Pope to G20 Faith Forum: The
vital role of constructive dialogue
Pope Francis sends a message to the 2018 G20 Interfaith
Forum which takes place from the 26-28 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina The
theme of the event is “Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development:
Religious Contributions for a Dignified Future.”
By Lydia O’Kane
The G20 Interfaith Forum which gets underway in Buenos
Aires, Wednesday is the fifth annual event of its kind held in relation to the
meetings of the international “Group of Twenty” (G20) Economic Summit.
This year’s Forum takes place ahead of the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires to be
held from the 30 November-1 December.
In a message to participants attending the forum, Pope
Francis says that, “these interfaith conferences, within the framework of the
G20 Summit meetings, aspire to offer the international community the
contribution of their different religious and philosophical traditions and
experiences to highlight those social issues that concern us today…”
He goes on to say, that men and women of faith cannot remain indifferent to “the difficult situations that not only affect so many of our neglected and forgotten brothers, but also threaten the future of all humanity.”
He goes on to say, that men and women of faith cannot remain indifferent to “the difficult situations that not only affect so many of our neglected and forgotten brothers, but also threaten the future of all humanity.”
Importance of dialogue
Constructive dialogue, underlines the Pontiff, is
fundamental to seeking the best solutions that affect everyone. He notes,
however, that dialogue does not have to mean renouncing one's identity, but it
is “being willing to go out to meet the other, to understand their reasons,…
and is above all an occasion of mutual enrichment and fraternal growth.”
Because, he adds, “it is not possible to build a common home leaving aside
people who think differently…”
Role of religious
The Pope writes that, religious have a great role to play in
promoting the dignity of the human person, which comes from faith in God,
especially in a world “in which a technocratic development paradigm is affirmed
and consolidated, with its logic of domination and control of reality in favour
of economic and profit interests.”
Pope Francis ends his message with an urgent invitation “to
a new dialogue on how we are building our society…”, and calls everyone to
protect “our common home through concern for the whole human family.”
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét