Today the moon is passing
through the constellation of Libra (justice), just below the feet of Virgo
(Virgin). It is also the first
International Day of Human Fraternity.
Make of it what you will, but it grew out of the inter-religious
dialogue between Muslims, Christians, and Jews beginning in 2007 when Muslims
contacted Pope Benedict XVI and requested open intellectual exchange and mutual
understanding. In his 2012 Post-Synodal Ecclesia
in Medio Oriente, Benedict XVI encouraged interreligious dialogue. He wrote,
May Jews, Christians, and Muslims find in other
believers brothers and sisters to be respected and loved, and in this way,
beginning in their own lands, give the beautiful witness of serenity and
concord between the children of Abraham. Rather than being exploited in endless
conflicts which are unjustifiable for authentic believers, the acknowledgment
of one God – if lived with a pure heart – can make a powerful contribution to
peace in the region and to respectful coexistence on the part of its peoples (Ecclesia
in Medio Oriente 19).
Meetings and conferences took
place for several years leading up to Pope Francis and Ahmad al Tayyeb, Islamic
scholar and Grand Imam of al-Azhar signing the document Human
Fraternity in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019. The document was controversial with some
praising it and others criticizing it. I
will list two paragraphs below. Those
who wish to read and study the entire document may click
here.
The first and most important aim of religions is to believe
in God, to honour Him and to invite all men and women to believe that this
universe depends on a God who governs it. He is the Creator who has formed us
with His divine wisdom and has granted us the gift of life to protect it. It is
a gift that no one has the right to take away, threaten or manipulate to suit
oneself. Indeed, everyone must safeguard this gift of life from its beginning
up to its natural end. We therefore condemn all those practices that are a
threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human
organ trafficking, abortion and euthanasia. We likewise condemn the policies
that promote these practices.
Moreover, we resolutely declare that religions must never
incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite
violence or the shedding of blood. These tragic realities are the consequence
of a deviation from religious teachings. They result from a political
manipulation of religions and from interpretations made by religious groups
who, in the course of history, have taken advantage of the power of religious
sentiment in the hearts of men and women in order to make them act in a way
that has nothing to do with the truth of religion. This is done for the purpose
of achieving objectives that are political, economic, worldly and
short-sighted. We thus call upon all concerned to stop using religions to
incite hatred, violence, extremism and blind fanaticism, and to refrain from
using the name of God to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism and
oppression. We ask this on the basis of our common belief in God who did not
create men and women to be killed or to fight one another, nor to be tortured
or humiliated in their lives and circumstances. God, the Almighty, has no need
to be defended by anyone and does not want His name to be used to terrorize
people.
