Card. Ayuso: Pandemic
provides impetus to build bridges of fraternity
 |
| Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot (AFP) |
Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, President of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, takes part in a
video-conference promoted by the UN on the Covid-19 pandemic. He also invites
people to join in the Day of Prayer on 14 May.
By Vatican News
“The role of religious leaders in addressing the multiples
challenges of COVID-19”: That was the theme of a virtual UN conference held on
Tuesday which focused on a number of important issues, including the role
Religious Leaders can play in promoting unity and solidarity at this
challenging time.
Among those taking part in the meeting was Cardinal Miguel
Ángel Ayuso Guixot, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue.
He began his speech by recalling an empty St Peter’s Square
where, on March 27, Pope Francis prayed for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also quoted the Pope’s words on that rain and wind swept
evening: “We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and
disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row
together, each of us in need of comforting the other.”
During his intervention, the Cardinal focused on three key
points: unity, solidarity and fraternity.
Unity
Speaking about unity, he said, "we must always remember
that the basis of our collaboration and dialogue is the common root of our
humanity; we are all part of our human family".
"I believe,” he continued, “that we have become more
united and we have understood that our life, the life of our communities,
cannot be separated from that of others. We are dependent on each other".
Cardinal Ayuso underlined that, "our feeling of unity
is not from the strength of economic power or that of arms, but rather because
we have discovered ourselves as weak and fragile and, therefore, in need of
each other.”
Solidarity
Turning to the second key point, solidarity, the Cardinal
said, "This awareness of our unity, requires us, as religious leaders
together with our communities, to be in solidarity with hard-hit humanity.”
He stressed that “this cannot, in fact, be a moment of
indifference, or selfishness, or division; with the whole of humanity
suffering, we must be united in facing the pandemic".
"The way forward is to find the courage to open the
space for new forms of solidarity" the Cardinal said.
He also emphasized that no one should be “left behind"
at this difficult time.
“I believe,” said Cardinal Ayuso, “that the emergence of
this epidemic requires a great effort, obviously in terms of health and
economics", but it also requires an even greater effort "to lay a new
foundation for defeating all injustice and inequality".
The world, he underlined, must not return to what it was
before the pandemic, but rather it must “seize the opportunity to create a new
and better global society".
Fraternity
On the issue of fraternity, the Cardinal said that as one
human family, “we recognize each other as brothers and sisters” and that “this
awareness is the first step to tearing down the walls raised because fear and
ignorance".
"This pandemic provides the impetus to try seek to build
bridges of friendship and fraternity, which are fundamental for the good of all
humanity. This spirit of fraternity, in which we are united, will sustain us
and help us to overcome these difficult moments".
Day of Prayer
Recalling the Pope’s Easter Urbi et Orbi message,
Cardinal Ayuso, said that in this time of uncertainty, our mission is to spread
"a contagion of hope".
He also invited people to take part in the day of prayer,
fasting and good deeds proposed by the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity,
which will be observed on May 14.
The Cardinal concluded his intervention by saying that
religious leaders are called to promote unity, solidarity and fraternity.
“I hope that out of this difficult moment we can all emerge
better than we were before, and help our society to be ready to change
everything that is necessary, not only following the laws of economic
profit."
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