杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

The G20 Interfaith Forum runs from 12-14 September in the Italian city of Bologna, and is meant to promote healing from the Covid-19 pandemic and the many conflicts lacerating the world.

Religious leaders taking part in the annual event seek to engage with the agenda of the G20, a forum for international economic cooperation amongst the world鈥檚 20 largest economies.

杏MAP导航 Francis sent his greetings to participants in the Interfaith Forum on Saturday evening.

True religion

The 杏MAP导航 praised the forum鈥檚 goal of sharing ideas and hopes through interfaith dialogue and the promotion of religious freedom.

He said the role of religions is essential in overcoming war and hatred, since 鈥渢rue religion consists in adoring God and loving our neighbor.鈥�

鈥淢ore than putting something on display, we are called to show the fatherly presence of the Heavenly God through our harmony on earth,鈥� he said.

Misuse of God鈥檚 Name

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to lament that we are, however, far from that achieving that ideal.

He cited figures which indicate that over 3,000 attacks on places of worship have taken place in the past 40 years, killing over 5,000 people.

鈥淚t is too easy to see that those who blaspheme God鈥檚 holy Name by persecuting their brothers and sisters can still find financing,鈥� he said.

Called to serve truth

However, religious leaders are called to 鈥渟erve truth鈥� and 鈥渄eclare without hesitation and fear that evil is evil, even and especially when those who commit the acts profess our same creed.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 then called for education in religion, to overcome 鈥渞eligious illiteracy鈥� which cuts across many societies.

鈥淲e must educate,鈥� he said, 鈥減romoting equitable and integral development which builds up opportunities for schooling and education, because wherever undisputed poverty and ignorance prevail so too does fundamentalist violence.鈥�

Peace found in justice, not arms

杏MAP导航 Francis urged peoples of all religions to put aside arms and forgive one another as brothers and sisters.

鈥淭he path of peace is not found in arms but in justice,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淎nd we religious leaders should be the first to support this process, by witnessing to the fact that overcoming evil consists not in proclaiming but in prayer, not in revenge but in harmony, not in the shortcuts offered by strength but in the patient and constructive force of solidarity.鈥�

Fundamental right of peace

Peace, concluded 杏MAP导航 Francis, should be promoted as a fundamental right for all people of the world.

鈥淲e should not be neutral,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut allied on the side of peace!鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 also called for peace to be added as a fourth 鈥淧鈥� in the tryptic of 鈥淧eople, Planet, Prosperity鈥�.

鈥淭ruly, the time for alliances of some against others has past,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淣ow is the time for alliances in the search for shared solutions to the problems of all.鈥�