As we enter the Third Millennium, we, women and men of different faiths, have gathered in Lisbon to invoke God's great gift of peace. We have been walking together and from this Ocean we have received the longing for peace and justice coming from the world. Dialogue, friendship, and mutual respect allow the differences and the richness of everyone to emerge: this has not created a distance between us, but has brought us even closer and made us more committed to our common task, in order to make our planet a place where we can live in a more human way.
We heard the demands of the poor and of the prisoners of war, fear and hatred. We have before our eyes and in our hearts the suffering of Africa and of the poor peoples of the world. We saw closely the inhuman consequences of a foolish exploitation of our planet. We are aware of the huge opportunities and of the risks of globalisation if this is without a soul.
We explored the depths of our religious traditions and of memory. For these reasons we strongly affirm, even more solemnly than yesterday that: religions never justify hatred and violence. Peace is an indivisible value; it comes from God and it belongs to the whole humanity. Speaking about "religious war" is an absurdity and it contradicts the most beautiful name of God, which is Peace.
Dialogue is the way to overcome mistrust and conflict. Dialogue does not weaken the identity of anybody, but rather provokes every man and woman to acknowledge the best part of the other and to express the best of himself or herself. Nothing is lost with dialogue. Everything is possible through dialogue. Dialogue, let us repeat it, is the medicine that heals wounds and regenerates deeply our lives. It roots us in truth, in common witness, in charity and in friendship.
We came to Lisbon in search for peace and we saw in these days a community which is growing, a community of peace seekers, which the world needs. It is a community made up of different religions, stories , languages and sensitivities. It is our treasure and our future. The seed that helps us to be more human and more faithful lies in this community of peace seekers. We commit ourselves to widen, together with our brothers and sisters, this space of dialogue by using the art of the human encounter.
We have no power but only the weak strength of peace, of prayer and of friendship. Prayer and friendship purify our hearts and help us to say to each other the difficult and demanding words of forgiveness.
Thus, war never again! May God grant the whole world, and each man and woman, the wonderful gift of peace!