Pope Francis addresses interreligious meeting for
peace: Full text
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| Pope Francis arrives by richshaw to the Interreligious and Ecumenical Meeting for Peace.- REUTERS |
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis addressed participants in an
Interreligious and Ecumenical Meeting for Peace on Friday, which took place in
the Archbishop of Dhaka's residence on the second day of the Pope's Apostolic
Journey to Bangladesh.
Please find below the official English translation of
the Pope's speech:
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
Our meeting, which brings together representatives of the
various religious communities present in this country, represents a highly
significant moment in my Visit to Bangladesh. For we have gathered to
deepen our friendship and to express our shared desire for the gift of genuine
and lasting peace.
My thanks go to Cardinal D’Rozario for his kind words of
welcome, and to those who have greeted me warmly on behalf of the Muslim, Hindu
and Buddhist communities, and in the name of the civil authorities. I am
grateful to the Anglican bishop of Dhaka for his presence, to the various
Christian communities, and to all those whose have helped to make this
gathering possible.
The words we have heard, but also the songs and dances that
have enlivened our assembly, have spoken to us eloquently of the yearning for
harmony, fraternity and peace embodied in the teachings of the world’s
religions. May our meeting this afternoon be a clear sign of the efforts
of the leaders and followers of the religions present in this country to live
together in mutual respect and good will. In Bangladesh, where the right
to religious freedom is a founding principle, this commitment stands as a
subtle yet firm rebuke to those who would seek to foment division, hatred and
violence in the name of religion.
It is a particularly gratifying sign of our times that
believers and all people of good will feel increasingly called to cooperate in
shaping a culture of encounter, dialogue and cooperation in the service of our
human family. This entails more than mere tolerance. It challenges
us to reach out to others in mutual trust and understanding, and so to build a
unity that sees diversity not as a threat, but as a potential source of
enrichment and growth. It challenges us to cultivate an openness of heart
that views others as an avenue, not a barrier.
Allow me to explore with you briefly some essential features
of this “openness of heart” that is the condition for a culture of
encounter.
First, it is a door. It is not an abstract theory but
a lived experience. It enables us to embark on a dialogue of life, not a
mere exchange of ideas. It calls for good will and acceptance, yet it is
not to be confused with indifference or reticence in expressing our most deeply
held convictions. To engage fruitfully with another means sharing our
distinct religious and cultural identity, but always with humility, honesty and
respect.
Openness of heart is also like a ladder that reaches up to
the Absolute. By recalling this transcendent dimension of our activity,
we realize the need for our hearts to be purified, so that we can see all
things in their truest perspective. As with each step our vision becomes
clearer, we receive the strength to persevere in the effort to understand and
value others and their point of view. In this way, we will find the
wisdom and strength needed to extend the hand of friendship to all.
Openness of heart is likewise a path that leads to the
pursuit of goodness, justice and solidarity. It leads to seeking the good
of our neighbours. In his letter to the Christians in Rome, Saint Paul
urged his hearers: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”
(Rom 12:21). This is a sentiment that all of us can echo. Religious
concern for the welfare of our neighbour, streaming from an open heart, flows
outward like a vast river, to quench the dry and parched wastelands of hatred,
corruption, poverty and violence that so damage human lives, tear families
apart, and disfigure the gift of creation.
Bangladesh’s different religious communities have embraced
this path in a particular way by their commitment to the care of the earth, our
common home, and by their response to the natural disasters that have beset the
nation in recent years. I think too of the common outpouring of grief,
prayer and solidarity that accompanied the tragic collapse of Rana Plaza, which
remains fresh in the minds of all. In these various ways, we see how the
path of goodness leads to cooperation in the service of others.
A spirit of openness, acceptance and cooperation between
believers does not simply contribute to a culture of harmony and peace; it is
its beating heart. How much our world needs this heart to beat strongly,
to counter the virus of political corruption, destructive religious ideologies,
and the temptation to turn a blind eye to the needs of the poor, refugees,
persecuted minorities, and those who are most vulnerable. How much, too,
is such openness needed in order to reach out to the many people in our world,
especially the young, who at times feel alone and bewildered as they search for
meaning in life!
Dear friends, I thank you for your efforts to promote the
culture of encounter, and I pray that, by demonstrating the common commitment
of believers to discerning the good and putting it into practice, they will
help all believers to grow in wisdom and holiness, and to cooperate in building
an ever more humane, united and peaceful world.
I open my own heart to all of you, and I thank you once more
for your welcome. Let us remember one another in our prayers.
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