The Pope And Church News: News Vatican Information Service June 09, 2015

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

News Vatican Information Service June 09, 2015

SUMMARY:

- ARCHBISHOP PAUL RICHARD GALLAGHER AT THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE: THE RELIGIOUS DIMENSION OF INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE

- CARDINAL RAUBER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE

- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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ARCHBISHOP PAUL RICHARD GALLAGHER AT THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE: THE RELIGIOUS DIMENSION OF INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE

Vatican City, 9 June 2015 (VIS) – Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States, spoke at the seminar “Building inclusive societies together: contributions to Sarajevo's exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue” on 8 June at the Council of Europe, in preparation for the 2015 Meeting on this issue to be held in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 8 to 9 September.

The archbishop structured his discussion according to four main theses: in the context of growing multipolarity, religions are an essential subject/actor in the area of intercultural dialogue; religions are called to offer a specific contribution to the advancement of a culture of human rights; religious freedom is a key element in the development of a democratic society; and the promotion and protection of the right to religious freedom is a basic task of states and international organisations.

“Open and respectful encounters between religious traditions and between these and the social and political world are fundamental for social cohesion”, he said. “The religious dimension continues to be a living reference point for millions of people in Europe, affecting their choices and, to a greater or lesser degree, their identity. It is a dimension which is in continuous transformation, due to new religious forms of life and profound changes experienced within religious communities that have long been present in Europe. ... For intercultural dialogue to bear fruit, it must face not only the religious dimension in general, but also interact with particular religious confessions with all their historic characteristics”.

“Without the particular contribution given by religious perspectives on the human person, … the entire culture of human rights, even those of non-believers, would be greatly impoverished. I cannot claim to speak in the name of other religious cultures; but I believe that the specific contribution of the Catholic Church to a common culture of human rights may be seen in concrete ways and I will limit myself to offering a few examples, which are by no means exhaustive. First of all, there is the awareness of a radical equality and fraternity between every human person created in the image and likeness of God. Secondly, the recognition of the worth of the least among us, of the poor and the marginalised, of the dignity of every human life no matter how weak or precarious, from conception through natural death. Thirdly, the capacity to transmit a religious identity which is both firm and respectful of others, open to dialogue with other religions and world views. As can easily be seen, these are universal values, and while they are not exclusive to the Catholic Faith, the latter has offered and continues to offer a unique contribution. Every religious tradition can and must make its own particular contribution, even when it becomes important to find a way to relate honestly to one another, embracing the good that exists in all traditions and also inviting sincere discussion on the perceived limitations of every tradition of thought, be it religious or not”.

“In today’s context of multicultural societies, respect for religious freedom is one of the fundamental factors by which the health of a given democracy can be evaluated as being truly a home for everyone. Promoting religious freedom appears particularly important in averting and countering the phenomena of extremist violence and radicalisation, against which governments and international organisations are currently engaged, among them the Council of Europe”.

CARDINAL RAUBER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE

Vatican City, 9 June 2015 (VIS) – The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that on Saturday 13 June at 11 a.m., Cardinal Karl-Josef Rauber will take possession of the diaconate of Sant'Antonio di Padova a Circonvallazione Appia, (Circonvallazione Appia, 150).

Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 9 June 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Fr. Aliaksandr Yasheuski, S.D.B., as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev (area 69,800, population 4,253,000, Catholics 610,000, priests 124, religious 147), Belarus. The bishop-elect was born in 1974 in Smarhon, Belarus, gave his perpetual vows in 1998, and was ordained a priest in 2000. He holds a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome, and has served in a number of pastoral roles in the diocese of Grodno, Belarus, including parish administrator, and within his community as director of the Salesian novitiate in Oktiabrsk in the province of Moscow, Russian Federation. In Minsk he has served as parish vicar, director of the office for education and religious teaching, director of the Salesian community, and teacher of dogmatic theology at the centre for the preparation of catechists. He is currently parish vicar in Smarhon, director of the local Salesian community, and vicar and bursar of the Belarusian delegation of the Salesian society.