(Death, Heaven, Purgatory, Hell)
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
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Pope's Address to Muslim Representatives
"Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue … a Vital Necessity"
COLOGNE,
Germany, AUG. 20, 2005 (ZENIT.org).-
Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during his meeting
at World Youth day with representatives of some Muslim communities.
* * *
Dear Muslim Friends!
It gives me great joy to be able to be with you and to offer you my heartfelt
greetings. I have come here to meet young people from every part of Europe and
the world. Young people are the future of humanity and the hope of the nations.
My beloved predecessor, Pope John Paul II, once said to the young Muslims
assembled in the stadium at Casablanca (Morocco): "The young can build a better
future if they first put their faith in God and if they pledge themselves to
build this new world in accordance with God's plan, with wisdom and trust" ("Insegnamenti,"
VIII/2, 1985, p. 500). It is in this spirit that I turn to you, dear Muslim
friends, to share my hopes with you and to let you know of my concerns at these
particularly difficult times in our history.
I am certain that I echo your own thoughts when I bring up as one of our
concerns the spread of terrorism. Terrorist activity is continually recurring in
various parts of the world, sowing death and destruction, and plunging many of
our brothers and sisters into grief and despair. Those who instigate and plan
these attacks evidently wish to poison our relations, making use of all means,
including religion, to oppose every attempt to build a peaceful, fair and serene
life together.
Terrorism of any kind is a perverse and cruel decision which shows contempt for
the sacred right to life and undermines the very foundations of all civil
society. If together we can succeed in eliminating from hearts any trace of
rancor, in resisting every form of intolerance and in opposing every
manifestation of violence, we will turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism that
endangers the lives of so many people and hinders progress towards world peace.
The task is difficult but not impossible. The believer knows that, despite his
weakness, he can count on the spiritual power of prayer.
Dear friends, I am profoundly convinced that we must not yield to the negative
pressures in our midst, but must affirm the values of mutual respect, solidarity
and peace. The life of every human being is sacred, both for Christians and for
Muslims. There is plenty of scope for us to act together in the service of
fundamental moral values. The dignity of the person and the defense of the
rights which that dignity confers must represent the goal of every social
endeavor and of every effort to bring it to fruition. This message is conveyed
to us unmistakably by the quiet but clear voice of conscience. It is a message
which must be heeded and communicated to others: Should it ever cease to find an
echo in peoples' hearts, the world would be exposed to the darkness of a new
barbarism. Only through recognition of the centrality of the person can a common
basis for understanding be found, one which enables us to move beyond cultural
conflicts and which neutralizes the disruptive power of ideologies.
During my meeting last April with the delegates of Churches and Christian
communities and with representatives of the various religious traditions, I
affirmed that "the Church wants to continue building bridges of friendship with
the followers of all religions, in order to seek the true good of every person
and of society as a whole" (L'Osservatore Romano, 25 April 2005, p. 4). Past
experience teaches us that relations between Christians and Muslims have not
always been marked by mutual respect and understanding. How many pages of
history record battles and even wars that have been waged, with both sides
invoking the name of God, as if fighting and killing the enemy could be pleasing
to him. The recollection of these sad events should fill us with shame, for we
know only too well what atrocities have been committed in the name of religion.
The lessons of the past must help us to avoid repeating the same mistakes. We
must seek paths of reconciliation and learn to live with respect for each
other's identity. The defense of religious freedom, in this sense, is a
permanent imperative and respect for minorities is a clear sign of true
civilization.
In this regard, it is always right to recall what the Fathers of the Second
Vatican Council said about relations with Muslims. "The Church looks upon
Muslims with respect. They worship the one God living and subsistent, merciful
and almighty, creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to humanity and to
whose decrees, even the hidden ones, they seek to submit themselves
wholeheartedly, just as Abraham, to whom the Islamic faith readily relates
itself, submitted to God. ... Although considerable dissensions and enmities
between Christians and Muslims may have arisen in the course of the centuries,
the Council urges all parties that, forgetting past things, they train
themselves towards sincere mutual understanding and together maintain and
promote social justice and moral values as well as peace and freedom for all
people" (declaration "Nostra Aetate," No. 3).
You, my esteemed friends, represent some Muslim communities from this country
where I was born, where I studied and where I lived for a good part of my life.
That is why I wanted to meet you. You guide Muslim believers and train them in
the Islamic faith. Teaching is the vehicle through which ideas and convictions
are transmitted. Words are highly influential in the education of the mind. You,
therefore, have a great responsibility for the formation of the younger
generation. As Christians and Muslims, we must face together the many challenges
of our time. There is no room for apathy and disengagement, and even less for
partiality and sectarianism. We must not yield to fear or pessimism. Rather, we
must cultivate optimism and hope.
Interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims cannot
be reduced to an optional extra. It is in fact a vital necessity, on which in
large measure our future depends. Young people from many parts of the world are
here in Cologne as living witnesses of solidarity, brotherhood and love. They
are the first fruits of a new dawn for humanity. I pray with all my heart, dear
Muslim friends, that the merciful and compassionate God may protect you, bless
you and enlighten you always. May the God of peace lift up our hearts, nourish
our hope and guide our steps on the paths of the world.
[Translation distributed by Vatican press office]