Interreligious Meeting took place within the context of the Global Conference of Human Fraternity, currently underway in Abu Dhabi. The Conference has brought together hundreds of religious leaders and scholars. It is dedicated to examining interfaith dialogue, religious freedom, combatting extremism, and promoting peace. All of these themes were present in His Holiness Pope Francis’ discourse, which he delivered at the Founder’s Memorial, before some of the highest authorities in the United Arab Emirates, and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
As reported by Vatican news, His Holiness Pope Francis began by describing himself as “a believer thirsting for peace”. Speaking about the Interreligious Meeting itself, the Pontiff continued: “We are here to desire peace, to promote peace, to be instruments of peace”. Referencing the biblical story of Noah, the Pontiff suggested that, in order to safeguard peace, we too “need to enter together as one family into an ark which can sail the stormy seas of the world”. This means acknowledging, “God is at the origin of the one human family”. “No violence can be justified in the name of religion”, he said.
“Religious behavior”, said His Holiness Pope Francis, “needs continually to be purified from the recurrent temptation to judge others as enemies and adversaries”. The “perspective of heaven”, he said, “embraces persons without privilege or discrimination”. His Holiness Pope Francis concluded with a criticism of the arms race and an appeal to “demilitarize the human heart”. “War cannot create anything but misery”, the Pontiff said. “Its fateful consequences are before our eyes”. Here, the Pontiff mentioned specifically “Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Libya”. “Our being together today is a message of trust”, said the Pontiff, not to “surrender to the floods of violence and the desertification of altruism. God is with those who seek peace”.
