The devastating terrorist attacks carried out in a series of four coordinated suicide attacks against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, are still vivid in the hearts and minds of many. In front of so much death, destruction and unspeakable horror the incessant voice coming from the lips of people of goodwill worldwide never tires from reiterating Jesus’s reproach to Peter: “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt 26, 52). Violence cannot eradicate violence. Hatred can never heal hatred. Commenting on this “unheard-of ferocity”, Blessed John Paul II affirmed: “the ways of violence will never lead to genuine solutions to humanity’s problems”.

Dialogue among religions and civilisations is in fact the solution towards the fostering of greater tolerance, respect and understanding, within the context of freedom of religion and belief. This dialogue is indeed an essential aid to peace, to harmonious interaction and to solidarity between persons and peoples, in a world in which divisions and extremisms can easily erupt or be manipulated to the detriment of the unity of the human family. In order to hammer on the need for religions to engage in fruitful dialogue so as to promote peace and reconciliation I would like to recall what Pope Benedict XVI wrote about this point in his message for the World Day of Peace of this year, which bears the title Religious Freedom, The Path To Peace.

“In a globalised world marked by increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies, the great religions can serve as an important factor of unity and peace for the human family. On the basis of their religious convictions and their reasoned pursuit of the common good, their followers are called to give responsible expression to their commitment within a context of religious freedom. Amid the variety of religious cultures, there is a need to value those elements which foster civil coexistence, while rejecting whatever is contrary to the dignity of men and women. The public space which the international community makes available for the religions and their proposal of what constitutes a ‘good life’ helps to create a measure of agreement about truth and goodness, and a moral consensus; both of these are fundamental to a just and peaceful coexistence. The leaders of the great religions, thanks to their position, their influence and their authority in their respective communities, are the first ones called to mutual respect and dialogue”.

Do we believe that by “overcom(ing) evil with good” (Rom 12, 21) rests the answer for peaceful coexistence among various peoples and cultures? Is this not a lesson to remember?

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.