Benedict XVI: No to Religious Discrimination. "Religious freedom is the path of peace," the Pope writes in his Message for World Day of Peace, celebrated on 1st January. The message was presented this …More
Benedict XVI: No to Religious Discrimination.
"Religious freedom is the path of peace," the Pope writes in his Message for World Day of Peace, celebrated on 1st January. The message was presented this morning at the Vatican Press Office. Benedict XVI begins the message with a renewed appeal for an end to violence against the Christian and religious communities of Iraq. He recalls that religious freedom is a specific expression of the human person, for religion can order a person's life and society towards God. In God's light, he says, we fully understand the identity, meaning and purpose of a person. The Pope also calls on Europe not to forget its Christian roots and to put an end to discrimination and prejudice against Christians. He says governments and politicians should be aware that manipulation of religion for political purposes is illicit, as is the desire to reduce faith to the private sphere. A world that values religious beliefs is a peaceful and pacified world, he writes, because religious freedom is the source of moral freedom; openness to transcendence opens people to respect others, and to a world of justice. The world needs a universal and ethical values, he says, and religion contributes to a better world.
"Religious freedom is the path of peace," the Pope writes in his Message for World Day of Peace, celebrated on 1st January. The message was presented this morning at the Vatican Press Office. Benedict XVI begins the message with a renewed appeal for an end to violence against the Christian and religious communities of Iraq. He recalls that religious freedom is a specific expression of the human person, for religion can order a person's life and society towards God. In God's light, he says, we fully understand the identity, meaning and purpose of a person. The Pope also calls on Europe not to forget its Christian roots and to put an end to discrimination and prejudice against Christians. He says governments and politicians should be aware that manipulation of religion for political purposes is illicit, as is the desire to reduce faith to the private sphere. A world that values religious beliefs is a peaceful and pacified world, he writes, because religious freedom is the source of moral freedom; openness to transcendence opens people to respect others, and to a world of justice. The world needs a universal and ethical values, he says, and religion contributes to a better world.