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| UDIENZA ALLA DELEGAZIONE
DI LEADERS RELIGIOSI DALL'INDONESIA, 20.02.2003 |
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A fine mattinata, il Papa ha ricevuto
in Udienza i membri di una Delegazione di Leaders religiosi provenienti
dall'Indonesia ed ha loro rivolto le parole di saluto che riportiamo
di seguito:
SALUTO DEL SANTO PADRE
Your Eminence,
Distinguished Friends,
With great pleasure I greet you, the members of the Inter-religious
Delegation from Indonesia. Your presence here brings back vivid
memories of my pastoral visit to Indonesia in 1989, an occasion
filled with mutual affection and appreciation as I was able to experience
personally the variety of your rich cultural and religious heritage.
At this time of great tension for the world, you have come to Rome,
and I am grateful to have this occasion to speak to you. With the
real possibility of war looming on the horizon, we must not permit
politics to become a source of further division among the world's
religions. In fact, neither the threat of war nor war itself should
be allowed to alienate Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and
members of other religions. As religious leaders committed to peace,
we should work together with our own people, with those of other
religious beliefs and with all men and women of good will to ensure
understanding, cooperation and solidarity. Earlier this year, I
said: "War is always a defeat for humanity" (Address to
the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, 13 January 2003,
4); it is also a tragedy for religion.
My fervent prayer is that our efforts to promote mutual understanding
and trust will bear abundant fruit and help the world to avoid conflict.
For it is through commitment and continuing cooperation that cultures
and religions "will be able to break through the barriers which
divide them, to understand one another and to pardon those who have
done them wrong" (Pacem in Terris, V). This is the way that
leads to true peace on earth. Together, let us work and pray for
this peace.
Upon you and the beloved people of Indonesia I invoke abundant divine
blessings. |
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