At the close of the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, Pope Francis urged religions and societies to increase the participation of women and young people in promoting peace in the world.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis participated on September 15 in the closing event of the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Nur-Sultan, capital of Kazakhstan, thanking those present from different parts of the world for “walking hand in hand”. The Pope stressed that the commitment of the participants in the service of dialogue is more precious than ever, at a time when the madness of war has aggravated the problems of the pandemic.
The motto of the Pope’s pastoral visit is “Messenger of peace and unity”. The Pope thus emphasized that the messenger here is plural. “In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, a collective effort was needed to address the atmosphere of anger that terrorist violence was trying to arouse, which feared turning religion into a place of conflict. Counterfeiting terrorism, extremism, radicalism and ethnicity Islam, under the guise of religion, continues to foment fears and scruples towards religion. It is therefore a heavenly opportunity for us to reunite again these days, helping to reaffirm the true and intrinsic nature of religion. ” .
Being in the heart of Asia, Kazakhstan is a natural meeting place. In this country, the Pope said, “politics and transcendence have a healthy bond, a good form of coexistence, thus maintaining the uniqueness of their respective fields, neither confusing nor separating”. The Pope stressed that “those who desire a legitimate expression of their faith must be protected at all times”. Unfortunately, “many people are persecuted and discriminated against even now because of their beliefs. We must ensure that religious freedom is not just an abstract concept, but a concrete right ”.
Subsequently, the Pope reiterated the three key words of the Final Declaration of the General Assembly: peace, women and young people. First of all, the word peace encompasses everything, expressing the deepest desires, dreams and goals of our journey. “We urgently need peace, because in these days and ages, every hot spot and every confrontation of conflict or military tension is bound to trigger a harmful ‘domino effect’ that seriously endangers the system of international relations,” said the Pope. Peace “is not just a state without war”. Peace “is not reduced to maintaining the balance of power in hostile forces, or stems from a dictatorship, but is a real ‘effect of justice'”.
Returning to the key word of women, the Pope said that in our search for peace it is essential to increase the participation of women. “Women bring care and life to the world: they themselves are the way to peace.” The Pope also stressed the importance of entrusting women with higher roles and responsibilities.
As for the key word young people, the Pope said that young people are and will be “messengers of peace and unity”. Young people are more eager than anyone else to speak out for peace and honor the common home of creation. “Let’s put educational opportunities in the hands of young people, not weapons of destruction! We must listen to them and not be afraid to accept the challenge of their questions”.
Finally, the Pope addressed an appeal to all religious leaders present to remember the sufferings of yesterday and to open up to tomorrow. “Let us go forward, hand in hand on earth as children of heaven, weavers of hope, artisans of harmony and messengers of peace and unity”.
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The Pope at the closing event of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions
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