Vatican City, 9 June 2015 (VIS) –
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with
States, spoke at the seminar “Building inclusive societies
together: contributions to Sarajevo's exchange on the religious
dimension of intercultural dialogue” on 8 June at the Council of
Europe, in preparation for the 2015 Meeting on this issue to be held
in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 8 to 9 September.
The archbishop structured his
discussion according to four main theses: in the context of growing
multipolarity, religions are an essential subject/actor in the area
of intercultural dialogue; religions are called to offer a specific
contribution to the advancement of a culture of human rights;
religious freedom is a key element in the development of a democratic
society; and the promotion and protection of the right to religious
freedom is a basic task of states and international organisations.
“Open and respectful encounters
between religious traditions and between these and the social and
political world are fundamental for social cohesion”, he said. “The
religious dimension continues to be a living reference point for
millions of people in Europe, affecting their choices and, to a
greater or lesser degree, their identity. It is a dimension which is
in continuous transformation, due to new religious forms of life and
profound changes experienced within religious communities that have
long been present in Europe. ... For intercultural dialogue to bear
fruit, it must face not only the religious dimension in general, but
also interact with particular religious confessions with all their
historic characteristics”.
“Without the particular contribution
given by religious perspectives on the human person, … the entire
culture of human rights, even those of non-believers, would be
greatly impoverished. I cannot claim to speak in the name of other
religious cultures; but I believe that the specific contribution of
the Catholic Church to a common culture of human rights may be seen
in concrete ways and I will limit myself to offering a few examples,
which are by no means exhaustive. First of all, there is the
awareness of a radical equality and fraternity between every human
person created in the image and likeness of God. Secondly, the
recognition of the worth of the least among us, of the poor and the
marginalised, of the dignity of every human life no matter how weak
or precarious, from conception through natural death. Thirdly, the
capacity to transmit a religious identity which is both firm and
respectful of others, open to dialogue with other religions and world
views. As can easily be seen, these are universal values, and while
they are not exclusive to the Catholic Faith, the latter has offered
and continues to offer a unique contribution. Every religious
tradition can and must make its own particular contribution, even
when it becomes important to find a way to relate honestly to one
another, embracing the good that exists in all traditions and also
inviting sincere discussion on the perceived limitations of every
tradition of thought, be it religious or not”.
“In today’s context of
multicultural societies, respect for religious freedom is one of the
fundamental factors by which the health of a given democracy can be
evaluated as being truly a home for everyone. Promoting religious
freedom appears particularly important in averting and countering the
phenomena of extremist violence and radicalisation, against which
governments and international organisations are currently engaged,
among them the Council of Europe”.
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