seeing in him or her not a free and responsible human being but a machine to be repaired” (Frankl 2019:140).  Thus, Frankl spoke of the mystery of evil, “mysterium iniquitatis,” a term paraphrased from Thomas Aquinas’ “mysterium caritatis” (Frankl, 2019:140). Since our responsibility is ultimately to our conscience, the only way of human advancement is through constant examination and refinement of conscience as well as the refinement of our attunement to our conscience (Marshall & Marshall, 2023).

We observe the refinement of human conscience through history: In the olden days, justice involved retribution for wrongdoings according to their magnitude. The concept of “an eye for an eye” was seen as the ideal way of retribution for trespasses. Death by stoning was acceptable for certain acts that violated the standards of the community. Gradually, the rule “do not do to others what you would like done to you” was refined to: “Treat others as you yourself would like to be treated.” Since over two thousand years ago, we are aware of the commandment, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus, 19:18; Matthew 22:39). This compassionate teaching introduced the ideal of treating others with mercy.

To be in tune with our conscience requires attentive listening, contemplation, and discernment in silence (Marshall & Marshall, 2016). “Ora et Labora,” sounded the old dictum (Rule of St. Benedict), and there is wisdom these words. In a rhythmical fashion, we need to step back from the chatter of the world to get in touch with ideas and ideals that fill us with a sense of awe. Ideas and ideals are the very elements of survival, said Frankl, because values are pacemakers for our being. When the Israelites wandered in the desert, God stood in front of them in a pillar of cloud to guide the passage. Similarly, meaning is always ahead of being. Values are the placeholders for meaning (Frankl, 2014b).

Frankl distinguished between two types of meaning, the meaning of the moment and Ultimate Meaning (Frankl, 2000). The meaning of the moment is always person and situation specific and is represented by a value that stands in relation to a person at any moment. The objective reality of meaning, what life offers us every moment, exists in the context of higher meaning, an abstract, Ultimate Meaning. The Ultimate Meaning of our existence may be hidden from our eyes because it exists in a reality that we cannot access with human reason. It exists in the dimension of the Transcendent which we can only approach through the realm of the spirit. It is the context within which our existence takes place. It is the Reason of our being. Religion, said Frankl, is revealed as the fulfillment of what we may call “will to ultimate meaning” (Frankl, 2000:153). While we may not fully understand the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent nature of God, we may direct ourselves in faith towards the ultimate Logos–with deeply religious words–the will of God. This dynamic is an act of the will; it takes place though the  dynamics of our spirit. It is a free choice and allows us to dialogue not only with ourselves and others, but with the Transcendent.

There is a natural affinity that moves toward ultimate goodness. The fruit of this affinity is the reflexive experience of communion, peace and harmony. This life-giving force calls us to constant renewal of heart, metanoia, a total conversion and surrender. As a disarming love, it invites us to live fully: not as factive beings anchored in our fate, but as facultative beings, open to possibilities of change and growth. Frankl affirmed that a human being is conditioned but not determined. The human spirit, nurtured by the Spirit, is the font of our vitality and elan, the seed of self-transformation, and redemption.

Frankl asserted that human beings are ultimately self-determining. (Frankl, 2014:125). We become the values that we live.  What matters therefore, said Frankl, is to make the best of any given situation: “The best, however, is that which in Latin is called optimum—hence the reason [he spoke] of tragic optimism, that is an optimism in the face of tragedy and in view of the human potential which at its best always allows for: (1) turning suffering into a human achievement and accomplishment; (2) deriving from guilt the opportunity to change oneself for the better; and (3) deriving from life’s transitoriness an incentive to take responsible action” (Frankl, 2014:129-130).      

Justice according to the standards of the world is according to laws and rules of the justice system.  Sadly, sometimes, the absence of judicial structures or corrupt structures makes justice absent, twisted and distorted. Justice in the dimension of the Transcendent goes beyond the justice of this word. It does not follow the logic of this world, because it is a supernatural law, a law of perfect peace, harmony and justice. While here on earth we may not be able to achieve this state of justice, we can strive toward the ideal of it, stand up for it and defend it.

Consequently, it makes sense to denounce injustice and to protect the vulnerable, the weak and the disadvantaged members of our society. Considering the dimension of the Transcendent, our responsibility extends beyond our conscience to whom we are responsible for. Ultimately, we are responsible to the Transcendent. (Frankl, 2000). All of us bear responsibility for what we let happen because of us and our hope is that only the good will count and the good will remain.

Therefore, when we encounter seemingly impossible situations, injustices and hardships, when even the justice system lets us down, we may be assured that our plight is known and heard by this invisible Highest Judge whose name is mercy. We can leave our cares and sorrows in these hands.

Justice ultimately connects us with responsibility for building a farer and better world for all. It calls on us to act diligently for the good of all and most of all, to show kindness and compassion to our fellow human beings, especially those who need it the most. As the Psalmist says, “His justice and peace will join together, like dear friends…Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other” (Psalm 85:10). In the words of Pope Leo,

               “The path to peace demands hearts and minds trained in concern for others and capable of perceiving the common good in today’s world. For the road to peace involves everyone and leads to fostering of right relationships between all living beings. As John Paul II pointed out, peace is an indivisible good; it is either everyone’s or no one’s (cf. Sollicitudo rei socialis, 26). It can truly be attained and enjoyed as a reality of life and integral development only if there exists in people’s consciences ‘a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good.’” (Pope Leo XIV, 2025)

This makes practicing merciful justice the fourth key of the diplomacy of hope.

Conclusion

Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy and Existential Analysis aids to articulate Pope Francis’ exhortation to use the keys of truth, forgiveness, freedom/responsibility and justice in a diplomacy of hope. Logotherapy presents the option of facing of the tragic triad of human existence, suffering, guilt and death, with tragic optimism. It advocates for the enduring quality of meaning in the actualization of creative, experiential and attitudinal values. It emphasizes freedom and responsibility for engaging in realistic and optimizing activism.

Through presenting logotherapy’s concepts related to the person and the search for meaning, we come to discern what it means to employ the diplomacy of hope. An ambassador of hope is a person who, instead of regressing to their instincts dictated by fear, acts on their impulses for meaning. He or she stands up, steps up, says yes to life, and despite everything, helps others do the same. Therefore, an ambassador of hope is a herald of peace.

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Frankl, V. E. (2010). The feeling of meaninglessness. The challenge to psychotherapy and philosophy. A. Batthyány (Ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University.

Frankl, V. E. (2000). Ma’s Search for Ultimate Meaning. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Frankl, V. E. (2014). Man’s Search for Meaning. Boston/Ma: Beacon Press.

Frankl, V. E. (2014b). The Will to Meaning. New York, NY: Random House.

Frankl, V. E. (2019). Yes to Life In Spite of Everything. Beacon Press, MA: Boston.

Frankl, V. E. (2019b). The Doctor and the Soul. Vintage Books.

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Marshall, E. & Marshall, M. (2016). Attentive. The competence to discern meaning. Ottawa Institute of Logotherapy. 

Marshall, M. & Marshall, E. (2023). Viktor E. Frankl’s Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. Theory and Practice. Ottawa Institute of Logotherapy.

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National Registrer (2014). Pope urges UN leadership to resist ‘culture of death.’ Retrieved from: www.catholicnewsagency.com Accessed: May 30, 2025.

Pontac, G. (2025). Pope’s Greetings to ambassadors: Four keys for a ‘diplomacy of hope.’ LaCroix International. Retrieved from: https://international.la-croix.com. Accessed: June 1, 2025.

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Maria Marshall, PhD, RP is Mignon G. Eisenberg Professor of Logotherapy at the Graduate Theological Foundation. She is Diplomate Clinician in Logotherapy. Co-founder of the Ottawa Institute of Logotherapy, Ottawa Canada.

Edward Marshall, PhD, RP, is the Viktor E. Frankl Professor of Spirituality at the Graduate Theological Foundation. He is Diplomate Clinician in Logotherapy.  Co-founder of the Ottawa Institute of Logotherapy.