COURAGEOUS DIALOGUE REQUIRED TO CONFRONT WORLD TENSIONS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 2003 (VIS) - Today John Paul II received the Letters of Credence from Abdulhafed Gaddur, the new Head of Mission of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

In his speech in Italian, the Holy Father affirmed that "courageous and persevering dialogue is especially useful to confront the many existing tensions in the world that concern us and require active collaboration on all sides to be resolved, keeping in mind the fundamental principles of truth, justice, love, and freedom." The Pope went on to refer to "the situation in the Middle East that is very much on my mind; terrorism which may indiscriminately strike any part of the world and which makes cities, peoples and even all of humanity insecure; conflicts that prevent the inhabitants of many regions of Africa from developing; unequal distribution of the goods of the land and of the fruits of technological, human and spiritual research."

"Dialogue," he continued, "based on solid moral law, facilitates the resolution of conflicts and promotes respect for life and for all human beings."

John Paul II emphasized that the "Church, conscious of the role that religion plays in consolidating the culture of coexistence and of reciprocal understanding and active collaboration, wants to advance the mission of peace, urging everyone to take on the responsibility of caring for others in order to build a fairer, more united and free world. This testimony," he added, "is offered by the small but active Catholic community in Libya," which "wants to continue its activity, cultivating the spirit of fraternal communion, service to one's neighbor, with a discreet and loving presence."

After expressing his gratitude to the authorities and to the entire Libyan people for their respect for the Church's mission, the Pope said: "A sincere will for honest collaboration constitutes the foundation for fruitful cooperation among believers and among all human beings. This is valid, in particular," he concluded, "for followers of Islam and Christianity. Faced by attempts to falsify religion and an illegitimate use of sacred traditions, it is necessary to remember that practices that incite violence and lack of respect for human life are against God and man."

CD;LETTERS CREDENCE;...;LIBYA ;VIS;20030701;Word: 380;