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Message from Johannes Rau
President of the Federal Republic of Germany
Address at the occasion of the International Peace Meeting of the Community of Sant�Egidio �War and Peace � Faith and Cultures Meet�, from September 7th-9th 2003 in Aachen. I am very glad the Prayer for Peace of the Community of Sant�Egidio can take place in Aachen this year. Unfortunately I am unable to attend the meeting myself, but I would like to send you my best regards and my best wishes for your meeting. The Community of Sant�Egidio exists for 35 years now. A group of young people decided with Andrea Riccardi to take an example at the Acts of the Apostles and the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. Since then the Community has grown considerably and has spread in more than 60 countries and on 4 continents. Today the Community is mostly known and famous for her work for peace. I am very grateful that the Community engages herself to protect and to keep peace where it is threatened, that she helps to enhance dialogue where it is in danger or suspended. The members of the Community of Sant�Egidio try to do that with the strength of prayer, taking part in difficult situations, meeting and dialogue. Solidarity with the poor of the world and the engagement for the boundary crossing ecumenical movement are on the foreground. Connected with catholic faith the members of Sant�Egidio consider the meeting with other religions and world views very important. I consider it very important too. It goes without saying that it is important to take one�s own religious or non-religious convictions seriously and to be true to them, to have a clear point of view and at the same time be open to other convictions and points of view. I get the impression that there is a basic misunderstanding within intellectual dialogue: often it seems that tolerance and respect not only mean esteeming other ways of belief and convictions, but to consider them of equal value as one�s own. That is a mistake. As mistaken as the attitude that the other and his conviction, his religious belief have no right to exist at all. Someone with that idea is not capable of real dialogue. Dialogue is as important for the cohabitation in our world as the air we breathe. This however does not mean giving up one�s own identity. On the contrary: one�s own spiritual and cultural background is a basic condition for an honest, open conversation with others. We should search for things we have in common, find out the differences and discuss them openly. We should do that in such a way that differences of opinion between people from a country or between states should not only or firstly be understood as differences based on culture or religion. I am totally convinced that we can succeed in denying all the lies that consider a clash of the civilizations inevitable. It is decisive to realize living with and next to one another in a pacifist way. No longer splitting each others skull about matters of faith and life is a success of civilization that should be lived and ensured every day. I wish you all in Aachen fruitful discussions and good meetings. Yours, Johannes Rau
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