Intervention of Mons. Ghaleb Moussa Abdalla BADER, Archbishop of Algiers (ALGERIA)

Given its small reality, our Church is called upon each day and each moment to encounter others, the different... to the point that our church has almost made encounter its specific mission in this country and defines itself even as “the Church of encounter”... In this encounter with the other a spontaneous, free, sincere and constructive dialogue begins and develops.
In daily life this dialogue becomes a simple presence, a simple sharing. It translates concretely into free services inspired by nothing else but love for others and the search to answer the needs of those we are in dialogue with. To dialogue on a daily basis means to live, work, walk, search together, give and receive and sometimes to rejoice and suffer together.
Many prejudices, fears, misunderstandings, ignorance and false conceptions can fall and disappear as a result of this daily dialogue, and mutual knowledge and trust are created, which are often necessary to heal relations between believers and between the religions themselves.
Our Churches have the awareness of having and living a prophetic mission, that of preparing and creating for today and for tomorrow a climate for a more serene dialogue, and even more.
This dialogue is the best witness that our Churches can give of faith, and it is often more effective than the direct announcement of the Good News.
We are happy to see that this dialogue is accepted and highly appreciated by the people because it is free and sincere, and it even begins to bear good fruits.
This dialogue is fundamental for the life of our Christians and for civil peace in our countries. In fact, if official dialogue is missing, this could create, at the most, a crisis in reciprocal official relationships, but if daily dialogue is missing, this is more serious, because it is peace, life and the very existence of these groups that will be in question...The experience of our Churches in the Maghreb teaches us that true dialogue begins with small details of daily life, dialogue that does not wish to appear as such but wishes to be a simple presence, a simple service... True dialogue arises there where men are found, with their joys and concerns, their down-to-earth questions on daily matters as well as their questions on fundamental topics regarding life and man’s destiny.
Dialogue needs education. Now, the dialogue of life is the best education and the best school to learn to know and to respect others and to collaborate together.

[00109-02.03] [IN084] [Original text: French]