Some weeks ago, dictionary.com announced that, in 2016, the word that was the most universally used was xenophobia.

Among the various meanings this word has one finds two that stand out, namely: “fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers” and “fear or dislike of the customs, dress, etc., of people who are culturally different from oneself”.

Saint John Paul condemned xenophobia on February 9, 2001 when he said: “The presence of immigrants has transformed many countries into multiethnic and multicultural societies. This diversity is frequently perceived as a threat to the cultural and religious identity of the countries receiving them. Hence, the rise of xenophobic attitudes, which imply the danger of tensions and misunderstandings, harmful to social peace. Given the risk of ethnic confrontations, all are called to rethink social coexistence in terms of dialogue and living together.”

Pope Francis says: “All wars, all struggles, all problems that are not resolved, which we face, are due to a lack of dialogue.”

Let us grow in the art of dialogue.