AMERICA/ARGENTINA - Peace, a gift and a commitment, for harmony in fraternity: Forum and prayer-meeting to demonstrate how ecumenical and interreligious dialogue can promote peace

Tuesday, 1 March 2005

Buenos Aires (Fides Service) - In continuity with other similar events in Argentina on 17 April in Buenos Aires there will be a National Meeting for Peace - Ecumenical and Intereligious Dialogue on the theme “Peace, a gift and a commitment, for harmony in fraternity”. The meeting was convoked by the Argentinean Bishops’ Conference and is organised by the Bishops’ commission for Ecumenism and for Relations with Judaism, Islam and other religions (CEERJIR).
The initiative is intended to be a response to a call by Pope John Paul II for greater efforts to build peace and it aims also to promote a “national meeting of leaders of different Christian communions and different religions to implore peace and strengthen ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as a contribution to building peace”.
The programme will have two parts: a “Forum of Religions” for reflection and encounter to overcome prejudice and strengthen unity and a prayer service on the model of similar events in Assisi. A prayer for peace when each religious group will pray according to its own beliefs and then a procession of all the participants. The procession will move towards the Law Faculty of Buenos Aires University for a central event rich in symbols: musical performances, hymns, lighting of candles, prayers and a final joint declaration for peace.
The Forum of Religions will consist of six simultaneous round table discussions starting from concrete experience on the following themes: Prayer, the force behind dialogue in the religious experience; Interreligious Dialogue and Peace: experience of interreligious contribution for peace; Dialogue and solidarity with the poor: ecumenical and interreligious experience; Family and educating community: places of intercultural dialogue; areas of social responsibility: Argentina as we want it; interreligious dialogue and co-operation for permanent spaces of affirmation of values.
In preparation for the event, the organising committee has launched an awareness campaign at all levels with the active collaboration of other Christians. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 1/3/2005; righe 27; parole 331)


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