We have come to the end of these three days of dialogue on this crucial issue: �A world without violence�. Is it a dream? Or a rhetoric exercise of fine sentiments?

It is indeed a dream. I perceived it on the lips of the people from Darfur, North Uganda and Burma. I felt it during the Liberian war. We sense it every day among the people of the Middle East. A world without violence is the dream of those who are held hostage by crime. It is the dream of people who experience insecurity under the threat of terrorism. It is the dream of those who see young people trained at the school of violence, while they prepare a grim future for themselves tomorrow.

It is indeed a dream, the most beautiful of all dreams: a dream of peace. It is the most human dream of all.

It is a dream that Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Shinto, believers of all faiths, have welcomed into their respective prayers this evening. We believe in the power of prayer. It can move mountains. The spirit is active in history; and banishing the spirit from history, as occurred in the 20th century, often entails depriving men and women of their heart, and stripping life of its soul. Peace needs the realism and hope of the spirit.

To believers, the dream of a world in peace is not an illusion, it is an ideal to live for, to fight for, to pray for, and to work for. It is an ideal that is indefeasible! A world without ideals to live for, either dies or cheapens itself. Peace is established with patience, with the immense patience that heals fractures.

Peace is a dream that is achieved with patience, a dream to pray for restlessly. This dream should guide the good feelings of entire peoples: love, mutual respect, pursuit of justice and patience. The feelings of people and nations are actually important. And religions guide them in their depths. Good feelings are important; let us not look down on them, like the advocates of pessimism and the prophets of doom do, by supporting a faulty realism that banishes the spirit from life and history.

Religions are not a flag under which people fight. It is shameful when religions are manipulated by terrorism. As Benedict XVI recalled the other day to the religious leaders: �Facing a world lacerated by conflicts, where violence is sometimes justified in the name of God, it is important to reaffirm that never religions can be a vehicle of hatred�. Indeed, the spirit dies out when religions become violent.

We are grateful for the firm, vivid, and serene presence of the Holy Father among us. A great witness of hope, he comforted us by saying that �the Catholic Church means to continue and walk the path of dialogue, in order to further mutual understanding among different cultures, traditions and religious wisdoms�.

We believe that this brilliant commitment will be followed by all the religious communities in the world, in order to reach, with greater audacity, a new era of peacemaking through dialogue, friendship and sincere conversation. Tonight in Naples, religions shine as luminous lights of peace.

Benedict XVI gave us the example, by sitting at the table with representatives of different Churches, Congregations and Religions. To sit at the same table is in itself a wonderful sign of peace, for we must all sit at the table together, in order to talk to each other, to look at each other�s face, to overcome distances. Peace is built in the heart by means of a humble and tenacious service.

There is so much that conspires to make us pessimists, people who will give up this vision. Pessimism seems to be stronger than everything, like the evil truth of history. Every day is distorted by gossiping media reports, that spoil and cheapen everything. It is the manifestation of a world that has relinquished the clear-headedness of a great vision, while it hides its weakness behind emphatic talk. Thus, weakness becomes strength, decadent prejudice becomes intelligence.

However, these days taught us to look beyond and hope. Not only beyond the fog of pessimism and the prophets of doom, but also beyond terrible crises. Many were the achievements of these days: among them, let me mention the true realism that ran through the dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians yesterday afternoon, an expression of the willingness to reach a rapid agreement for that tormented land.

Today, in Naples, we feel we need a more audacious era of commitment of all religions, to reconcile men, women and peoples, and to recall the responsibilities of peace. For peace is threatened and it needs patient and steadfast weavers, who can live the �realism of the spirit�. Without spirit there is no peace.

The atmosphere of Naples, the embrace of the people, the generous and committed collaboration of the Institutions has confirmed everyone, for this was not only a meeting, but a popular event of peace. Naples knows what peace is, because it knows the sorrow caused by violence. With its tremendous participation, Naples has become the capital of dialogue in the Mediterranean Sea, a city of peace. Therefore I say: thank you Napoli!

I thank the Church of Naples, its Archbishop, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, who showed us to what extent spirituality can be an unlimited source of courage for the achievement of peace. Without his tenacity, this event of peace would never have blossomed!

I thank you, religious leaders coming from all parts of the world: you show how peace is rooted in faith, and it has the colours of the rainbow!

Finally, I thank you all, friends and people of Naples, who volunteered generously to work for the success of this event! And thank you, if I may say so, to my friends of Sant�Egidio, who in great numbers have worked humbly and generously to serve and give life to this event!

Thank You Mr. President of the Republic, for with your presence and your words, which stem from a wide experience of the world and of humankind, you encourage us in our belief that dialogue is the way to build a better world.