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                                  VIS-Press releases   
      
   DIALOGUE AND COLLABORATION AMONG DIFFERENT RELIGIONS   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 17 SEP 2010 (VIS) - At midday today in St. Mary's University   
   College at Twickenham, the Holy Father met with leaders from the main Christian   
   confessions and from other religions present in the United Kingdom: Jews,   
   Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs.   
      
   "The presence of committed believers in various fields of social and economic   
   life speaks eloquently of the fact that the spiritual dimension of our lives is   
   fundamental to our identity as human beings", the Pope told his audience.   
      
   He then highlighted how "the quest for the sacred is the search for the one   
   thing necessary, which alone satisfies the longings of the human heart".   
      
   "The human and natural sciences", he explained, "cannot satisfy the deepest   
   longings of the human heart, they cannot fully explain to us our origin and our   
   destiny, why and for what purpose we exist, nor indeed can they provide us with   
   an exhaustive answer to the question, 'why is there something rather than   
   nothing?'   
      
   "The quest for the sacred", the Pope added, "does not devalue other fields of   
   human enquiry. On the contrary, it places them in a context which magnifies   
   their importance, as ways of responsibly exercising our stewardship over   
   creation". God "entrusted us with the task of exploring and harnessing the   
   mysteries of nature in order to serve a higher good. ... In the Christian faith   
   [this] is expressed as love for God and love for our neighbour. And so we   
   engage with the world wholeheartedly and enthusiastically, but always with a   
   view to serving that higher good, lest we disfigure the beauty of creation by   
   exploiting it for selfish purposes.   
      
   "So it is that genuine religious belief points us beyond present utility   
   towards the transcendent. It reminds us of the possibility and the imperative   
   of moral conversion, of the duty to live peaceably with our neighbour, of the   
   importance of living a life of integrity. ... It motivates us to cultivate the   
   practice of virtue and to reach out towards one another in love, with the   
   greatest respect for religious traditions different from our own".   
      
   Referring then to the importance of dialogue and collaboration with followers   
   of other religions, the Holy Father made specific mention of "situations in   
   some parts of the world, where co-operation and dialogue between religions   
   calls for mutual respect, the freedom to practise one's religion and to engage   
   in acts of public worship, and the freedom to follow one's conscience without   
   suffering ostracism or persecution, even after conversion from one religion to   
   another. Once such a respect and openness has been established, peoples of all   
   religions will work together effectively for peace and mutual understanding,   
   and so give a convincing witness before the world".   
      
   And he went on: "This kind of dialogue needs to take place on a number of   
   different levels, and should not be limited to formal discussions. The dialogue   
   of life involves simply living alongside one another and learning from one   
   another in such a way as to grow in mutual knowledge and respect. The dialogue   
   of action brings us together in concrete forms of collaboration, as we apply   
   our religious insights to the task of promoting integral human development,   
   working for peace, justice and the stewardship of creation. Such a dialogue may   
   include exploring together how to defend human life at every stage and how to   
   ensure the non-exclusion of the religious dimension of individuals and   
   communities in the life of society.   
      
   "Then at the level of formal conversations, there is a need not only for   
   theological exchange, but also sharing our spiritual riches, speaking of our   
   experience of prayer and contemplation, and expressing to one another the joy   
   of our encounter with divine love. In this context I am pleased to note the   
   many positive initiatives undertaken in this country to promote such dialogue   
   at a variety of levels".   
      
   Pope Benedict concluded his remarks before the multi-religious gathering by   
   giving assurances that the Catholic Church "follows the path of engagement and   
   dialogue out of a genuine sense of respect for you and your beliefs. Catholics,   
   both in Britain and throughout the world, will continue to work to build   
   bridges of friendship to other religions, to heal past wrongs and to foster   
   trust between individuals and communities".   
      
   At the end of the event, the Pope travelled to the apostolic nunciature where   
   he had lunch.   
   PV-UNITED KINGDOM/VIS 20100917 (730)   
      
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