Pope Leo XIV meets
with representatives of various Churches and religions on Monday
(@Vatican Media)
Pope Leo XIV: Now is the time for dialogue and building
bridges
On the day after the Mass for the Inauguration of his
Petrine Ministry, Pope Leo XIV greets delegations from non-Catholic Churches,
ecclesial communities, and other faith traditions, recalling his predecessor’s
commitment to ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.
By Christopher Wells
Pope Leo XIV held a special
audience on Monday for ecumenical and interreligious
delegations that took part in the Solemn Mass for the Inauguration of his
Petrine Ministry.
In his address, the Holy Father highlighted Pope Francis’
emphasis on universal fraternity, continuing the initiatives of previous popes,
especially St John XXIII.
Pope Francis, “the Pope of Fratelli tutti,
promoted both the ecumenical path and inter-religious dialogue,” Pope Leo said,
“above all by cultivating interpersonal relations, in such a way that, without
taking anything away from ecclesial bonds, the human trait of the encounter was
always valued. May God help us to treasure his witness!”
True unity is unity in faith
Speaking first to other Christian Churches and ecclesial
communities, Pope Leo XIV took note of the 1,700th anniversary of the
Council of Nicea, emphasizing that unity among Christians “can only be unity in
faith.”
He added that the pursuit of full and visible communion of
all Christians is one of his priorities as Bishop of Rome.
At the same time, he recalled the close links between ecumenism
and synodality, and assured the delegations of his commitment to follow Pope
Francis in “promoting the synodal character of the Catholic Church.”
A common path in the spirit of human fraternity
Turning to representatives of non-Christian religious traditions,
Pope Leo XIV said our “common path” can and must be understood to involve
everyone, “in a spirit of human fraternity.”
Today, he said, “is the time for dialogue and building
bridges.”
The Holy Father looked back again at his immediate
predecessor, calling to mind “the remarkable efforts made by Pope Francis in
favour of interreligious dialogue.”
Citing the Document on Human Fraternity, Pope Leo said,
“Through his words and actions, [Pope Francis] opened new avenues of encounter,
to promote ‘the culture of dialogue as the path; mutual collaboration as the
code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard.’”
Relations with Judaism, Islam, and other religious
traditions
Following the path laid out by Vatican II’s document on
interreligious relations (Nostra aetate), Pope Leo also highlighted
the “spiritual heritage shared by Christians and Jews,” and emphasized the
importance of theological dialogue between the communities, even in times of
“conflicts and misunderstandings.”
The Pope went on to note “the growing commitment to dialogue
and fraternity” that marks relations between the Catholic Church and Muslims,
saying an approach based on “mutual respect and freedom of conscience” is “a
solid basis for building bridges between our communities.”
Finally, addressing representatives of other traditions,
including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and others, Pope Leo expressed gratitude
for their contributions to peace “in a world wounded by violence and conflict.”
At the same time, he conveyed his hopes that, by working
together, religious believers can help to say “no” to war, to the arms race,
and to an unjust economy; and “yes” to peace, to disarmament, and to integral
development.
Building a more peaceful world
Pope Leo XIV concluded his discourse by sharing his
conviction that “the witness of our fraternity… will certainly contribute to
building a more peaceful world, something that all men and women of good will
desire in their hearts.”
And he invited the delegations to “invoke God’s blessings in
our hearts,” praying that “His infinite goodness and wisdom help us to live as
His children and as brothers and sisters to each other, so that hope may grow
in the world.”
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