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21/10/2007 |
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Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday urged "reconciliation among peoples" ahead of a religious summit in Naples. "With respect for the differences between the various religions, we are all called to work for peace and ... reconciliation among peoples," Benedict said in the meeting with leading Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Anglican, Orthodox and other Christian figures. The meeting is the largest inter-faith dialogue he has held as pope. "In the face of a world torn by conflicts where violence is sometimes justified in the name of God, it is important to reiterate that religions can never become vehicles of hate," said the 80-year-old pontiff. "To the contrary, religions can and should offer precious resources to build a peaceful humanity ... especially where tensions are strongest, freedom and respect for others is denied and men and women suffer the consequences of intolerance and incomprehension," he said. Some 200 participants at the annual Sant'Egidio community peace meeting include Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Israel's chief rabbis Yona Metzger and the imam of the United Arab Emirates, Ibrahim Ezzeddin. Benedict has stressed his commitment to "open and sincere dialogue" with followers of other religions. The Sant'Egidio encounter follows an open letter sent to the pope and other Christian figures by 138 Muslim leaders, both Sunni and Shiite, which urged greater efforts to bring the two religions together. Benedict set Muslim opinion aflame last year in a speech in which he seemed to link Islam with violence, but sought to win hearts and minds during his November 2006 trip to mainly Muslim Turkey. In a dramatic gesture, the pontiff assumed an attitude of Muslim prayer while standing beside Istanbul's Grand Mufti Mustafa Cagrici in Istanbul's Blue Mosque. While there, the pope also met Barthomew I, spiritual leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians. Healing the nearly 10-century-old rift between the Eastern and Western Rites was one of the priorities -- along with reaching out to Muslims and Jews -- that Benedict set out for himself when he took up the papacy in April 2005. The Sant'Egidio summits are meant to carry on the "spirit of Assisi" launched 21 years ago by Pope John Paul II in the birthplace of Saint Francis. A World Day of Prayer for Peace was attended by the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and other religious leaders, but Benedict, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, stayed away, reportedly out of concern that it put all religions on an equal footing. Thus the timing of his pastoral visit to Naples has been billed as a "happy coincidence" by Sant'Egidio, a lay Catholic organisation that has mediated in several world conflicts. The theme of this year's peace summit is "A World Without Violence: Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue," with topics to include AIDS, immigration, the plight of Africa and the quest for peace in the Middle East. The pope lunched with Sant'Egidio participants as well as Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. Earlier, Benedict celebrated an open-air mass as rain fell on pilgrims huddled under umbrellas in Naples' main square. Lamenting "the sad phenomenon of violence" in the impoverished city, the pontiff said: "It's not only a matter of the deplorable number of crimes of the Camorra (mafia), but also the fact that violence tends unfortunately to become a widespread mentality, insinuating itself into the fabric of society." The pope underscored "the importance of intensifying efforts for a serious strategy of prevention centring on schools, work and helping young people to manage their free time. "Intervention is needed that involves everyone in the struggle against all forms of violence," he said.
Gina Doggett
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