Conference on ‘Promoting Peace Together’
Ecumenical Centre, Geneva
21^st May 2019

Opening Address

H.E. Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot
Secretary
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, Secretary General of the WCC,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished representatives of other religious traditions
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Sisters and Brothers, 

I am grateful to Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, Secretary General of the WCC and the staff for organising this seminar to disseminate the message of the historic Document on ‘Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.’ I also thank you all for your valuable presence on this occasion. 

Since the beginning of His Pontificate, Pope Francis has always invited us to promote a ‘culture of dialogue’ through mutual respect and friendship. In this regard, the Document on ‘Human Fraternity’ is truly a milestone on the path of interreligious dialogue. It marks how far we have come together, but it is also a point of departure. It is a new dynamic which takes us from being only face-to-face, to our standing shoulder-to-shoulder in order to promote peace and coexistence by looking at the future together. Thus, the Document on Human Fraternity is not so much a map, but a day-to-day commitment of working together for the common good and contributing, as believers, along with people of good will, to heal our wounded world.

By fraternity, it is intended human relationships that draw from the depth of the meaning of family – sister/brother – not only fellowship or friendship, but also the inextricable bond that is the human family. Fraternity cannot mean exclusive to my group, community, culture, religion but inclusive of all. Fraternity can be the dynamic, as the Document suggests, by which we rise above differences and instead build bridges of coexistence for a new world. 

Through our efforts in Interreligious Dialogue, as members of one human family, we promote the dignity of each person, recognizing her or him as sisters and brothers, at all times in every part of the world. We do not start at zero in dialogue: there is always our shared humanity, with all its existential and practical aspects, which provides the needed meeting ground.

Pope Francis in his speech at the Global Conference of Human Fraternity said: "There is no alternative: either we will build the future together or there will be no future. Religions in particular cannot renounce the urgent task of building bridges between peoples and cultures. The time has come when religions should more actively exert themselves, with courage and audacity, and without pretense, to help the human family deepen the capacity for reconciliation, the vision of hope and the concrete paths of peace." (Address of Pope Francis at the Global Conference of Human Fraternity, Founder’s Memorial Abu Dhabi, 4.2.2019).        

Beside the well-known obstacles, confrontations, prejudices and conflicts in today’s world, the Abu Dhabi Declaration beckons us to move beyond any difficulty by remaining always rooted in our own identity, avoiding any kind of syncretism, and supported by the sincerity of our intentions. 

In this way, we commit ourselves to serve humanity through our mutual collaboration in promoting that peace which the world yearns for. Let us promote this historic Document on Human Fraternity calling everyone to reflect and study this new chance for peace and coexistence. 

As Pope Francis and the Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyeb have shown us in their ‘universal call’, through their Declaration that excludes no one, no time, no place for the good of humanity, the culture of encounter and mutual knowledge is not a utopian ideal. It is a necessary condition for living in peace, and leaving a better world to future generations.  

It is my heartfelt wish and profound desire that the Abu Dhabi Declaration bring fruits for the development of a new phase of interreligious dialogue. 

Thank you so much for your interest and attention.

The Launch of the Document: 
Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World -
A Christian Perspective

 , 
Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, Geneva

21 May 2019

Reverend Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit
Your Excellencies
Distinguished representatives of other religious traditions
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID), I express my gratitude to the General Secretary, the Reverend Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, and to the staff of the World Council of Churches (WCC) for organising the launching of the Document Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World: A Christian Perspective, jointly prepared by the PCID and the Office for Interreligious dialogue and Cooperation of the WCC. 

The profile of the PCID notes that “The ecumenical dimension of interreligious dialogue is kept in mind.” Accordingly, the PCID has an ongoing relationship with the Staff of the Office for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation (IRDC) of the World Council of Churches. Today’s event marks an important milestone in our continuing efforts at strengthening ecumenical relationships in view of our work of fostering interreligious dialogue.

Our daily experience confirms that we live in a fractured world and that polarisation is increasing. Along with the ecological crisis, political, economic, and social instability continues to threaten the well-being if not the very existence of the planet. Deadly terrorism, acts of religiously motivated violence, radicalisation or self-radicalisation via social media, hate speech, as well as extremist preachers, missionaries, and religious institutions that sow the seeds of hatred and violence are social scourges that must be addressed. 

The document we are launching, Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World: A Christian Perspective, is grounded in our shared conviction that education has a vital, indeed essential role to play in resolving conflicts, preventing their recurrence, healing the wounded, restoring justice, and upholding the equal dignity of all. 

Even though this document was written by Christians and is mainly directed to Christians, it affirms that peacebuilding needs to embrace everyone. In the preamble we read, 

The purpose of this document is to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the structural roots of what has led to the disruption of peace in the world, […]. At the same time, it is hoped that the document may assist a wider conversation on education for peace involving followers of other religions, as well as social and political actors in our multi-religious world, […].

In my short presentation, I would like to summarize the contents of this important document, which has three main sections. 

The first section lays out seven reasons Christians are called to engage in education for peace. They are 

1. Christ is our peace (cf. Ephesians 2:14); 
2. As beneficiaries of Christ’s gift of peace, his disciples are called to be artisans of peace; 
3. Peace is intrinsically linked to righteousness and justice; 
4. The cherishing and valuing of education are intrinsic to Christian tradition and practice, and owe much of their significance to the biblical wisdom tradition; 
5. Peace, also understood as the restoration of right relationships, brings out the fundamental links between sin, forgiveness, and reconciliation; 
6. Peacemaking entails paying attention to both the past and the future; 
7. Christian faith in the Triune God teaches that the divine persons are really distinct from and yet related to one another. 

         Christians thus regard educating themselves and others for peace as a central way of responding to Jesus’ words to his disciples: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). 

          The second part of the document presents twelves areas and strategies for implementing peacebuilding through education. Even though all of them have implications for all ages and all sectors of society, some of them are more specifically appropriate for children, others for young people,  and still others for adults. Let me enumerate them here. 

1. The right to appropriate education for the contemporary world; 
2. Holistic education; 
3. Education for human beings, created in the image of God; 
4. The model of Jesus as teacher; 
5. Life-long learning and learning from all; 
6. Peace and power; 
7. Learning about, protecting and affirming “the other”; 
8. Use of media in peace education; 
9. Learning from and with our scriptures; 
10. Worship, spirituality, and education for peace; 
11. Prevention and reconciliation; 
12. Integrating the perspectives of development and ecology. 

          The third part of the document offers ten recommendations to churches, Christian educational institutions, and the national and regional confessional ecumenical bodies for prayerful refection. They are  

1. Study the document and reflect on what could be effective and contextually relevant methods of education for peace: 
2. Develop educational resources and curricula; 
3. Identify potential partners with whom creative, interactive, learner-centred educational tools can be developed for various levels: family, religious communities, educational institutions, and the wider society; 
4. Examine and challenge the past and present structural factors that have contributed to violence; 
5. Encourage Christian institutions of learning and church agencies, particularly those offering catechetical programmes for children and young people, to integrate elements of education for peace in spiritual and human formation; 
6. Audit how elements of religious life, including scriptural engagement, public worship, prayer, and liturgy, can contribute to fostering human solidarity for a more just and peaceful society; 
7. Request Christian bodies from around the world to study prayerfully the document “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct” to overcome disputes related to conflicting understandings of mission, conversion, and proselytism; 
8. Recall the life stories of extraordinary persons who have wrestled ecumenically and interreligiously with questions of justice and peace and ecological well-being; 
9. Call on governments to shape education in ways that promote and prioritise peace; 
10. Pray together for the cause of peace. 

In conclusion, I would call to mind the words of the Church Father St. John Chrysostom, who asks, “What greater work is there than training the mind and forming the habits of the young?” (Hom. 60, in c. 18). I would also recall the words of Saint Paul VI, who states, “The world must be educated to love peace, to build it up and defend it” (Pope Paul VI, 1968).

All of us yearn and hope for peace. Peace is a gift, a challenge, and a commitment. Together with people of other faiths and goodwill, let us dedicate ourselves to the noble task of promoting Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World. 

Conference on Promoting Peace Together 
Interreligious Dialogue Fostering a Fraternal World
Msgr. Indunil J. Kodithawakku K. (Under-Secretary – PCID)
Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, 21 May 2019

As-salamu alaykum! Peace be with you! Pope Francis began his speech at the Interreligious meeting held on April 4 in Abu Dhabi with this traditional Arabic greeting. During these 50 days of Easter we can also recall that the risen Christ offered the same greeting to his disciples: Peace be with you.

The Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, identifies “religious extremism” as one of the causes of a “third world war [that is] being fought piecemeal.” On May 7, the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres said that following the territorial defeat of Islamic State (ISIL) many jihadists as well as those they inspire, represent a major transnational threat.[1] These observations make it clear that we cannot speak of interreligious dialogue as a way of fostering a fraternal world without addressing the scourge of religious extremism. 

The document on Human Fraternity clarifies the nexus between religion and violence as follows:

“Terrorism […] threatens the security of people, […] and disseminates panic, terror and pessimism, but this is not due to religion, even when terrorists instrumentalize it.” 

“Every attempt to attack places of worship or threaten them by violent assaults, bombings or destruction, is a deviation from the teachings of religions as well as a clear violation of international law.”

One of the causes of terrorism is “an accumulation of incorrect interpretations of religious texts […] for the purpose of achieving objectives that are political, economic, worldly and short-sighted.”

Religious leaders rightly condemn terrorism in the name of religion. More than that, religions need to work together to eliminate the religious extremism that is used to justify terrorism. To do that,

1. Religious communities need to look inwards 

Each ethnic and religious group needs to engage in a communal examination of conscience to determine if fundamentalist/nationalist groups within its own community are or have been directly or indirectly responsible for radicalization within other religious traditions. Have the religious and political leaders of the community been silent observers, tacit supporters or active collaborators of the radicalisation of the youth in their own community? When atrocities committed, it is not enough to say ‘that’s not who we are or what our faith is about’. The right question to be asked, is: “who and what created the young men and women within our community capable of such hate and violence?” 

Some religious groups who have suffered violence committed by religious extremists, have resorted to acts of retaliation and reprisal against the entire religious community of the religious extremists who attacked them. Such violent responses only provide ammunition to the ‘outside’ fringe fundamentalist/nationalist groups as well as to religious extremists within one’s own community. Meeting violence with violence does not put an end to violence but only intensifies it. Moreover, religious communities need to be aware that local and regional secular leaders may exploit divisions within a given society to advance their own political and economic interests. 

1. Religious communities need to look outwards

 It is not enough to say that ‘terrorists have no religion’, extremists from other religious traditions are ‘fringe groups’, or ‘they deviate from the true teachings of their own religion’, or ‘they interpret their religious texts incorrectly.’ There are many other angles to explore: What is the religious ideology that underlies religious extremism? Who preaches it? Where are these preachers trained? Who finances this training and propagation? How and why are moderate religious communities exposed to and influenced by extremist religious worldviews from ‘outside’? How to tackle online radicalisation?

1. Religious communities need to foster a fraternal world through interreligious dialogue

 The vast majority of people wish to live in harmony and friendship with the followers of other religious traditions. For that to be possible, we need to heal the wounds and dispel the mistrust created by religious extremism. In this regard; Pope Francis noted in his keynote address in Abu Dhabi, “There is no alternative: We either build the future together or there will not be a future.” 

         What role can religion play in the construction of world peace? The document on Human Fraternity proposes that the various religious traditions first of all need to recognize that “The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings.” The Document says that religions then need to work together to

• Foster reconciliation and fraternity among all believers, indeed among believers and non-believers, and among all people of good will;
• Promote the authentic teachings of religions, namely peace, human fraternity, harmonious coexistence, wisdom, freedom, justice, and love;
• Awaken religious awareness among all, especially among the young;
• Refrain from using the name of God to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism, and oppression;
• Promote a culture of dialogue with all and at all levels to construct full citizenship for all;
• Reject the discriminatory use of the term minorities.

Conclusion

The document on Human Fraternity invites “all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together” and also offers a counter-narrative against religious extremism, which is now one of those major global challenges that States can no longer handle alone. The international community must come together to combat it, doing so by 

• analysing the root causes behind religious extremism; 
• eliminating the underlying causes;
• exposing the contradiction namely the violence that is labelled religious is condemned, whereas violence that is labelled secular is not regarded as violent but as peace-making: 
• fostering education inspired by respect for human life and diversity;
• combatting the use of the internet to promote radicalization; 
• promoting inclusivity and respect for cultural, religious, and ethnic differences at the national level. 

Let me conclude with the appeal made by Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi: “Together, as brothers and sisters in the one human family willed by God, let us commit ourselves against the logic of armed power, against the monetization of relations, the arming of borders, the raising of walls, the gagging of the poor; let us oppose all this with the sweet power of prayer and daily commitment to dialogue”.

MESSAGE FOR THE FEAST OF VESAKH  2019
Buddhists and Christians: Promoting the Dignity and Equal Rights of Women and Girls

Dear Buddhist Friends,

1.       On behalf of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, I extend warm greetings and prayerful good wishes for your celebration of Vesakh.  May it bring joy and peace to all of you, and to your families and your communities.

2.       This year our message is inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, signed in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019 by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.  That document includes an important call for people everywhere to promote the dignity of women and children.

3.       The teachings of Jesus and the Buddha promote the dignity of women.  Both Buddhism and Christianity have taught that women and men are equal in dignity, and both have played an important role in the advancement of women.   Buddhist and Christian women have made significant contributions to our religious traditions and to society as a whole.   On the other hand, it cannot be denied that all too often women have also experienced discrimination and maltreatment.  At times, religious narratives were used to present women as somehow inferior to men. 

4.       In our day, violence against women and young girls is a global problem, affecting as much as a third of the world’s female population.  Situations of conflict, post-conflict and displacement favour such violence.  Women and young girls are especially vulnerable to human trafficking and modern slavery, and these forms of brutality negatively and often irreversibly affect their health.  To counter these injustices, it is vital to provide young women and girls access to education, to guarantee them equal pay for equal work, to ensure the recognition of their inheritance and property rights, to overcome their under-representation in politics, government and decision-making, to address the issue of dowries, and so forth.  The promotion of women’s equal dignity and rights should also be reflected in interreligious dialogue: more women need to have a place at the table, where they are still outnumbered by men. 

5.       Dear friends, urgent action is needed to protect women and to defend their fundamental rights and freedom.   As the Document on Human Fraternity states: “It is an essential requirement to recognize the right of women to education and employment, and to recognize their freedom to exercise their own political rights.   Moreover, efforts must be made to free women from historical and social conditioning that runs contrary to the principles of their faith and dignity.  It is also necessary to protect women from sexual exploitation and from being treated as merchandise or objects of pleasure or financial gain.  Accordingly, an end must be brought to all those inhuman and vulgar practices that denigrate the dignity of women.  Efforts must be made to modify those laws that prevent women from fully enjoying their rights”.

6.       Those in authority and positions of leadership have a special responsibility to encourage their followers to uphold the dignity of women and young girls, and to defend their fundamental human rights.  We are likewise called to alert our brothers and sisters to the dangers inherent within gender ideology, which denies the differences and the reciprocity of men and women.  In promoting the dignity and equality of women and young girls, may we also promote and protect the institution of marriage, motherhood and family life.

7.       Dear Buddhist friends, let us make every effort to foster within our families, communities and institutions a renewed appreciation of the central place of women in our world and work for the definitive rejection of every form of unjust discrimination against the human person.  In this spirit, I wish you once again a peaceful and joyful feast of Vesakh!

Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J.
Secretary

Dear Muslim Brothers and Sisters,

The month of Ramadan with its dedication to fasting, prayer and almsgiving, is also a month for strengthening the spiritual bonds we share in Muslim-Christian friendship. I am pleased, therefore, to take this opportunity to wish you a peaceful and fruitful celebration of Ramadan.

Our religions invite us to “remain rooted in the values of peace; to defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity and harmonious coexistence; to re-establish wisdom, justice and love” (cf. Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019).

We Muslims and Christians are called to open ourselves to others, knowing and recognizing them as brothers and sisters. In this way, we can tear down walls raised out of fear and ignorance and seek together to build bridges of friendship that are fundamental for the good of all humanity. We thus cultivate in our families and in our political, civil and religious institutions, a new way of life where violence is rejected, and the human person respected.

We are encouraged, therefore, to continue advancing the culture of dialogue as a means of cooperation and as a method of growing in knowledge of one another. In this context, I recall that Pope Francis, during his visit to Cairo, highlighted three fundamental guidelines for pursuing dialogue and knowledge among people of different religions: “the duty of identity, the courage of otherness and the sincerity of intentions” (Address to the participants in the International Conference for Peace, Al-Azhar Conference Center, Cairo, 28 April 2017).

In order to respect diversity, dialogue must seek to promote every person’s right to life, to physical integrity, and to fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of conscience, of thought, of expression and of religion. This includes the freedom to live according to one’s beliefs in both the private and public spheres. In this way, Christians and Muslims – as brothers and sisters – can work together for the common good.

It is my wish that the gesture and message of fraternity will find an echo in the hearts of all those holding positions of authority in the areas of social and civil life of the whole human family, and may lead all of us to put into practice not merely an attitude of tolerance but true and peaceful living together.

With heartfelt fraternal greetings, renewed esteem for our friendship, and in the name of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, I convey sincere best wishes for a fruitful month of Ramadan and a joyous ‘Id al-Fitr.

+ Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J.
Secretary

Ecumenical and Interreligious Meeting with Young People
Pastoral Centre (Skopje)
May 7, 2019

Dear Friends,

Having these meetings always gives me joy and hope. Thank you for making this possible and offering me this opportunity. I am very grateful for your dance – so beautiful – and for your questions. I knew about these questions: I received them and thought about them, and so I have prepared some points to reflect with you on these questions.

I will begin with the last question: after all, as the Lord said, the last shall be first! Liridona, after you shared your hopes with us, you asked me: “Am I dreaming too much?” A very fine question, and I would like all of us to answer it together. What do you think? Is Liridona dreaming too much?

Let me tell you that one can never dream too much. One of the big problems people have today, including so many young people, is that they have lost their ability to dream. They don’t dream, either much or little. When someone does not dream, when a young person does not dream, that empty space gets filled with complaints and a sense of hopelessness or sadness. “We can leave that to those who worship the ‘goddess of lament’… She is a false goddess: she makes you take the wrong road. When everything seems to be standing still and stagnant, when our personal issues trouble us, and social problems do not meet with the right responses, it does no good to give up” (Christus Vivit, 141). This is why, dear Liridona, dear friends, a person can never, never dream too much. Try to think of your greatest dreams, like Liridona’s dream – do you remember it? To give hope to a weary world, together with others, both Christians and Muslims. This is certainly a very fine dream. She didn’t think about little things, “on the ground level”, but she dreamed in a big way and you, young people, should dream big.

A few months ago, a friend of mine, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and I had a dream much like yours, that made us want to make a commitment and sign a document that says that faith must lead us believers to see other persons as our brothers and sisters. As brothers and sisters that we need to support and love, without letting ourselves be manipulated by petty interests.[1] We are old and it’s not the age to have dreams, but you, please dream and dream big!

This makes me think of what Bozanka told us. She said that, as young people, you like adventures. I am glad about that, for it is a beautiful way to be young: to experience an adventure, a good adventure. Young people do not fear making of their lives a good adventure. So I would ask you: what adventure requires more courage than the dream that Liridona shared with us, the dream of giving hope to a weary world? Our world is weary; our world has become old. The world is divided, and we can be tempted to keep it divided, and to become divided ourselves. There are those adults who want us to be divided; be on your guard. Yet how forcefully do we hear our Lord’s words: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Mt 5:9)! What can give us more excitement than being committed daily to becoming faithful builders of dreams, artisans of hope? Dreaming helps us to keep alive our certainty that another world is indeed possible, and that we are called to get involved, to help build that world through our work, our efforts and our actions.

In this country, you have a fine tradition of stonecarving, practised by artisans skilled at cutting stone and working it. We need to become like those craftsmen, to become expert carvers of our own dreams. We need to work at our dreams. A stonecarver takes a stone in his hands and slowly begins to shape and transform it with concentration and effort, and especially with a great desire to see how that stone, which no one thought was worth anything, can become a work of art.

“Our best dreams are only attained through hope, patience and commitment, and not in haste, like these artisans. At the same time, we should not be hesitant, afraid to take chances or make mistakes. No, do not be afraid. Rather, we should fear experiencing the paralysis of the living dead, who have no life because they are afraid to take risks. And young people who do not take risks are dead. Some don’t want to take risks because they don’t want to persevere in their commitments or they fear making mistakes. Even if you make mistakes, you can always get up and start over, for no one has the right to rob you of hope” (cf. Christus Vivit, 142). Don’t allow yourselves to be robbed of hope. Dear young people, don’t be afraid to become artisans of dreams and of hope! Agreed?

“Certainly, as members of the Church, we should not stand apart from others. All should regard us as friends and neighbours, like the apostles, who, as the Bible says, ‘enjoyed the good will of all the people’ (Acts 2:47; cf. 4:21.33; 5:13). Yet at the same time we must dare to be different, to point to ideals other than those of this world, testifying to the beauty of generosity, service, purity, perseverance, forgiveness, fidelity to our personal vocation, the beauty of prayer, the pursuit of justice and the common good, the beauty of love for the poor, and social friendship” (ibid., 36)”.

Think of Mother Teresa: when she lived here, she could not have imagined where her life would have ended up. Yet she kept dreaming and tried to see the face of her great love, Jesus, and to discover it in all those people on the sides of the road. She dreamed in a big way, and this is why she also loved in a big way. She had her feet firmly planted here, in her native land, but she didn’t stand still. She wanted to be “a pencil in the hands of God”. This was the dream she crafted. She offered it to God, she believed in it, she suffered for it, and she never gave it up. And God began to write new and amazing pages of history with that pencil; a woman from your land, who dreamed, who wrote great things. It is God who wrote them but she dreamed and allowed herself to be guided by God.

Each of you is called, like Mother Teresa, to work with your hands, to take life seriously and make something beautiful of it. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of our dreams (cf. Christus Vivit, 17); be on your guard. Let us not deprive ourselves of the newness that the Lord wants to give us. You will encounter many, many unexpected twists and turns in life, but it is important to face them and find creative ways of turning them into opportunities. But never alone! No one can fight alone. As Dragan and Marija told us: “our communion gives us strength to face the challenges of today’s society”.

Taking up what Dragan and Marija said: “Our communion gives us the strength to face the changes of contemporary society”. Here is a splendid secret that shows us how to dream and to turn our life into a wonderful adventure. No one can face life in isolation; no one can live the life of faith or realize his or her dreams alone, without leaving home, without being part of a community, alone at heart or at home, enclosed and isolated behind four walls. We need a community that supports and helps us, in which we can help one another to keep looking ahead.

How important it is to dream together! Just as you are doing today: everyone together, here in one place, without barriers. Please, dream together, not by yourselves; dream with others, never against others! Dream with others and never against others! By yourselves, you risk seeing mirages, seeing things that are not there. Dreams are built together.

A few minutes ago we saw two children playing here. They wanted to play, to play together. They didn’t go to play on their computers, they wanted to play for real! We observed them: they were happy, content. Because they dreamed of playing together, with one another. Did you see this? Yet, at a certain point, one of them realized that the other was stronger, and instead of dreaming with the other, began to dream against the other, and tried to overcome the other. And that joy changed as we saw the weaker one in tears, on the floor. You saw how we can pass from dreaming with others to dreaming against others. Never dominate others! Build up community with others: this is the joy of moving ahead. This is very important. Dragan and Marija have told us how difficult this can be, when everything conspires to isolate us and deprive us of the opportunity to encounter one another, the opportunity of “dreaming with others”. Now at my age (and I am not young!), do you want to know what I think was the best lesson I ever learned? It was how to talk to people “face-to-face”. We have entered into the digital age, but actually we know very little about communication. Many contacts, but we communicate little. We are all “connected”, but not really “involved” with one another. Getting involved requires life; it calls for being there and sharing the good times but also the not so good times. At last year’s Synod on young people, we were able to have the experience of meeting one another face to face, both the young and the not-so-young. We were able to listen to one another, to dream together and to look to the future with hope and gratitude. That was the best antidote to discouragement and manipulation, to too many contacts without communication, to the culture of the ephemeral and to all those false prophets who proclaim only misfortune and destruction. The antidote is listening, listening to one another. And now, let me tell you something I feel very strongly about: give yourselves a chance to share and enjoy a good “face-to-face” with everyone, but especially with your grandparents, with the elderly of your community. Perhaps some of you have heard me say this, but for me that is an antidote to those who would lock you up in the present, overwhelming you with pressures and demands, all in the name of an alleged happiness, as if the world is about to end and you have to experience everything right away. In the long run, this creates anxiety, dissatisfaction and a sense of hopelessness. For a heart tempted by hopelessness, there is no better remedy than listening to the experiences of older people.

Dear friends, spend time with the elderly, listen to their stories, which may sometimes seem a bit unreal but in fact are full of rich experiences, eloquent symbols and a hidden wisdom waiting to be discovered and appreciated. Those stories take time to tell (cf. Christus Vivit, 195). Don’t forget the old saying that a little person can see further by standing on the shoulders of a giant. In this way, you will gain a new and broader vision. Enter into the wisdom of your people, your community, enter without shame or hesitations, and you will discover an unexpected source of creativity which will prove most fulfilling. It will let you perceive paths where others see barriers, possibilities where others see threats, resurrection where so many proclaim only death.

For this reason, dear young people, I tell you to speak with your grandparents and with your elders. They are your roots, the roots of your history, the roots of your people, the roots of your families. You should hold on tight to your roots to receive the sap that will make the tree grow, flourish and bear fruit, but always holding onto your roots. I do not say that you should go underground with those roots: no, not this. But you should journey and listen to these roots and take from them the strength needed to grow, to move forward. If a tree’s roots are cut off, that tree dies. If your roots as young people are cut off, which are the roots of the history of your people, you will die. Yes, you will live, but without bearing fruit: your country, your people will not be able to bear fruit because you have removed yourselves from your roots.

When I was a child, we were told at school that when the Europeans went to discover America, they took with them coloured glass. This was shown to the Indians, to the indigenous peoples, and they were enthralled by the coloured glass which they had never seen before. And these Indians forgot their roots and bought this glass in exchange for gold. So gold was robbed by means of coloured glass. The glass was a novelty and they gave everything to have this novelty which was worth nothing. You, young people, please be on your guard, because today also there are those who want to conquer, those who want to colonize, offering you coloured glass: this is ideological colonization. They will come to you and say: “No, you must be a more modern people, more advanced, take these things and take a new path, forget older things: progress ahead!” And what should you do? Discern. What this person is bringing to me, is it a good thing, something in harmony with the history of my people? Or is it “coloured glass”? In order for you not to be tricked, it’s important to speak to the elderly, speak to those who will pass onto you the history of your people, the roots of your people. Speak to the elderly, in order to grow. Speak to our history in order to make it develop. Speak to our roots in order to produce flowers and fruits.

And now I have to finish, because we are running out of time. But I want to confess this to you: from the beginning of this meeting with you, I have been distracted by something. I was looking at this lady here in front of me; she is expecting a baby. She is waiting for a baby to be born, and perhaps one of you could think: “What a hardship, poor woman, how great will be her work!” Does any of you think this? No. No one thinks: “Oh she will have sleepless nights due to her crying child…” No. That child is a promise, look ahead! This lady has taken risks in order to bring an infant into the world, because she looks forward, she looks at history. Because she feels the strength of the roots that help her bring forth life, her country and her people.

And let us conclude together applauding all the young people, all the courageous women who bring forth history. And thankyou to the interpreter who is been really good!

DO YOU NEED MY HANDS, LORD? (Prayer of Mother Teresa)

Do your need my hands, Lord,
to help the sick and the poor
who are in need today?
Lord, this day I offer you my hands.

Do you need my feet. Lord,
to lead me today
to those who need a friend?
Lord, this day I offer you my feet.

Do you need my voice, Lord,
so that I can speak to all those
who need a word of love?
Lord, this day I offer you my voice.

Do you need my heart, Lord,
so that I can love everyone,
without exception?
Lord, this day I offer you my heart.

Prayer of the Holy Father
Following the Prayer for Peace

May 6 2019

 Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have prayed for peace in words inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi, who was so greatly in love with God the Creator and Father of all. A love that he showed with similar passion and deep respect for the beauty of creation and for all those whom he encountered on his pilgrim way. A love that changed his way of seeing things and helped him to realize that in everyone there is “a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved” (Evangelii Gaudium, 6). 

That love also led Saint Francis to become a true peacemaker. Each of us is called to follow in his footsteps by becoming a peacemaker, an “artisan” of peace. Peace is both a gift and a task; it must be implored and worked for, received as a blessing and constantly sought as we strive daily to build a culture in which peace is respected as a fundamental right. An active peace, “fortified” against all those forms of selfishness and indifference that make us put the petty interests of a few before the inviolable dignity of each person. 

Peace requires and demands that we adopt dialogue as our path, mutual understanding as our code of conduct, and reciprocal understanding as our method and standard (cf.  Document on Human Fraternity, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019). In this way, we can focus on what unites us, show mutual respect for our differences, and encourage one another to look to a future of opportunity and dignity, especially for future generations.

This evening, we have gathered to pray before these lamps brought by our children. They symbolize the fire of love that burns within us and that is meant to become a beacon of mercy, love and peace wherever we find ourselves. A beacon that can cast light upon our entire world. With the fire of love, we can melt the icy chill of war and conflict. Our celebration of peace takes place on the ruins of ancient Serdika, here in Sofia, the heart of Bulgaria. From here, we can see the places of worship of the different Churches and religious Confessions: Saint Nedelya of our Orthodox brothers and sisters, Saint Joseph of us Catholics, the synagogue of our older brothers, the Jews, the mosque of our Muslim brothers and sisters and, closer to us, the Armenian church.

For many centuries, the Bulgarians of Sofia belonging to different cultural and religious groups gathered in this place for meetings and discussions. May this symbolic place become a witness to peace. Tonight our voices blend in expressing our ardent desire for peace. Let there be peace on earth: in our families, in our hearts, and above all in those places where so many voices have been silenced by war, stifled by indifference and ignored due to the powerful complicity of interest groups. May all work together to make this dream come true: religious, political and cultural leaders. May each of us, wherever we may be, in all that we do, be able to say: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace”. 

It is a plea that the dream of Pope Saint John XXIII will come true: the dream of an earth where peace is always at home. Let us share in that aspiration and, by the witness of lives, let us say: Pacem in terris! Let there be peace on earth to all those whom the Lord loves.

Excerpt

Theological Approach to Contemporary Challenges:

A LOOK AT THE CURRENT CONTEXT THEOLOGICAL APPROACH TO CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

(unofficial translation)

1. In 1965 the Conciliar Declaration Dignitatis humanae was approved in a historical context that was significantly different from the current one, also with regard to the topic that constituted its central topic, namely that of religious freedom in the modern world. Its courageous clarification of the Christian reasons for respect for the religious freedom of individuals and communities, within the framework of the rule of law and the practices of the justice of civil societies, still arouses our admiration. The Council's contribution, which we can well define as prophetic, offered the Church a horizon of credibility and appreciation that greatly helped her evangelical witness in the context of contemporary society.

2. Meanwhile, a new protagonism of the religious and national traditions of the Middle East and Asia has significantly changed the perception of the relationship between religion and society. The great religious traditions of the world no longer appear only as the remnant of ancient eras and pre-modern cultures overcome by history. The different forms of religious belonging have a new impact on the constitution of personal identity, on the interpretation of the social bond and on the search for the common good. In many secularized societies the different forms of religious community are still socially perceived as relevant factors of intermediation between individuals and the State. The relatively new element, in today's configuration of these models, can be recognized in the fact that, today, this relevance of religious communities is committed to ask - directly or indirectly - for the democratic-liberal model of the rule of law and of the techno-economic direction of civil society.

3. Wherever in the world today there is the problem of religious freedom, this concept is discussed in reference - positive or negative - to a conception of human rights and civil liberties which is associated with liberal, democratic, pluralistic and secular political culture . The humanistic rhetoric that appeals to the values of peaceful coexistence, individual dignity, intercultural and interreligious dialogue is expressed in the language of the modern liberal state. On the other hand, even more profoundly, it draws on the Christian principles of the dignity of the person and of the closeness between men, which have contributed to the formation and universalization of that language.

4. Today's religious radicalization, referred to as "fundamentalism", in the context of different political cultures, does not seem a simple more "observant" return to traditional religiosity. This radicalization is often characterized by a specific reaction to the liberal conception of the modern state, due to its ethical relativism and its indifference to religion. On the other hand, the liberal state appears to many to be criticizable also for the opposite reason: that is, for the fact that its proclaimed neutrality does not seem able to avoid the tendency to consider the professed faith and religious affiliation an obstacle for the admission to the full cultural and political citizenship of individuals. A form of "soft totalitarianism", one might say, which makes it particularly vulnerable to the spread of ethical nihilism in the public sphere.

5. The alleged ideological neutrality of a political culture that claims to want to build on the formation of purely procedural rules of justice, removing all ethical justification and all religious inspiration, shows the tendency to elaborate an ideology of neutrality which, in fact, imposes the marginalization, if not exclusion, of religious expression from the public sphere. And therefore, from the full freedom of participation in the formation of democratic citizenship. From here comes the ambivalence of a neutrality of the public sphere only apparent and of an objectively discriminating civil liberty. A civil culture that defines its humanism through the removal of the religious component of the human, is forced to remove also decisive parts of its own history: of its own knowledge, of its own tradition, of its own social cohesion. The result is the removal of ever more substantial parts of humanity and citizenship from which society itself is formed. The reaction to the humanistic weakness of the system even makes the arrival at a desperate fanaticism: atheistic or even theocratic, seem justified for many (especially young people). The incomprehensible attraction exercised by violent and totalitarian forms of political ideology, or religious militancy, which seemed to have been consigned to the judgment of reason and history, must question us in a new way and with greater depth of analysis.

6. In contrast to the classical thesis, which provided for the reduction of religion as an inevitable effect of technical and economic modernization, there is talk today of the return of religion to the public scene. The automatic correlation between civil progress and the extinction of religion, in truth, had been formulated on the basis of an ideological prejudice, which saw religion as the mythical construction of a human society not yet in control of the rational instruments capable of producing emancipation and well-being of the society. This scheme has proved inadequate, not only in relation to the true nature of religious conscience, but also in reference to the naive trust turned to the humanistic effects of technological modernization. Nevertheless, it is precisely theological reflection that has helped to clarify, in these decades, the strong ambiguities of what was hastily referred to as the return of religion. This so-called "return", in fact, also presents aspects of "regression" towards personal values and democratic coexistence that are at the base of the humanistic conception of the political order and social bond. Many phenomena associated with the new presence of the religious factor in the political and social sphere appear to be completely heterogeneous - if not contradictory - with respect to the authentic tradition and cultural development of the great historical religions. New forms of religiosity, cultivated in the wake of arbitrary contaminations between the search for psycho-physical well-being and pseudo-scientific constructions of the vision of the world and of the self, appear rather to the believers themselves, as disturbing deviations of religious orientation. Not to mention the crude religious motivation of some forms of totalitarian fanaticism, which aim to impose terrorist violence, even within the great religious traditions.

7. The gradual post-modern subtraction of the commitment to truth and transcendence certainly raises the political and juridical theme of religious freedom in new terms. On the other hand, the theories of the liberal state that think of it as radically independent of the contribution of argumentation and the testimony of religious culture must conceive of it as more vulnerable to the pressure of the forms of religiosity - or pseudo-religiosity - that seek to to assert itself in the public space outside the rules of a respectful cultural dialogue and a civil democratic confrontation. The protection of religious freedom and social peace presupposes a state that not only develops logics of mutual cooperation between religious communities and civil society, but shows itself capable of activating the circulation of an adequate culture of religion. Civil culture must overcome the prejudice of a purely emotional or ideological vision of religion. Religion, in turn, must be incessantly stimulated to elaborate in a humanistically understandable language the vision of reality and coexistence that inspire it.

8. Christianity - Catholicism in a specific way, and precisely with the seal of the Council - has conceived a line of development of its religious quality that passes through the repudiation of every attempt to exploit political power, even if practiced in view of a proselytism of faith. Evangelization today addresses the positive enhancement of a context of religious and civil liberty of conscience, which Christianity interprets as a historical, social and cultural space conducive to an appeal of faith that does not want to be confused with taxation, or take advantage of a state of awe of man. The proclamation of religious freedom, which must apply to everyone, and the testimony of a transcendent truth, which does not impose itself by force, appear to be deeply adherent to the inspiration of faith. The Christian faith, by its nature, is open to positive confrontation with the human reasons of truth and good, which the history of culture brings to light in the life and thought of peoples. The freedom of the search for words and the signs of God's truth, and the passion for the brotherhood of men, always go together.

9. The recent transformations of the religious scenario, as well as of humanistic culture, in the political and social life of peoples, confirm - if it were necessary - that the relations between these two aspects are close, profound, and of vital importance for the quality of coexistence and for the orientation of existence. In this perspective, the search for the most adequate forms to guarantee the best possible conditions for their interaction, in freedom and peace, are a decisive factor for the common good and for the historical progress of human civilizations. The imposing season of migrations of entire peoples, whose lands are now rendered hostile to life and coexistence, above all due to an endemic settlement of poverty and a permanent state of war, are creating, within the West , structurally interreligious, intercultural, inter-ethnic societies. Is it not time to discuss, beyond the emergency, the fact that history seems to impose the true invention of a new future for the construction of models of the relationship between religious freedom and civil democracy? The treasure of culture and faith that we have inherited over the centuries, and which we have freely accepted, should it not really generate a humanism that is in keeping with the appeal of history, capable of responding to the demand for a more habitable land?

10. With reference to the "signs of the times" to come, which have already begun to happen, it is necessary to have adequate tools to update Christian reflection, religious dialogue, and civil confrontation. Resignation, faced with the hardness and complexity of some involutions of the present, would be an unjustifiable weakness with regard to the responsibility of faith. The bond of religious freedom and human dignity has also become politically central: the two are held tightly together, in a way that today appears definitively clear. A believing Church that lives within human societies increasingly characterized in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic sense - this seems to be the movement of history - must be able to develop in time a competence suitable for the new existential condition of its testimony of faith. A condition not so different, moreover, on closer inspection, from that in which Christianity was sent to sow and was able to flourish.

11. This document begins by recalling the teaching of the Conciliar Declaration Dignitatis humanae and its reception, in the magisterium and in theology, after the Second Vatican Council (cf. chapter 2). Then, in a synthetic outline of the principles, above all anthropological, of the Christian understanding of religious freedom, it is a question of the religious freedom of the person first in his individual dimension (cf. chapter 3) and then in his community dimension, emphasizing between the another is the value of religious communities as intermediate bodies in social life (cf. chapter 4). The two aspects are inseparable in reality, however, since the rooting of religious freedom in the personal condition of the human being indicates the ultimate foundation of his inalienable dignity, it seems useful to proceed with this order. Subsequently religious freedom towards the State is considered and some clarification is offered with regard to the contradictions registered in the ideology of that conception of State religiously, ethically, value neutral (cf. chapter 5). In the final chapters, the document focuses on the contribution of religious freedom to coexistence and social peace (see chapter 6), before highlighting the central place of religious freedom in the mission of the Church today (cf. chapter 7) .

12. The general approach of the reflection that we propose in the text can be briefly outlined in these terms. We do not intend to propose an academic text on the many aspects of the debate on religious freedom. The complexity of the theme, both from the point of view of the various factors of personal and social life that are involved, and from the point of view of the interdisciplinary perspectives which it calls into question, is common evidence. Our fundamental methodological choice can be summarized as a theological-hermeneutical reflection, in a dual purpose. (a) First, to propose a reasoned update on the reception of Dignitatis humanae. (b) Secondly, to explain the reasons for the right integration - anthropological and political - between the personal and the community instance of religious freedom. The need for this clarification depends essentially on the need for the Church's own social doctrine to take into account the most relevant historical evidences of the new global experience.

13. The absolute ethical-religious indifference of the State weakens civil society towards the discernment required for the application of a truly liberal and democratic right, capable of effectively taking into account the community forms that interpret the social bond in view of the common good. At the same time, the correct elaboration of the thought on religious freedom in the public sphere, asks of Christian theology itself an in-depth study of the cultural complexity of today's civil form, capable of theoretically blocking the path to regression in a theocratic key of common law. The underlying theme of the clarification proposed here is inspired by the usefulness of keeping the personalistic, community and Christian principles of everyone's religious freedom closely linked, both anthropologically and theologically. The development does not aspire (nor could it) to the systematic nature of the "treaty". In this sense, therefore, we should not expect from this text a detailed theoretical exposition of the categories (political and ecclesiological) that are involved. On the other hand, it is common knowledge that many of these categories are exposed to fluctuations in meaning: both because of the different cultural context of employment, and according to the different ideologies of reference. Despite this objective limit, imposed by the subject itself and by its evolution, this updating tool will be able to offer a valid help for a better level of understanding and communication of Christian witness. Both in the area of ecclesial awareness with regard to the right respect for the humanistic values of the faith; both within the current conflict of interpretations on the doctrine of the State, which calls for a better elaboration of the new relationship between the civil community and religious affiliation, not only theological, but also anthropological and political.

Message for Mahavir Janma Kalyanak Diwas 2019

Christians and Jains:  To promote listening to the cry of the earth and of the poor

Dear Jain Friends,

        The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sends its most felicitous greetings to you as you celebrate the 2617th birth anniversary of ‘Thirthankar’ Shri Vardhaman Mahavir on 17 April this year.  May this commemorative event fill your hearts and homes with happiness and peace and rekindle your spirit of fellowship and sense of responsibility towards one another.

Grave concerns in our times arising from the alarming ecological crisis we are confronted with, and from the disquieting conditions of the poor and the marginalized in different parts of the globe, impel us to share with you on this occasion a thought on the compelling need before us, the Christians and Jains, to listen and to respond to the cry of our mother Earth and of our brethren who go through the unending pangs of poverty and misery. 

The ‘cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’, as Pope Francis pointed out in his famous Encyclical Letter “‘Laudato Si’ on Care for our Common Home” (24 May 2015, nos. 16, 49), are inextricably linked. The earth cries out, on one hand, because of the ineffable harm that human beings, due to their unfettered greed, overbearing attitude and indulgence in materialism and consumerism, inflict upon her, and the poor, on the other hand, cry out since they are the most affected of all by the ugly consequences of the environmental degradation. It is an irony that being least responsible for the crisis, they bear the most brunt. 

When human beings without qualms of conscience fail or refuse to recognize they are interconnected with and interdependent on nature and one another, it advances a ‘culture of indifference’ whereby everyone tends to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. It increasingly makes them turn a deaf ear to human and ecological cries, most especially to the cry of the poor, and victims of violence and injustice. 

The taproot we need in the line of developing a counter culture of listening and responding to these cries is the conviction that we as members of one human family are responsible for one another and for mother earth which is “a common heritage, the fruits of which are for the benefits of all” (Pope John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace, 1990, no. 8). The ‘wounded creation’ and the ‘wounded humanity’ need healing more than ever through a nurturing of fraternal relationships with one another and with the created world and by uniting all efforts towards it and forging purpose bound alliances.  The Document on ‘Human Fraternity’ co-signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019 can serve as a veritable guide in this direction. 

As believers grounded in our own respective religious traditions that underscore the primacy of caring for the poor and the earth, may we Christians and Jains, conscious of our shared moral responsibility towards people and our Common Home, join hands with people of all faiths and good will do all that we can to “protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect and fraternity” (‘Laudato Si’, no. 201)!

Wish you all a happy feast of Mahavir Janma Kalyanak!

 Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ

Secretary

Meeting with Priests, Religious, Consecrated Persons and the Ecumenical Council of Churches

Apostolic Visit to Morocco
30-31 March 2019

Dear Brothers and Sisters, bonjour à tous!

I am very happy to have this opportunity to be with you. I especially thank Father Germain and Sister Mary for their testimonies. I would also like to greet the members of the Ecumenical Council of Churches, a clear sign of the communion experienced here in Morocco between Christians of different confessions along the path to unity. Christians are a small minority in this country. Yet, to my mind, this is not a problem, even though I realize that at times it can be difficult for some of you. Your situation reminds me of the question asked by Jesus: “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? … It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened” (Lk 13:18.21). Paraphrasing the Lord’s words, we can ask ourselves: What are Christians like, in these lands? To what can we compare them? They are like a little yeast that Mother Church wants to mix in with a great quantity of flour until all of it is leavened. For Jesus did not choose us and send us forth to become more numerous! He called us to a mission. He put us in the midst of society like a handful of yeast: the yeast of the Beatitudes and the fraternal love by which, as Christians, we can all join in making present his kingdom. In this context I recall the counsel of Saint Francis to his brothers as he sent them out: “Go out and preach the Gospel: and if necessary, also with words”.

This means, dear friends, that our mission as baptized persons, priests and consecrated men and women, is not really determined by the number or size of spaces that we occupy, but rather by our capacity to generate change and to awaken wonder and compassion. We do this by the way we live as disciples of Jesus, in the midst of those with whom we share our daily lives, joys and sorrows, suffering and hopes (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 1). In other words, the paths of mission are not those of proselytism. Please, these paths are not those of proselytism! Let us recall Benedict XVI: “the Church grows not through proselytism, but through attraction, through witness”. The paths of mission are not those of proselytism, which leads always to a cul-de-sac, but of our way of being with Jesus and with others. The problem is not when we are few in number, but when we are insignificant, salt that has lost the flavour of the Gospel – this is the problem – or lamps that no longer shed light (cf. Mt 5:13-15).

I believe we should worry whenever we Christians are troubled by the thought we are only significant if we are the flour, if we occupy all the spaces. You know very well that our lives are meant to be “yeast”, wherever and with whomever we find ourselves, even if this appears to bring no tangible or immediate benefits (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 210). For being a Christian is not about adhering to a doctrine, or a temple or an ethnic group. Being Christian is about an encounter, an encounter with Jesus Christ. We are Christians because we have been loved and encountered, and not as the result of proselytism. Being Christian is about knowing that we have been forgiven and knowing that we are asked to treat others in the same way that God treated us. For “by this everyone shall know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).

Dear brothers and sisters, in thinking of this setting in which you are called to live your baptismal vocation, your ministry and your consecration, I recall the words of Pope Saint Paul VI in his encyclical Ecclesiam Suam: “The Church must enter into dialogue with the world in which she lives. She has something to say, a message to give, a communication to make” (No. 65). To say that the Church has to enter into dialogue is not to follow a fashion – dialogue is in vogue today but that is not the reason for dialogue – or much less a strategy for increasing her membership, no, it is not a strategy. The Church has to enter into dialogue out of fidelity to her Lord and Master, who from the beginning, moved by love, wished to enter into dialogue as a friend and asks us to enter into friendship with him (cf. Dei Verbum, 2). As disciples of Jesus Christ, from the very day of our baptism we have been called to be a part of this dialogue of salvation and friendship, from which we are the first to benefit.

Christians, here in these lands, learn to be a living sacrament of the dialogue that God wants to initiate with each man and woman, wherever they are. A dialogue that we are nonetheless called to take up following the example of Jesus himself, who is meek and humble of heart (cf. Mt 11:29), with fervent and disinterested love, without calculations and limitations, and with respect for the freedom of others. In this spirit, we can find elder brothers and sisters who show us the way, for by their lives they testify that this dialogue is possible; they point to a “high standard” that challenges us and spurs us on. How can we fail to think of Saint Francis of Assisi, who at the height of the Crusades went to encounter Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil? Or Blessed Charles de Foucault, so deeply impressed by the humble and hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth, whom he silently adored, that he wished to be a “brother to all”? Or again, those of our fellow Christians who chose to live in solidarity with another people, even to the point of giving their lives? When the Church, in fidelity to the mission she has received from the Lord, enters into dialogue with the world and gives her message, she takes part in the advent of that fraternity whose deepest source is not in ourselves but in the fatherhood of God.

As consecrated persons, we are invited to experience this dialogue of salvation above all as intercession for the people entrusted to us. I remember once speaking with a priest who, like yourselves, lived in a land where Christians were a minority. He told me that “Our Father” had taken on a particular meaning for him because, praying in the midst of people of other religions, he felt the power of the words, “Give us this day our daily bread”. His intercessory prayer, as a missionary, expanded to that people which was in some way entrusted to him, not to govern but to love, and this led him to pray this prayer with special feeling. Consecrated persons and priests bring to the altar and to their prayer the lives of all those around them; they keep alive, as if through a small window, the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. How beautiful it is to know that, in different parts of this land, through your voices, all creation can constantly pray: “Our Father”.

Dialogue, then, becomes prayer. We can carry it out daily in the name “of the human fraternity that embraces all human beings, unites them and renders them equal. In the name of this fraternity, torn apart by the policies of extremism and division, by systems of unrestrained profit or by hateful ideological tendencies, that manipulate the actions and the future of men and women (Document on Human Fraternity, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019). A prayer that does not distinguish, separate or marginalize, but embraces the life of our neighbour. A prayer of intercession that says to the Father, “Thy kingdom come”. Not by violence, not by hatred, not by ethnic, religious or economic supremacy, and so forth, but by the power of the compassion poured out on the cross for all mankind. This is the experience of the majority of you.

I thank God for all that you are doing as followers of Jesus Christ here in Morocco, daily discovering through dialogue, cooperation and friendship the way to sow a future of hope. In this way, you will unmask and lay bare every attempt to exploit differences and ignorance in order to sow fear, hatred and conflict. For we know that fear and hatred, nurtured and manipulated, destabilize our communities and leave them spiritually defenceless.

I encourage you, then, with no other desire than to make visible the presence and love of Christ, who for our sake became poor in order to enrich us by his poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8:9): continue to be neighbours to those who are often left behind, the little ones and the poor, prisoners and migrants. May your charity be ever active and thus a path of communion between Christians of every confession present in Morocco: the ecumenism of charity. May it be also a path of dialogue and cooperation with our Muslim brothers and sisters, and with all men and women of good will. Charity, especially towards the vulnerable, is the best opportunity we have to keep working to build of a culture of encounter. May it also be a way for those who experience pain, struggles and exclusion to realize that they are members of the one human family, under the banner of fraternity. As disciples of Jesus Christ, may you, in that same spirit of dialogue and cooperation, be ever concerned to serve the advancement of justice and peace, the education of children and young people, and the protection and accompaniment of the elderly, the vulnerable, the disabled and the oppressed.

Once again, I thank all of you, brothers and sisters, for your presence and your mission here in Morocco. Thank you for your humble and discreet service, following the example of our forebears in consecrated life, among whom I want to greet your dean, Sister Ersilia. Through you, dear Sister, I offer a cordial greeting to the elderly sisters and brothers who, for reasons of health, are not physically present here, but are united to us in prayer.

All of you are witnesses of a glorious history. A history of sacrifices, hopes, daily struggles, lives spent in service, perseverance and hard work, for all work is hard, done “by the sweat of our brow”. But let me also tell you that “you have a glorious history to remember and recount, but also a great history to be accomplished! Look to the future – envisage the future – where the Holy Spirit is sending you” (Vita Consecrata, 110). In this way, you will continue to be living signs of that fraternity to which the Father has called us, without intransigence or passivity, but as believers who know that the Lord always goes before us and opens spaces of hope wherever something or someone appeared hopeless.

May the Lord bless each of you and, through you, the members of all your communities. May his Spirit help you to bear abundant fruit: the fruit of dialogue, justice, peace, truth, and love, so that here in this land which God loves, human fraternity may grow ever stronger. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you!

[Four children go up beside the Pope. He says: “Voici le futur! Le maintenant et le future!”

And now, let us place ourselves under the protection of the Virgin Mary by reciting the Angelus.

Apostolic Journey to Morocco
MEETING WITH MIGRANTS
30 March 2019 

Dear Friends,

I am happy to have this opportunity to meet with you during my visit to the Kingdom of Morocco. It gives me a chance once more to express my closeness to all of you and, together with you, to discuss a great and deep wound that continues to afflict our world at the beginning of this twenty-first century. A wound that cries out to heaven. We do not want our response to be one of indifference and silence (cf. Ex 3:7). This is all the more the case today, when we witness many millions of refugees and other forced migrants seeking international protection, to say nothing of the victims of human trafficking and the new forms of enslavement being perpetrated by criminal organizations. No one can be indifferent to this painful situation.

I thank Archbishop Santiago [Agrelo Martínez] for his words of welcome and for the Church’s work in assisting migrants. I also thank Jackson for his testimony, and all of you, both migrants and members of associations dedicated to their care. We have met this afternoon to strengthen our ties and to continue our efforts to ensure worthy living conditions for all. And thank you to the children! They are our hope. We need to fight for them. They have the right to life, the right to dignity. Let us fight for them. All of us are called to respond to the many challenges posed by contemporary movements of migration with generosity, enthusiasm, wisdom and farsightedness, each to the best of his or her ability (cf. Message for the 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees).

A few months ago, here in Marrakech, the Intergovernmental Conference approved the adoption of the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. “The migration Compact represents an important step forward for the international community, which now, in the context of the United Nations, has for the first time dealt on a multilateral level with this theme in a document of such importance” (Address to Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, 7 January 2019).

This Compact helps us to see that “it is not just about migrants” (cf. Theme of the 2019 World Day of Migrants and Refugees), as if their lives and experiences were completely unrelated to the rest of society, or their status as persons with rights was somehow “on hold” because of their current situation. “The side of the border on which a migrant stands does not make him or her more or less human”.[1]

It is also about the face we want to give to our society and about the value of each human life. Many positive steps have been taken in different areas, especially in the developed countries, yet we cannot forget that the progress of our peoples cannot be measured by technological or economic advances alone. It depends above all on our openness to being touched and moved by those who knock at our door. Their faces shatter and debunk all those false idols that can take over and enslave our lives; idols that promise an illusory and momentary happiness blind to the lives and sufferings of others. How arid and inhospitable a city becomes, once it loses the capacity for compassion! A heartless society... a barren mother. You are not the marginalized; you are at the centre of the Church’s heart.

I wanted to suggest four verbs – accept, protect, promote and integrate – that can help those who want to help make this covenant more concrete and real, to act prudently rather than remain silent, to assist rather than isolate, to build up rather than abandon.

Dear friends, I would like to reiterate the importance of these four verbs. They form a frame of reference for us all. For we are all involved in this effort – involved in different ways, but all involved – and all of us are needed in the work of building a more dignified, safe and fraternal life. I like to think that the very first volunteer, assistant, rescuer or friend of a migrant is another migrant who knows at first hand the sufferings of the journey. We cannot develop large-scale strategies capable of restoring dignity by adopting a welfare approach alone. That kind of assistance is essential, but insufficient. You who yourselves are migrants should feel called to take the lead and assist in organizing this whole process.

The four verbs that I mentioned can help us find shared strategies to create space for welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating. Spaces, ultimately, for conferring dignity.

“In view of the current situation, welcoming means, above all, offering broader options for migrants and refugees to enter destination countries safely and legally” (Message for the 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees). Indeed, expanding regular migration channels is one of the main objectives of the Global Compact. This shared commitment is needed in order to avoid presenting new opportunities to those “merchants of human flesh” who exploit the dreams and needs of migrants. Until this commitment is fully implemented, the emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity and mercy. Forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable. On the other hand, special legalization strategies, especially in the case of families and minors, should be encouraged and simplified.

Protecting means defending “the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees, independent of their legal status” (ibid.). In the context of this entire region, protection must first and foremost be ensured along migration routes, which, sadly, are often theatres of violence, exploitation and abuse of all kinds. Here too, it seems necessary to pay particular attention to migrants in situations of great vulnerability: to the many unaccompanied minors and to women. It is essential that everyone be guaranteed the right to the medical, psychological and social assistance needed to restore dignity to those who have lost it along the way, as you who work in this agency are doing with great dedication. Among those present, some can testify personally to the importance of these protection services for providing hope during the time of a stay in host countries.

Promoting means ensuring that everyone, migrants and local residents alike, can enjoy a safe environment in which they can develop all their gifts. This promotion begins with the recognition that no human being is worthy of being discarded, but rather should be seen as a potential source of personal, cultural and professional enrichment in whatever place they find themselves. Host communities will be enriched if they learn how best to appreciate and utilize the contribution made by migrants, while working to forestall all forms of discrimination and xenophobia. Migrants should be encouraged to learn the local language as an essential vehicle of intercultural communication, and helped in positive ways to develop a sense of responsibility towards the society that accepts them, learning to respect individuals and social bonds, laws and culture. This will contribute to the integral human development of all.

But let us not forget that the human promotion of migrants and their families begins also with their communities of origin, where the right to migrate must be guaranteed, but also the right not to be forced to emigrate, that is, the right to enjoy in their native land suitable conditions for a dignified life. I appreciate and encourage programmes of international cooperation and transnational development free of partisan interests, which involve migrants as active protagonists (cf. Address to the Participants in the International Forum on Migration and Peace, 21 February 2017).

Integrating means engaging in a process that enhances both the cultural heritage of the welcoming community and that of migrants, thus building an open and intercultural society. We know that it is not easy – for those who arrive and for those who receive them – to encounter a foreign culture, to put ourselves in the shoes of people quite different from ourselves, to understand their thoughts and their experiences. As a result, we often refuse to encounter the other and raise barriers to defend ourselves (cf. Homily at the Mass for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 14 January 2018). Integrating requires us not to be conditioned by fear and ignorance.

Ahead of us, then, is a journey we must make together, as true travelling companions. It is a journey that engages everyone, migrants and locals, in building cities that are welcoming, respectful of differences and attentive to intercultural processes. Cities that are capable of valuing the richness of the diversity born of our encounter with others. Here too, many of you can personally testify to how essential that commitment is.

Dear migrant friends, the Church is aware of the sufferings that accompany your journey and she suffers with you. In reaching out to you in your very different situations, she is concerned to remind you that God wants us all to live our lives to the full. The Church wants to be at your side to help you achieve the very best for your life. For every human being has the right to life, every person has the right to dream and to find his or her rightful place in our “common home”! Every person has a right to the future.

Once again, I renew my gratitude to all engaged in assisting migrants and refugees throughout the world, and particularly to you, the personnel of Caritas, and to your partner agencies, who have the honour of showing God’s merciful love to so many of our brothers and sisters in the name of the whole Church. You know well from experience that for Christians, “it is not just about migrants”, for it is Christ himself who knocks on our doors.

May the Lord, who during his earthly life experienced in his own flesh the suffering of exile, bless each one of you. May he give you the strength needed never to lose heart and always be for one another a “safe haven” of welcome and acceptance.

Thank you!

Speech of King Mohammed VI of Morocco  Before Pope Francis
Rabat, 39 March 2019

(published by Morocco World News)

“Praise be to God, May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin"

Your Holiness,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is an exceptional day for two reasons. It is exceptional because of the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis. It is also exceptional because it reminds me of the historical visit the late Pope John Paul II paid to Morocco.

Today’s visit falls within the framework of the longstanding relations between Morocco and the Vatican.

I was keen to make sure the place and the date of the visit reflect the symbolic depth, the historical significance and the civilizational importance of this Meeting.

The place where we are meeting today is an embodiment of openness, passage and cross-cultural fertilization; it is, in itself, a symbol of balance and harmony.

Aptly located where the Bouregreg River meets the Atlantic Ocean, this place is aligned with the Al-Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech and with the Giralda in Seville – it constitutes a spiritual, architectural and cultural link between Africa and Europe.

I also wanted this visit to coincide with the holy month of Rajab – a month that witnessed one of the most iconic episodes in the history of Islam and Christianity.

It was in this month that, at the behest of Prophet Muhammad – may Peace and Blessings be upon Him – Muslims, fleeing persecution, left Mecca to take refuge with the Negus, the Christian King of Abyssinia.

This was the first welcoming, during which Islam and Christianity made acquaintance with each other.

Today, we are commemorating that act of getting to know each other, for the sake of the future and that of the coming generations.

Your Holiness,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Your Holiness’s visit to Morocco is taking place at a time when the Community of Nations – just like that of all Believers – is facing a number of challenges.

We need to tackle these new ills which feed on treachery as much as on the instrumentalization of the Divine Message by advocating the denial of the Other and similar wicked theories.

In a world in search of direction, the Kingdom of Morocco has never stopped proclaiming, teaching and experiencing, on a daily basis, Brotherhood among the Sons of Abraham. This is a founding pillar of the exceptionally rich diversity underpinning Moroccan civilization.

The symbiotic relationship uniting Moroccans – beyond faiths – is an eloquent example in this regard.

This symbiosis is a fact of life in my country. It is reflected by the mosques, churches and synagogues which have coexisted in the cities of the Kingdom since time immemorial.

As King of Morocco and Commander of the Faithful, I am the Guarantor of the free practice of religion. I am Commander of all believers.

And, as Commander of the Faithful, I cannot speak of the Land of Islam, as if only Muslims lived there. I am keen to ensure freedom to practise the religions of the Book and I am the guarantor of that freedom. I protect Moroccan Jews as well as Christians from other countries, who are living in Morocco.

Your Holiness,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have never ceased to seek God – beyond silence, beyond words and beyond the comfort of dogmas – so that our religions may remain crucial, illuminating bridges, and so that the lessons and messages of the Islamic enlightenment may live on.

Given the reality of today’s world, it is clear the dialogue between the Abrahamic religions is insufficient. At a time when paradigms are shifting everywhere and concern all matters, inter-religious dialogue must evolve too.

The dialogue centered on tolerance has been going on for a long time now; and yet, it has not achieved its goal. The three Abrahamic religions were not created to be tolerant of one another out of some unavoidable fate, or out of courtesy to one another.

The reason they exist is to open up to one another and to know one another, so as to do one another good:

“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you”. The Word of God is Truth.

Radicalism – whether it is motivated by religion or not – is due to failure to know one another, to ignorance of the other, and to ignorance pure and simple.

Knowing one another eliminates radicalism – all types of radicalism. Knowing one another is precisely what is going to help us rise to the challenges of our tormented times.

“To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He has given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues”. The Word of God is Truth.

To tackle radicalism, the solution is neither military nor financial; that solution has but one name: Education.

My plea for education is an indictment of ignorance. It is binary conceptions and the fact of not knowing one another well enough that are threatening our civilizations; it is certainly not religion.

That is why, as Commander of the Faithful, I am advocating today that we give back to religion its rightful place in education.

That is why I cannot speak to these young people without warning them against the phenomena of radicalization and of stepping into violence.

What all terrorists have in common is not religion, but rather ignorance of religion.

Today, religion should no longer be an alibi for ignorant people, for ignorance or for intolerance.

That is because religion is Light; religion is Knowledge; religion is Wisdom. And because religion is Peace, it calls for diverting the energy spent on weapons and other misguided races towards loftier pursuits.

For this reason, I set up the Mohammed VI Ulema Foundation.

I have also responded favorably to requests from several African and European countries to take young people from these nations into the Mohammed VI Institute for the training of imams and male and female religious guides.

Your Holiness,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

In my capacity as Commander of the Faithful, I believe, just like the Holy Father, in an active spirituality that seeks to serve the common good.

Spirituality is not an end in itself. Our faith translates into concrete actions. It teaches us to love our fellow human beings and to help them.

One fact is essential: God forgives. “God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful”. And since God is mercy, generosity and kindness are at the center of my action.

Because God is love, I have tried to make sure my reign is characterized by closeness to citizens as well as by assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable people.

That is the spirit of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) which I launched 14 years ago to improve the lives of people in precarious or fragile situations, integrate those who are excluded, put a roof over the heads of the homeless and kindle faith in a dignified future.

That is also the philosophy behind the immigration and asylum policy which I have instituted and which is fundamentally based on solidarity.

It is in line with the Marrakech Compact, which the international community adopted on 10 December 2018.

Your Holiness,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our meeting attests to a mutually held belief that the values of monotheism contribute to rationalization, to reconciliation and to improving the world order.

As Commander of the Faithful, and just like Your Holiness, I am against all forms of indifference and I wish, in this respect, to salute the courage of the Leaders who do not shy away from the defining questions of our time.

I have been following with interest and appreciation Your Holiness’s efforts to serve peace in the world, as well as your regular calls to promote education and dialogue, to end violence, to combat poverty and corruption, to tackle climate change – to fight the ills plaguing human societies.

As Commander of the Faithful and as Holy Father, we are called upon to be both idealistic and pragmatic, to be realistic and to set an example.

Our messages do not concern our time only; they are eternal. They call upon people to embrace the values of moderation, to fulfil the imperatives of knowing one another and to raise awareness of otherness.

By doing this, Your Holiness, you and I “will speak with one voice” – a voice which is not to be reduced to a mere consensus based on compromise.

I see this – in my daily life – as a common message conveyed by Muslims, Christians and Jews to all of humankind.

That is precisely what has brought us together today and what should unite us in the future.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh”.

(Click above to download translations)

The Document on Human Fraternity was written originally in two languages: Italian and Arabic and each signed by both His Holiness Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb.

Here are all the languages in which the document exists:

Italian

Arabic

English

French 

German

Hebrew

Polish

Portuguese

Russian

Spanish

A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together

4 February 2019

INTRODUCTION

Faith leads a believer to see in the other a brother or sister to be supported and loved. Through faith in God, who has created the universe, creatures and all human beings (equal on account of his mercy), believers are called to express this human fraternity by safeguarding creation and the entire universe and supporting all persons, especially the poorest and those most in need. 

This transcendental value served as the starting point for several meetings characterized by a friendly and fraternal atmosphere where we shared the joys, sorrows and problems of our contemporary world. We did this by considering scientific and technical progress, therapeutic achievements, the digital era, the mass media and communications. We reflected also on the level of poverty, conflict and suffering of so many brothers and sisters in different parts of the world as a consequence of the arms race, social injustice, corruption, inequality, moral decline, terrorism, discrimination, extremism and many other causes.

From our fraternal and open discussions, and from the meeting that expressed profound hope in a bright future for all human beings, the idea of this Document on Human Fraternity was conceived. It is a text that has been given honest and serious thought so as to be a joint declaration of good and heartfelt aspirations. It is a document that invites all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together so that it may serve as a guide for future generations to advance a culture of mutual respect in the awareness of the great divine grace that makes all human beings brothers and
sisters. 

DOCUMENT

In the name of God who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and who has called them to live together as brothers and sisters, to fill the earth and make known the values of goodness, love and peace;

In the name of innocent human life that God has forbidden to kill, affirming that whoever kills a person is like one who kills the whole of humanity, and that whoever saves a person is like one who saves the whole of humanity; 

In the name of the poor, the destitute, the marginalized and those most in need whom God has commanded us to help as a duty required of all persons, especially the wealthy and of means; 

In the name of orphans, widows, refugees and those exiled from their homes and their countries; in the name of all victims of wars, persecution and injustice; in the name of the weak, those who live in fear, prisoners of war and those tortured in any part of the world, without distinction;

In the name of peoples who have lost their security, peace, and the possibility of living together, becoming victims of destruction, calamity and war;

In the name of human fraternity that embraces all human beings, unites them and renders them equal;

In the name of this fraternity torn apart by policies of extremism and division, by systems of unrestrained profit or by hateful ideological tendencies that manipulate the actions and the future of men and women; 

In the name of freedom, that God has given to all human beings creating them free and distinguishing them by this gift;

In the name of justice and mercy, the foundations of prosperity and the cornerstone of faith;

In the name of all persons of good will present in every part of the world;

In the name of God and of everything stated thus far; Al-Azhar al-Sharif and the Muslims of the East and West, together with the Catholic Church and the Catholics of the East and West, declare the adoption of a culture of dialogue as the path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard.

We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgment, on the basis of our religious and moral responsibility, and through this Document, call upon ourselves, upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing.

We call upon intellectuals, philosophers, religious figures, artists, media professionals and men and women of culture in every part of the world, to rediscover the values of peace, justice, goodness, beauty, human fraternity and coexistence in order to confirm the importance of these values as anchors of salvation for all, and to promote them everywhere.

This Declaration, setting out from a profound consideration of our contemporary reality, valuing its successes and in solidarity with its suffering, disasters and calamities, believes firmly that among the most important causes of the crises of the modern world are a desensitized human conscience, a distancing from religious values and a prevailing individualism accompanied by materialistic philosophies that deify the human person and introduce worldly and material values in place of supreme and transcendental principles.

While recognizing the positive steps taken by our modern civilization in the fields of science, technology, medicine, industry and welfare, especially in developed countries, we wish to emphasize that, associated with such historic advancements, great and valued as they are, there exists both a moral deterioration that influences international action and a weakening of spiritual values and responsibility. All this contributes to a general feeling of frustration, isolation and desperation leading many to fall either into a vortex of atheistic, agnostic or religious extremism, or into blind and fanatic extremism, which ultimately encourage forms of dependency and individual or collective self-destruction. 

History shows that religious extremism, national extremism and also intolerance have produced in the world, be it in the East or West, what might be referred to as signs of a “third world war being fought piecemeal”. In several parts of the world and in many tragic circumstances these signs have begun to be painfully apparent, as in those situations where the precise number of victims, widows and orphans is unknown. We see, in addition, other regions preparing to become theatres of new conflicts, with outbreaks of tension and a build-up of arms and ammunition, and all this in a global context overshadowed by uncertainty, disillusionment, fear of the future, and controlled by narrow-minded economic interests.

We likewise affirm that major political crises, situations of injustice and lack of equitable distribution of natural resources – which only a rich minority benefit from, to the detriment of the majority of the peoples of the earth – have generated, and continue to generate, vast numbers of poor, infirm and deceased persons. This leads to catastrophic crises that various countries have fallen victim to despite their natural resources and the resourcefulness of young people which characterize these nations. In the face of such crises that result in the deaths of millions of children – wasted away from poverty and hunger – there is an unacceptable silence on the international level. 

It is clear in this context how the family as the fundamental nucleus of society and humanity is essential in bringing children into the world, raising them, educating them, and providing them with solid moral formation and domestic security. To attack the institution of the family, to regard it with contempt or to doubt its important role, is one of the most threatening evils of our era. 

We affirm also the importance of awakening religious awareness and the need to revive this awareness in the hearts of new generations through sound education and an adherence to moral values and upright religious teachings. In this way we can confront tendencies that are individualistic, selfish, conflicting, and also address radicalism and blind extremism in all its forms and expressions.

The first and most important aim of religions is to believe in God, to honour Him and to invite all men and women to believe that this universe depends on a God who governs it. He is the Creator who has formed us with His divine wisdom and has granted us the gift of life to protect it. It is a gift that no one has the right to take away, threaten or manipulate to suit oneself. Indeed, everyone must safeguard this gift of life from its beginning up to its natural end. We therefore condemn all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion and euthanasia. We likewise condemn the policies that promote these practices. 

Moreover, we resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood. These tragic realities are the consequence of a deviation from religious teachings. They result from a political manipulation of religions and from interpretations made by religious groups who, in the course of history, have taken advantage of the power of religious sentiment in the hearts of men and women in order to make them act in a way that has nothing to do with the truth of religion. This is done for the purpose of achieving objectives that are political, economic, worldly and short-sighted. We thus call upon all concerned to stop using religions to incite hatred, violence, extremism and blind fanaticism, and to refrain from using the name of God to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism and oppression. We ask this on the basis of our common belief in God who did not create men and women to be killed or to fight one another, nor to be tortured or humiliated in their lives and circumstances. God, the Almighty, has no need to be defended by anyone and does not want His name to be used to terrorize people.

This Document, in accordance with previous International Documents that have emphasized the importance of the role of religions in the construction of world peace, upholds the following: 

- The firm conviction that authentic teachings of religions invite us to remain rooted in the values of peace; to defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity and harmonious coexistence; to re-establish wisdom, justice and love; and to reawaken religious awareness among young people so that future generations may be protected from the realm of materialistic thinking and from dangerous policies of unbridled greed and indifference that are based on the law of force and not on the force of law; 

- Freedom is a right of every person: each individual enjoys the freedom of belief, thought, expression and action. The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. This divine wisdom is the source from which the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derives. Therefore, the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept; 

- Justice based on mercy is the path to follow in order to achieve a dignified life to which every human being has a right;

- Dialogue, understanding and the widespread promotion of a culture of tolerance, acceptance of others and of living together peacefully would contribute significantly to reducing many economic, social, political and environmental problems that weigh so heavily on a large part of humanity;

- Dialogue among believers means coming together in the vast space of spiritual, human and shared social values and, from here, transmitting the highest moral virtues that religions aim for. It also means avoiding unproductive discussions; 

- The protection of places of worship – synagogues, churches and mosques – is a duty guaranteed by religions, human values, laws and international agreements. Every attempt to attack places of worship or threaten them by violent assaults, bombings or destruction, is a deviation from the teachings of religions as well as a clear violation of international law; 

- Terrorism is deplorable and threatens the security of people, be they in the East or the West, the North or the South, and disseminates panic, terror and pessimism, but this is not due to religion, even when terrorists instrumentalize it. It is due, rather, to an accumulation of incorrect interpretations of religious texts and to policies linked to hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression and pride. This is why it is so necessary to stop supporting terrorist movements fuelled by financing, the provision of weapons and strategy, and by attempts to justify these movements even using the media. All these must be regarded as international crimes that threaten security and world peace. Such terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and expressions;

- The concept of citizenship is based on the equality of rights and duties, under which all enjoy justice. It is therefore crucial to establish in our societies the concept of full citizenship and reject the discriminatory use of the term minorities which engenders feelings of isolation and inferiority. Its misuse paves the way for hostility and discord; it undoes any successes and takes away the religious and civil rights of some citizens who are thus discriminated against; 

- Good relations between East and West are indisputably necessary for both. They must not be neglected, so that each can be enriched by the other’s culture through fruitful exchange and dialogue. The West can discover in the East remedies for those spiritual and religious maladies that are caused by a prevailing materialism. And the East can find in the West many elements that can help free it from weakness, division, conflict and scientific, technical and cultural decline. It is important to pay attention to religious, cultural and historical differences that are a vital component in shaping the character, culture and civilization of the East. It is likewise important to reinforce the bond of fundamental human rights in order to help ensure a dignified life for all the men and women of East and West, avoiding the politics of double standards;

- It is an essential requirement to recognize the right of women to education and employment, and to recognize their freedom to exercise their own political rights. Moreover, efforts must be made to free women from historical and social conditioning that runs contrary to the principles of their faith and dignity. It is also necessary to protect women from sexual exploitation and from being treated as merchandise or objects of pleasure or financial gain. Accordingly, an end must be brought to all those inhuman and vulgar practices that denigrate the dignity of women. Efforts must be made to modify those laws that prevent women from fully enjoying their rights; 

- The protection of the fundamental rights of children to grow up in a family environment, to receive nutrition, education and support, are duties of the family and society. Such duties must be guaranteed and protected so that they are not overlooked or denied to any child in any part of the world. All those practices that violate the
dignity and rights of children must be denounced. It is equally important to be vigilant against the dangers that they are exposed to, particularly in the digital world, and to consider as a crime the trafficking of their innocence and all violations of their youth;

- The protection of the rights of the elderly, the weak, the disabled, and the oppressed is a religious and social obligation that must be guaranteed and defended through strict legislation and the implementation of the relevant international agreements. 

To this end, by mutual cooperation, the Catholic Church and Al-Azhar announce and pledge to convey this Document to authorities, influential leaders, persons of religion all over the world, appropriate regional and international organizations, organizations within civil society, religious institutions and leading thinkers. They further pledge to make known the principles contained in this Declaration at all regional and international levels, while requesting that these principles be translated into policies, decisions, legislative texts, courses of study and materials to be circulated. 

Al-Azhar and the Catholic Church ask that this Document become the object of research and reflection in all schools, universities and institutes of formation, thus helping to educate new generations to bring goodness and peace to others, and to be defenders everywhere of the rights of the oppressed and of the least of our brothers and sisters. 

In conclusion, our aspiration is that:

this Declaration may constitute an invitation to reconciliation and fraternity among all believers, indeed among believers and non-believers, and among all people of good will;

this Declaration may be an appeal to every upright conscience that rejects deplorable violence and blind extremism; an appeal to those who cherish the values of tolerance and fraternity that are promoted and encouraged by religions;

this Declaration may be a witness to the greatness of faith in God that unites divided hearts and elevates the human soul;

this Declaration may be a sign of the closeness between East and West, between North and South, and between all who believe that God has created us to understand one another, cooperate with one another and live as brothers and sisters who love one another.

This is what we hope and seek to achieve with the aim of finding a universal peace that all can enjoy in this life. 

His Holiness                                        The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar
Pope Francis                                                 Ahmad Al-Tayyeb

Abu Dhabi, 4 february 2019

Press Release 
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
21.05.2019

Conference on “Promoting Peace Together” and the launch of the document “Education for Peace in a Multi Religious World: A Christian Perspective”

At the Ecumenical Centre
Geneva 21.05.2019

In continuation of their fraternal joint co-operation, the World Council of Churches (WCC) with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) are organising a Conference on “Promoting Peace Together”, at the Ecumenical Centre, in Geneva, on 21 May 2019. The participants will include representatives of International Organisations as well as the Diplomatic Corps present in Geneva. This Conference will focus on two historic documents related to peace-making: 

• Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together jointly signed by Pope Francis and by Dr Ahmad Al Tayyib, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi.
• Education for Peace, in a Multi-Religious World: A Christian Perspective, jointly prepared by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the World Council of Churches, which will be officially launched, at the end of this event, by H.E. Bishop Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, Secretary of the PCID and Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the WCC.  

The collaboration between the PCID and the Office for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation of the World Council of Churches (WCC), began in 1977. In this collaboration, both Offices have so far produced several common interreligious documents, namely, Interreligious Prayer (1994); Reflection on Interreligious Marriage (1997) and Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct (2011). 

This event marks an important milestone in the continuing joint efforts of the WCC and the PCID aimed at strengthening ecumenical relationships through the fostering of interreligious dialogue.