08/09/2002

Pope hails world peace conference

THE Pope has thrown his weight behind the effort of the Sant Egidio Community to promote talks between the world�s great religions to prevent a �war of civilisations�.

In a message to an international meeting organised by the community in Palermo, Sicily, the Pope praised the movement for �courage and audacity� in taking up the �spirit of Assisi� and carrying it forward with determination.

His reference to Assisi was understood to refer to the first gathering of the leaders of the major world religions whom he called to Assisi in October 1986. He believes that event helped avert a serious threat to world peace.

Since then, the Sant�Egidio international Catholic lay-community has annually brought together leaders of the major world religions to work together for an end to conflict.

The Palermo meeting united 456 representatives of the world's great religions for a conference aimed at promoting understanding and the pooling of their common spiritual resources in the promotion of world peace and the prevention of conflicts.

Ten cardinals - from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and scores of bishops from all the different Christian denominations, including the Anglican Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres - participated. So too did Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu leaders, and many ambassadors.

The opening plenary session was chaired by the jovial Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who turns 80 this month, whom the Pope hailed as one of the promoters of the 1986 event.

The Pope recalled how that event marked, �the beginning of a new way of meeting between believers of different religions in the search for a constructive dialogue, in which everyone would open to the others with appreciation, all aware God is the source of peace".

He said it was necessary, especially after September 11, to continue �walking along the track of justice, certain of the help of God who knows how to open ways of peace where men do not succeed�. For this reason, he added, he had called the world�s religious leaders to Assisi for a second time last January, and told them it was necessary �to lift the fog of suspicion and misunderstanding� and that �darkness does not clear up with weapons, it clears away with lamps of light�.

Andrea Riccardi, the community's founder, said the world was still coming to terms with September 11. There is widespread �anxiety, diffidence, fear for the future� and some wonder if dialogue serves any purpose, he said. But he urged religious leaders not to give into pessimism, saying they were called �to communicate hope, and... bring about an authentic climate of peace, and educate (people) with a love of peace�.

Seeds of Jerusalem dialogue

ISRAELI and Palestinian leaders meeting in Palermo asked the Community of Sant Egidio to give them a helping hand in overcoming their bitter conflict.

At a round-table meeting chaired by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, the leaders said as �one voice�: �Come to Palestine, come to Israel, and participate in the dialogue�.

Laila Shahid, the representative of the Palestinian Authority in Paris, was the first to call for the international lay Catholic community to intervene. She recalled how they had helped broker peace in Mozambique in 1992, by �restarting an otherwise impossible dialogue�.

Dan Meridor, an Israeli Government minister agreed, saying: �The Community of Sant�Egidio can come to Jerusalem and play an important role, establishing a dialogue which would take the ground from terrorism�.

Cardinal Etchegaray said he hoped the community would soon be able to bring to Jerusalem the dialogue �started" in Palermo. �God�s mercy reaches farther down than man�s misery�, he said, hoping for God's help to make this step forward.

An Israeli official later told The Universe that many on both sides felt the great need for �outside help� to help overcome the present situation and open the path to negotiations once again.

Gerry O'Connell