HOLY FATHER WELCOMES NEW AMBASSADOR FROM JAPAN

VATICAN CITY, OCT 29, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul today received the Letters of Credence of Mitsuhiro Nakamura, the new ambassador of Japan to the Holy See. He focussed his talk to the diplomat on the world situation, and highlighted the need for dialogue among civilizations in order to establish a just and lasting peace in the world.

The Pope pointed to the current world situation, especially "the events which have, these last weeks, threatened the great balances of the world and kept millions of people in a state of anguish." Recalling Japan's past and "the somber days of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" whose "photographic images ... still live on in the conscience of the entire international community," he highlighted "the profound and great attention to peace which marks Japanese society today."

He issued a heartfelt appeal "for a renewed and ever more intense commitment by all men of good will so that, through dialogue and collaboration, each people may have a land and each person might live in peace. Confidence among persons and peoples will cause terrorism to retreat forever, for it can in no way open the path to the recognition of a group of persons or an ideology, nor lead to a way of governing in a country or region."

John Paul II stressed that violence does not allow "the establishment of the bases of a society which is respectful of all its members; by the wounds it causes, it alienates all peaceful social life and reduces to nothing the most basic rights of persons and of peoples to peace and an integral development in solidarity."

He pointed out that "the religious, spiritual, cultural and human values which are the foundation of Japanese society and many other societies, values such as respect for creation and for life, a spirit of eagerness in work, a profound sense of solidarity, the capacity to being open to transcendence, are essential elements in building a civilization of love and peace."

Pope John Paul stated that "dialogue among civilizations is a necessary condition in establishing peace." Dialogue must be an "exchange among different peoples, cultures and religious and philosophical traditions," in respect for legitimate freedoms, "especially religious freedom so that religion will never be a pretext for acts contrary to the respect of every human being."

"The Catholic Church," he concluded, "participates actively in this dialogue ... in order to build a human community which is united and lives in solidarity." And he thanked the ambassador for "the great esteem and high reputation that the Catholic Church enjoys in Japan, especially in the realms of social assistance and education."

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