VATICAN - Message for the end of the month of Ramadan - “Christians and Muslims: called to promote a culture of peace"

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “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” . This is an excerpt from the annual Message addressed to the Muslims of the world by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on the occasion of the end of the month of Ramadan. "Christians and Muslims: called to promote a culture of peace" is the title of this year's Message signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, and Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council.
The message says “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”.
Religious people have a duty 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”. The Message underlines that “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.”
The Message closes with a call to Christians and Muslims to continue and intensify reciprocal dialogue since “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”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 28/9/2007 - Righe 27; Parole 379)