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PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
MESSAGE FOR THE END OF RAMADAN
‘Id al-Fitr 1428 H. / 2007 a.d.
Christians and Muslims: called to promote a culture of peace
Dear Muslim Friends,
1. It gives me special pleasure to send you for the first time friendly
and warmest greetings from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on
the occasion of your joyful feast of ‘Id al-Fitr, with which the month-long
fasting and prayer of Ramadan ends. This month is always an important time for
the Muslim community and gives to each individual member a new strength for
their personal, family and social existence. It matters that all of us witness
to our religious beliefs with a life increasingly integrated and in conformity
with the Creator’s plan, a life concerned with serving our brothers and sisters
in ever increasing solidarity and fraternity with members of other religions and
all men of good will, in the desire to work together for the common good.
2. In the troubled times we are passing through, religious believers
have, as servants of the Almighty, a duty above all to work in favour of peace,
by showing respect for the convictions of individuals and communities everywhere
through freedom of religious practice. Religious freedom, which must not be
reduced to mere freedom of worship, is one of the essential aspects of freedom
of conscience, which is the right of every individual and a cornerstone of human
rights. It takes into account the requirement that a culture of peace and
solidarity between men can be built in which everybody can be firmly engaged in
the construction of an increasingly fraternal society, doing everything one can
to reject, denounce and refuse every recourse to violence which can never be
motivated by religion, since it wounds the very image of God in man. We know
that violence, especially terrorism which strikes blindly and claims countless
innocent victims, is incapable of resolving conflicts and leads only to a deadly
chain of destructive hatred, to the detriment of mankind and of societies.
3. As religious believers, it’s up to us all to be educators of peace,
of human rights, of a freedom which respects each person, but also to ensure
increasingly strong social bonds, because man must take care of his human
brothers and sisters without discrimination. No individual in the national
community should be excluded on the grounds of his or her race, religion, or any
other personal characteristic. Together, as members of different religious
traditions, we are called to spread a teaching which honours all human
creatures, a message of love between individuals and peoples. We are
particularly responsible for ensuring that our young people, who will be in
charge of tomorrow’s world, are formed in this spirit. It is above all the
responsibility of families and then of those involved in the educational world,
and of civic and religious authorities, all of whom have a duty to pay attention
to the spread of a just teaching. They must provide everyone an education
appropriate to his or her particular circumstances, especially a civic education
which invites each young person to respect those around him or her, and to
consider them as brothers and sisters with whom he or she is daily called to
live, not in indifference, but in fraternal care. It is thus more urgent than
ever to teach to the younger generations, those fundamental human, moral and
civic values which are necessary to both personal and community life. All
instances of incivility must be made use of to remind the young of what is
waiting for them in social life. It is the common good of every society and of
the entire world which is at stake.
4. In this spirit, the pursuit and intensification of dialogue between
Christians and Muslims must be considered important, in both educational and
cultural dimensions. Thus all forces can be mobilised in the service of mankind
and humanity so that the younger generations do not become cultural or religious
blocs opposed to one another, but genuine brothers and sisters in humanity.
Dialogue is the tool which can help us to escape from the endless spiral of
conflict and multiple tensions which mark our societies, so that all peoples can
live in serenity and peace and with mutual respect and harmony among their
component groups.
To achieve this, I appeal to you with all my heart to heed my words, so that, by
means of encounters and exchanges, Christians and Muslims will work together in
mutual respect for peace and for a better future for all people; it will provide
an example for the young people of today to follow and imitate. They will then
have a renewed confidence in society and will see the advantage in belonging and
taking part in its transformation. Education and example will also be a source
of hope in the future for them.
5. This is the ardent hope I share with you: that Christians and Muslims
continue to develop increasingly friendly and constructive relationships in
order to share their specific riches, and that they will pay particular
attention to the quality of the witness of their believers.
Dear Muslim Friends, once again I give you my warmest greetings on the occasion
of your festival and I ask the God of Peace and Mercy to give you all, good
health, serenity and prosperity.
Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran President
Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata Secretary
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