Subject: VISnews 111028   
   Organization: VIS - Ufficio Stampa della Santa Sede   
   From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt    
      
   VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE   
      
   TWENTY FIRST YEAR - N. 187   
   ENGLISH   
   FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2011   
      
   SUMMARY:   
      
   - Assisi: May Religions Bring Justice and Peace upon the Earth   
   - The Assisi Meeting Was a Sign of Friendship and Fraternity   
   - Audiences   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   ASSISI: MAY RELIGIONS BRING JUSTICE AND PEACE UPON THE EARTH   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2011 (VIS) - Shortly before 4 p.m. yesterday, the Holy   
   Father and the heads of delegation left the convent of Santa Maria degli   
   Angeli in Assisi, and walked in procession across the square in front of the   
   building. They then boarded minibuses which took them to Piazza San   
   Francesco for the closing event of the Day of reflection, dialogue and   
   prayer for peace and justice in the world.   
      
     The ceremony began with some remarks from Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran,   
   president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. He   
   affirmed that the hope for peace had been revived by the Assisi meeting and   
   exhorted everyone to be witnesses and messengers of peace. The other   
   participants, speaking in turn, then solemnly renewed their own commitment   
   to peace: His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of   
   Constantinople, was followed by representatives of the World Lutheran   
   Council, Sikhism, the Patriarchate of Moscow, the Baptist World Alliance,   
   Islam, the Syro-Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, Taoism, Buddhism,   
   Shintoism, the International Jewish Committee on Inter-religious   
   Consultations, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and non-believers.   
      
     Benedict XVI then pronounced the words: "Violence never again! War never   
   again! Terrorism never again! In the name of God, may every religion bring   
   upon the earth Justice and Peace, Forgiveness and Life, Love".   
      
     Following a few moments of silence, a group of young people gave lighted   
   lamps to the heads of delegation and to others present in the square; the   
   flames of the lamps flickering in the wind were intended to represent peace,   
   which has to be protected and conserved. Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of   
   the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, then invited   
   participants to exchange a sign of peace in order to seal the commitment   
   they had just pronounced.   
      
     Following the exchange of the sign of peace the Pope concluded by thanking   
   the organisers of the Assisi meeting. He also made specific mention of "the   
   many young people who have made the pilgrimage to Santa Maria degli Angeli   
   on foot, proof of the fact that many members of the new generations are   
   committed to overcoming violence and discord, and to promoting justice and   
   peace".   
      
     "Today's event is an image of how the spiritual dimension is a key element   
   in the building of peace. Through this unique pilgrimage we have been able   
   to engage in fraternal dialogue, to deepen our friendship, and to come   
   together in silence and prayer. After renewing our commitment to peace and   
   exchanging with one another a sign of peace, we feel even more profoundly   
   involved, together with all the men and women from the communities that we   
   represent, in our common human journey. We are not being separated; we will   
   continue to meet, we will continue to be united in this journey, in   
   dialogue, in the daily building of peace and in our commitment to a better   
   world, a world in which every man and woman, and every people, can live in   
   accordance with their own legitimate aspirations. From my heart I thank all   
   of you here present for having accepted my invitation to come to Assisi as   
   pilgrims of truth and peace and I greet each one of you in St. Francis' own   
   words: May the Lord grant you peace.   
      
     During the closing hymn the Pope and the delegations descended from the   
   podium and entered the lower basilica of St. Francis where they remained in   
   silence over the saint's tomb. The Pontiff then greeted the Franciscan   
   community and, accompanied by the heads of delegation, travelled by minibus   
   to the railway station of Assisi where he boarded a train for his return to   
   the Vatican.   
   PV-ITALY/                                                               VIS   
   20111028 (610)   
      
   THE ASSISI MEETING WAS A SIGN OF FRIENDSHIP AND FRATERNITY   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2011 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy   
   Father received representatives of various religions, and of non-believers,   
   who yesterday participated in the Day of reflection, dialogue and prayer for   
   peace and justice in the world, celebrated in the Italian town of Assisi   
   under the theme: "Pilgrims of Truth, Pilgrims of Peace".   
      
     Addressing the group in English he thanked them for having taken part in   
   yesterday's event. "In a certain sense", he said, "this gathering is   
   representative of the billions of men and women throughout our world who are   
   actively engaged in promoting justice and peace. It is also a sign of the   
   friendship and fraternity which has flourished as the fruit of the efforts   
   of so many pioneers in this kind of dialogue. May this friendship continue   
   to grow among all the followers of the world's religions and with men and   
   women of good will everywhere".   
      
     "Looking back, we can appreciate the foresight of the late Pope John Paul   
   II in convening the first Assisi meeting. ... Meetings of this sort are   
   necessarily exceptional and infrequent, yet they are a vivid expression of   
   the fact that every day, throughout our world, people of different religious   
   traditions live and work together in harmony. It is surely significant for   
   the cause of peace that so many men and women, inspired by their deepest   
   convictions, are committed to working for the good of the human family.   
      
     "In this way", Benedict XVI added, "I am sure that yesterday's meeting has   
   given us a sense of how genuine is our desire to contribute to the good of   
   all our fellow human beings and how much we have to share with one another.   
      
     "As we go our separate ways, let us draw strength from this experience   
   and, wherever we may be, let us continue refreshed on the journey that leads   
   to truth, the pilgrimage that leads to peace. I thank all of you from my   
   heart".   
   AC/                                                                     VIS   
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   AUDIENCES   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 28 OCT 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate   
   audiences:   
      
    - Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, archbishop of Santo Domingo,   
   Dominican Republic.   
      
     This evening he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal William   
   Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.   
   AP/                                                                     VIS   
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