The Pope invites religious leaders to unite for peace

The Pope invites religious leaders to unite for peace
18/07/2008
Religion is a contributor to peace, and not to violence, testifying to friendship and reciprocal sharing, and not to hatred.

Religion is a contributor to peace, and not to violence, testifying to friendship and reciprocal sharing, and not to hatred.
As a sign of the commitment to inter-religious dialogue and reconciliation among all people, a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI and about forty leaders of other faiths took place at St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney. "In a world threatened by sinister and indiscriminate forms of violence," the Pope said, religion "urges nations and communities to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and with full regard for human dignity." To this end, Benedict XVI then reiterated that "human relations cannot be defined in terms of power, domination and self-interest."
The Pope then returned to the topic of caring for the environment, saying that by teaching "self-denial, temperance and a moderate use of the world's goods...men and women are led to regard the environment as a marvel to be pondered and respected rather than a commodity for mere consumption."
The Pope also underlined that faiths should work together in the education of youth, as occurs in Australia, "where religion was a motivating factor in the founding of many educational institutions, and continues up to today to have an important place in academic curriculums."

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