Pope at Lateran University: All
called to build peace
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| Pope Francis at the Pontifical Lateran University (Vatican Media) |
Pope Francis inaugurates the exhibit “Calligraphy for
Dialogue: Promoting the Culture of Peace through Culture and Art” at the
Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
By Vatican News
“We cannot remain indifferent, limiting ourselves to
invoking peace”, said Pope Francis said on Thursday night. Rather, “educating
for peace requires us to give relieve to those, unfortunate many [people], who
are condemned to death or forced to abandon their loved ones, their homes,
their countries of origin”.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a new exhibit
entitled, “Calligraphy for Dialogue: Promoting the Culture of Peace through
Culture and Art”, where 24 works by Saudi artist, Othman Alkhuzaiem, invite
visitors to contemplate dialogue and peace through the beauty of calligraphic
art.
Called to build and protect peace
In his remarks, the Holy Father emphasized that everyone is
“called daily to build and protect peace, turning our prayer to God that He may
give us this gift”. Pope Francis noted that, “for those called to educate in
the light of their religion or belief, this commitment also becomes a way of
bearing witness, and helping others to find an alternative model” to other
materialistic and horizontal models.
The necessity for dialogue
But educating for peace is the task not only of believers,
but of all people of good will, the Pope said. They will recognize how
necessary dialogue is, not only for “preventing and resolving conflicts”, but
“for bringing out the values and virtues that God has written in the heart of
every human person, and made evident in the order of creation”.
To those present, Pope Francis said, “your work today will
conclude with the opening of an exhibition that present works whose language is
meant to be dialogical”.
The exhibition is part of a Study Day organized at the
University, within the context of the world event entitled "Rebuilding the
Global Educational Pact", scheduled for 14 May 2020, and launched by Pope
Francis – and is organized together with the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Rome,
and in collaboration with the United Nations University for Peace.
Cardinal Tauran, a man of dialogue
The exhibition also celebrates the memory of Cardinal
Jean-Louis Tauran, former President of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue, who died on 5 July last year. His last official visit
as a representative of the Holy See was to Saudi Arabia.
In his remarks, Pope Francis paid tribute to the late
Cardinal, who he called “a man of dialogue and a peacemaker”. His whole life,
the Pope said, “was projected in the perspective of dialogue” – dialogue as a
Christian with God; with various peoples, governments and international
organizations as a diplomat; and finally, with other faith traditions, as
President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Pray constantly for peace
At the close of his address, Pope Francis called on everyone
"to pray ceaselessly, and to make every effort so that through an
authentic Global Educational Pact, an era of peace for the whole
human family can be inaugurated".
The "Calligraphy for Dialogue" exhibition opens
to the public on Monday 4 November, and closes on Friday 22 November.
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