THE ONLY WORTHWHILE RELIGION IS THE ONE THAT LEADS TO PEACE

VATICAN CITY, AUG 31, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, has been attending the Millennium World Peace Summit, a meeting organized by the United Nations and held in New York, U.S.A., from August 28 to 31.

The gathering, which has been attended by religious and spiritual leaders, forms part of a series of preparatory initiatives for the 55th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations which will begin on September 5.

In a message addressed to Cardinal Arinze for the occasion, the Pope wrote that the peace summit "is an exceptional opportunity to make it abundantly clear that the only religion worthy of the name is the religion that leads to peace and that true religion is mocked when it is tied to conflict and violence."

John Paul II went on to indicate that "religions cannot provide technical solutions to all the world's problems, for that is not their task. But they do offer a moral and spiritual wisdom which illuminates and teaches the transcendent truth of the human person. From this alone there comes the respect for human dignity without which there can be no justice, solidarity or peace."

"It is a sign of hope when religious and spiritual leaders can say to the world with one voice that peace is possible, that peace is our sacred duty, that peace is the future willed by God."

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