As the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions closes, Pope Francis urged religions and societies to increase the participation of women and youth in promoting world peace.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis attended the closing event of the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, on September 15, thanking those present from different parts of the world to “walk hand in hand”. The Pope stressed that the commitment of the participants to serve the dialogue is more valuable than ever, at a time when the madness of war has made the problems of the pandemic worse.
The motto of the Pope’s pastoral visit is “Messenger of peace and unity”. The Pope thus pointed out that the messenger here is plural. “In the followingmath of 9/11 in 2001, a collective effort was needed to address the atmosphere of anger that terrorist violence was trying to incite, which feared turning religion into a place of conflict. Counterfeit terrorism, extremism, radicalism and ethnicity Islam, in the guise of religion, continues to foster fear and scruples regarding religion. It is therefore a heaven-sent opportunity for us to come together once more these days, helping to reaffirm the true and inherent nature of religion.”
Being in the heart of Asia, Kazakhstan is a natural place to meet. In this country, the Pope said, “politics and transcendence have a healthy connection, a good form of coexistence, thus maintaining the uniqueness of the 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 being persecuted and discriminated once morest even now because of their beliefs. We must ensure that religious freedom is not just an abstract concept, but a concrete right”.
Next, the Pope reiterated the three key words of the Final Declaration of the General Assembly: peace, women and youth. First, the word peace encapsulates everything, expressing the deepest desires, dreams, and goals of our journey. “We urgently need peace, because in this day and age, every hotspot and confrontation of military conflict or tension is bound to trigger a harmful ‘domino effect’ that seriously endangers the system of international relations,” the Pope said. Peace “is not just a state without war”. Peace “cannot be reduced to maintaining the balance of power in hostile forces, or stems from a dictatorship, but is a veritable ‘effect of justice'”.
Turning to the keyword of women, the Pope said that in our search for peace it is imperative to increase the participation of women. “Women bring care and life to the world: they themselves are the path to peace.” The Pope also emphasized the importance of entrusting women with higher roles and responsibilities.
As for the keyword youth, the Pope said that youth 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 need to listen to them and not be afraid to accept the challenge of their questions.”
The Pope finally appealed to all religious leaders present to remember the sufferings of yesterday and to open up to tomorrow. “Let us move forward, hand in hand on earth as children of heaven, weavers of hope, craftsmen of harmony, and messengers of peace and unity.”
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Pope at the closing event of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions
