SUMMARY:
-
THE HOLY FATHER TELEPHONES SHIMON PERES AND MAHMOUD ABBAS: SEEK AN
END TO HOSTILITIES
-
FRANCIS PRAYS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE MALAYSIAN AIRLINES TRAGEDY
-
BROTHERHOOD BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS: KEY WORD OF THE MESSAGE
FOR THE END OF RAMADAN
______________________________________
THE
HOLY FATHER TELEPHONES SHIMON PERES AND MAHMOUD ABBAS: SEEK AN END TO
HOSTILITIES
Vatican
City, 18 July 2014 (VIS) – Following last Sunday’s heartfelt
appeal for continued prayer for peace in the Holy Land, this morning
the Holy Father Francis personally telephoned President Shimon Peres
of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine to share his very
serious concerns regarding the current situation of conflict
involving in particular the Gaza Strip which, in a climate of growing
hostility, hatred and suffering for the two populations, is claiming
many victims and giving rise to a serious humanitarian emergency.
As
during his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land and on the occasion of
the invocation for peace on 8 June, the Holy Father assured them of
his ceaseless prayer, and that of all the Church, for peace in the
Holy Land. He reminded the presidents, whom he considers to be men of
peace and seekers of peace, of the need to continue to pray and
endeavour to ensure that all the interested parties and those who
hold political office at local and international level work to bring
an end to hostilities, making efforts to promote truce, peace and
reconciliation in the hearts of those involved.
FRANCIS
PRAYS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE MALAYSIAN AIRLINES TRAGEDY
Vatican
City, 18 July 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father Francis has learned with
dismay of the tragedy of the Malaysian Airlines aircraft downed in
east Ukraine, a region marked by high tensions. He raises prayers for
the numerous victims of the incident and for their relatives, and
renews his heartfelt appeal to all parties in the conflict to seek
peace and solutions through dialogue, in order to avoid further loss
of innocent human lives.
BROTHERHOOD
BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS: KEY WORD OF THE MESSAGE FOR THE END
OF RAMADAN
Vatican
City, 18 July 2014 (VIS) – “Towards a genuine fraternity between
Christians and Muslims” is the title of the message sent by the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue to mark the end of
Ramadan ('Id al-Fitr 1435/2014 A.D.). The document is signed by
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Fr. Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot
M.C.C.J., respectively president and secretary of the dicastery.
“Last
year, the first year of his ministry, Pope Francis personally signed
the Message addressed to you on the occasion of ‘Id al-Fitr. On
another occasion, he also called you 'our brothers and sisters'
(Angelus, 11 August 2013). We all can recognize the full significance
of these words. In fact, Christians and Muslims are brothers and
sisters in the one human family, created by the One God”.
The
message goes on to recall the words of Saint John Paul II to Muslim
religious leaders in Nigeria in 1982: “All of us, Christians and
Muslims, live under the sun of the one merciful God. We both believe
in one God who is the creator of man. We acclaim God's sovereignty
and we defend man's dignity as God's servant. We adore God and
profess total submission to him. Thus, in a true sense, we can call
one another brothers and sisters in faith in the one God”.
“We
thank the Almighty for what we have in common, while remaining aware
of our differences”, the message continues. “We perceive the
importance of promoting a fruitful dialogue built upon mutual respect
and friendship. Inspired by our shared values and strengthened by our
sentiments of genuine fraternity, we are called to work together for
justice, peace and respect for the rights and dignity of every
person. We feel responsible in a particular way for those most in
need: the poor, the sick, orphans, immigrants, victims of human
trafficking, and those suffering from any kind of addiction”.
“As
we know, our contemporary world faces grave challenges which call for
solidarity on the part of all people of good will. These include
threats to the environment, the crisis of the global economy and high
levels of unemployment particularly among young people. Such
situations give rise to a sense of vulnerability and a lack of hope
for the future. Let us also not forget the problems faced by so many
families which have been separated, leaving behind loved ones and
often small children. Let us work together, then, to build bridges of
peace and promote reconciliation especially in areas where Muslims
and Christians together suffer the horror of war”.
The
document concludes by expressing the hope that our friendship may
“inspire us always to cooperate in facing these many challenges
with wisdom and prudence. In this way we will help to diminish
tension and conflict, and advance the common good. We will also
demonstrate that religions can be a source of harmony for the benefit
of society as a whole. Let us pray that reconciliation, justice,
peace and development will remain uppermost among our priorities, for
the welfare and good of the whole human family. Together with Pope
Francis, we are happy to send you our cordial best wishes for a
joyful celebration and a life of prosperity in peace”.
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