COUNCIL ISSUES ANNUAL MESSAGE TO MUSLIMS FOR END OF RAMADAN

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2001 (VIS) - Published today in French, English and Italian was the annual message from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to Muslims for the end of Ramadan, 'Id Al-Fitr 1422 A.H./2001 A.D. The Message, signed by council president, Cardinal Francis Arinze, focussed on "Promoting Human Values in An Era of Technology."

Following are excerpts:

"I address this message to you as a sign of esteem and friendship on the part of the Catholic Church."

"In addressing you at this moment, the end of the period in which you have been fulfilling a specific religious duty in order to come closer to the Most High, I cannot forget, in the first place, the dramatic events which our world is experiencing, events which affect in a particular way the hearts of believers belonging to the monotheistic religions. The faithful adorers of the One God are called to be in the world the artisans of a civilization founded on the perennial values of peace and justice, of unity and love, of dialogue and freedom, of cooperation and fraternity, between persons and among peoples. May expressions of solidarity and fraternity among believers and all people of good will lead society along new paths, in full respect for human values and in the promotion of these values.

"This year it is precisely upon this theme of human values and their promotion in an era marked by great technological progress that I wish to reflect with you. We are living in an era of technology which touches all spheres of activity: transport, communications, information, medicine, genetics, etc. Technological advances are constantly transforming the face of the earth and even allowing human beings to reach out to conquer space. However the most exciting and at the same time controversial field of technology is genetics which touches human nature directly."

"What can we do, Christians and Muslims, together with the believers belonging to other religions and other people of good will, to ensure that we make good use of these new means at our disposal?

"Can we not work together to protect the most important human values which are threatened by a world in continual transformation? In the first place comes the right to life, to be protected from conception right up to natural death. For life comes from God and it is to Him that it must return, when He wills. Life is a most precious gift from God, the precondition for all other divine gifts. Next comes the dignity of the human person and the rights which flow from it; these we must promote for all."

"How can we protect and promote these values together in this technological era? First of all through dialogue, which ... could lead naturally to collaboration in the fields already mentioned. This dialogue and collaboration are to be pursued at all levels, local, regional, national and world-wide. ... The common action to which we are invited concerns the whole of humanity."

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