2006-02-23 14:38:15

Combat hatred of Christianity by living Gospel, says Vatican official


The best way to combat fear and hatred of Christianity in the world is for Christians to authentically live out the Gospel in all aspects of their daily lives, said a top Vatican official. The Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, said while it was urgent that international organizations help take measures against religious intolerance and discrimination, individual Christians also play a crucial role. The Vatican has appealed to organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to include hatred against Christians in their fight against anti-Semitism and discrimination against Muslims, he said in a Feb. 22 interview with the Italian daily, Corriere della Sera. But hatred or fear of Christians "is fought above all, I think, by having the person, who calls himself a Christian, try to be one with greater awareness and consistency in the family, at work, in politics," he said. Archbishop Lajolo's comments came after deadly attacks against Christians and their places of worship in Pakistan and Nigeria.He called irresponsible the caricatures that denigrated the Muslim prophet Mohammed.The cartoons, originally published in a Danish newspaper, triggered the recent violence. However, he said, much needs to be done to protect and guarantee the rights and dignity of religious minorities in mostly Muslim countries. An important way to promote mutual respect, he said, was by fostering the exchange of students and university professors across cultures. In addition, more attention should be paid "to the social development" of women, making it well understood that the intention was not "to impose Western models" of womanhood on other cultures, he said. The Italian archbishop said the church's desire to engage in dialogue with the world's Muslims "cannot dim in the face of recent difficulties." He echoed Pope Benedict XVI's call to constantly improve the current dialogue between Muslims and Christians and to not let it become "a seasonal" event, taken up only in times of crisis.









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