Vatican City, 6 June 2015 (VIS) -
“Today’s meeting is a sign of our shared desire for fraternity
and peace; it is a testimony to the friendship and cooperation that
has been developing over the years and which you already experience
daily. To be present here today is already a 'message' of that
dialogue which everyone seeks and strives for”, said Pope Francis
to the participants in the ecumenical and interreligious meeting held
in the Franciscan international study centre of Sarajevo.
The leaders of the Muslim, Orthodox,
Catholic and Jewish communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina greeted the
Holy Father, who recalled one of the fruits of this desire for
encounter and reconciliation – the establishment in 1997 of a local
Council for Interreligious Dialogue, bringing together Muslims,
Christians and Jews – and congratulated them on their work in
promoting dialogue, coordinating common initiatives and developing
relations with State authorities. “Your work in this region is
immensely important, particularly in Sarajevo, which stands as the
crossroads of peoples and cultures”, he said. “Here, on the one
hand, diversity constitutes a great resource which has contributed to
the social, cultural and spiritual development of this region, while,
on the other, it has also been the cause of painful rifts and bloody
wars. It is not by chance that the birth of the Council for
Interreligious Dialogue and other valuable initiatives in the area of
interreligious and ecumenical work came about at the end of the war,
in response to the need for reconciliation and rebuilding a society
torn apart by conflict. Interreligious dialogue here, as in every
part of the world, is an indispensable condition for peace, and for
this reason is a duty for all believers”.
Francis underlined that interreligious
dialogue, before being a discussion of the main themes of faith, is a
“conversation about human existence”. “This conversation shares
the experiences of daily life in all its concreteness, with its joys
and sufferings, its struggles and hopes; it takes on shared
responsibilities; it plans a better future for all. We learn to live
together, respecting each other’s differences freely; we know and
accept one another’s identity. Through dialogue, a spirit of
fraternity is recognised and developed, which unites and favours the
promotion of moral values, justice, freedom and peace. Dialogue is a
school of humanity and a builder of unity, which helps to build a
society founded on tolerance and mutual respect”.
For this reason, “interreligious
dialogue cannot be limited merely to the few, to leaders of religious
communities, but must also extend as far as possible to all
believers, engaging the different sectors of civil society.
Particular attention must be paid to young men and women who are
called to build the future of this country. It is always worth
remembering, however, that for dialogue to be authentic and
effective, it presupposes a solid identity: without an established
identity, dialogue is of no use or even harmful. I say this with the
young in mind, but it applies to everyone.
“I sincerely appreciate all that you
have managed to accomplish up to this point and I encourage each of
you in your efforts for the cause of peace of which you, as religious
leaders, are the first guardians here in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I
assure you that the Catholic Church will continue to offer her full
support and willingness to help”, the Pope emphasised. “We are
all aware that there is a long way yet to go. Let us not be
discouraged, however, by the difficulties, but rather continue with
perseverance along the way of forgiveness and reconciliation. While
we seek to recall the past with honesty, thereby learning the lessons
of history, we must also avoid lamentation and recrimination, letting
ourselves instead be purified by God Who gives us the present and the
future: He is our future, He is the ultimate source of peace.
“This city, which in the recent past
sadly became a symbol of war and destruction, this Jerusalem of
Europe, today, with its variety of peoples, cultures and religions,
can become again a sign of unity, a place in which diversity does not
represent a threat but rather a resource, an opportunity to grow
together. In a world unfortunately torn by conflicts, this land can
become a message: attesting that it is possible to live together side
by side, in diversity but rooted in a common humanity, building
together a future of peace and brotherhood. You can live life being a
peacemaker!”.
Following his discourse, and before
asking all those present to pray for him and assuring them of his
prayers, Pope Francis recited the following prayer “to the Eternal,
One and True Living God, to the Merciful God”:
“Almighty and eternal God,
good and merciful Father;
Creator of heaven and earth, of all
that is visible and invisible;
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of
Jacob,
King and Lord of the past, of the
present and of the future;
sole judge of every man and woman,
Who reward Your faithful with eternal
glory!
We, the descendants of Abraham
according to our faith in You, the one God,
Jews, Christians and Muslims,
humbly stand before You
and with trust we pray to You
for this country, Bosnia and
Herzegovina,
that men and women, followers of
different religions, nations and cultures
may live here in peace and harmony.
We pray to You, O Father,
that it may be so in every country of
the world!
Strengthen in each of us faith and
hope,
mutual respect and sincere love
for all of our brothers and sisters.
Grant that we may dedicate ourselves
courageously to building a just
society,
to being men and women of good will,
filled with mutual understanding and
forgiveness,
patient artisans of dialogue and peace.
May each of our thoughts, words and
actions
be in harmony with Your holy will.
May everything be to Your glory and
honour and for our salvation.
Praise and eternal glory to You, our
God!
Amen”.
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