VATICAN - THE POPE TELLS PARTICIPANTS AT COLLOQUIUM "TRUTH, JUSTICE, LOVE, FREEDOM: PILLARS OF PEACE" - “JOIN YOUR VOICES WITH MINE AS I REPEAT THAT THE HOLY NAME OF GOD MUST NEVER BE USED TO INCITE VIOLENCE OR TERRORISM”

Vatican City (Fides Service) – This morning 2 December Pope John Paul II received in audience participants at the Colloquium: "Truth, Justice, Love, Freedom: Pillars of Peace", promoted jointly by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Organization for Islamic Culture and Communications in Tehran. The Pope thanked the participants and organisers in particular, the Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, and the Head of the Organisation for Islamic Culture and Communications in Tehran, Ayatollah Mahmoud Mohammadi Araqi.
“Today there is an especially urgent need for dialogue, understanding and cooperation between the world’s great religions, especially Christianity and Islam – the Pope said -. Religion is in fact called to build bridges between individuals, peoples and cultures, to be a sign of hope for humanity. I appeal to you, and to all men and women of good will, to join your voices with mine as I repeat that the holy name of God must never be used to incite violence or terrorism, to promote hatred or exclusion”. The Pope said he was confident that dialogue and cooperation among Muslims and Christians will help believers to be ever more effective instruments of peace in the world.(S.L.) (Fides Service 2/12/2003 – lines 17; words 229)