Hello All!   
                   This Area is READ ONLY.  Do not post to this area.   
                   The following press release is Copyrighted by the   
                             Vatican Information Service.   
                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
                                  VIS-Press releases   
      
   COMMUNIQUE CONCERNING "KORAN BURNING DAY"   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 8 SEP 2010 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious   
   Dialogue today released an English-language communique describing its "great   
   concern at the news of the proposed 'Koran Burning Day' on the occasion of the   
   anniversary of the 11 September tragic terrorist attacks in 2001 which resulted   
   in the loss of many innocent lives and considerable material damage.   
      
   "These deplorable acts of violence, in fact, cannot be counteracted by an   
   outrageous and grave gesture against a book considered sacred by a religious   
   community. Each religion, with its respective sacred books, places of worship   
   and symbols, has the right to respect and protection. We are speaking about the   
   respect to be accorded the dignity of the person who is an adherent of that   
   religion and his/her free choice in religious matters.   
      
   "The reflection which necessarily should be fostered on the occasion of the   
   remembrance of 11 September would be, first of all, to offer our deep   
   sentiments of solidarity with those who were struck by these horrendous   
   terrorist attacks. To this feeling of solidarity we join our prayers for them   
   and their loved ones who lost their lives.   
      
   "Each religious leader and believer is also called to renew the firm   
   condemnation of all forms of violence, in particular those committed in the   
   name of religion. Pope John Paul II affirmed: 'Recourse to violence in the name   
   of religious belief is a perversion of the very teachings of the major   
   religions' (address to the new ambassador of Pakistan, 16 December 1999). His   
   Holiness Pope Benedict XVI similarly expressed, 'violence as a response to   
   offences can never be justified, for this type of response is incompatible with   
   the sacred principles of religion' (address of His Holiness Benedict XVI, to   
   the new ambassador of Morocco, 6 February 2006)".   
   CON-DIR/VIS 20100908 (300)   
      
   SUMMARY   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)