MESSAGE TO MUSLIMS AT END OF RAMADAN

VATICAN CITY, JAN 8, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was the annual message sent by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue to Muslims on the occasion of Id Al-Fitr (the feast of the Breaking of the Fast) at the end of Ramadan, the monthlong Muslim period of fasting.

The message, in English and French and signed by council president Cardinal Francis Arinze, has been customary since 1967. In 1991, however, it was personally sent by Pope John Paul in 1991 because of the suffering and devastation in the Middle East caused by the Gulf War.

Following are excerpts from the 1999 message, entitled "Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of God's Love and Mercy."

"God loves all human beings, excluding no one. He is the source of all love in the family, in society, in the world. ... God is the Merciful One."

"There are many ways of showing love, expressions of our faithfulness to the Merciful One: almsgiving, ... care for orphans, the aged, the sick, for strangers, as also the commitment to promote human dignity and in favor of human rights, commitment to development, to the fight against the many evils in our society such as illiteracy, the influence of drugs, the abuse of minors, violence against women."

"Offenses against the love of neighbor are also numerous: ignoring the needs of others, refusing the duty of solidarity, hatred, discrimination based on sex, race or religion, injustice in all its forms. There is great convergence between our two religions in condemning such faults.

"God's love for humanity is universal, going beyond political frontiers, beyond the differences of race, culture or religion, beyond political or ideological options, independent of any particular social situation."

"I am addressing to you this message fully conscious that we, both Christians and Muslims, have not always loved and respected each other as God requires of us. ... Nevertheless it is important at the same time to note and to make known the numerous situations where Christians and Muslims live peacefully and fruitfully together."

Cardinal Arinze closed by renewing his "expressions of friendship and esteem."

CON-DIR;RAMADAM; MUSLIMS;...;ARINZE;VIS;19990108;Word: 330;