Pope Benedict met again Friday with the delegates who participated at a gathering
in Assisi to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Day of Prayer for Peace hosted
by Blessed John Paul II. Philippa Hitchen followed events here at the Vatican and
spoke to Lydia O’Kane about the impact of yesterday’s meeting. Listen
Below Pope
Benedict's comments to delegates in English Friday:
Distinguished Guests, Dear
Friends, I welcome you this morning to the Apostolic Palace and I thank you once
more for your willingness to take part in the day of reflection, dialogue and prayer
for justice and peace in the world held yesterday in Assisi, twenty-five years after
that historic first meeting. In a certain sense, 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. I thank my Christian brothers
and sisters for their fraternal presence. I also thank the representatives of the
Jewish people, who are particularly close to us, and all of you, the distinguished
representatives of the world’s religions. I am aware that many of you have come from
afar and have undertaken a demanding journey. I express my gratitude also to those
who represent people of good will who follow no religious tradition but are committed
to the search for truth. They have been willing to share this pilgrimage with us
as a sign of their desire to work together to build a better world. Looking back,
we can appreciate the foresight of the late Pope John Paul II in convening the first
Assisi meeting, and the continuing need for men and women of different religions to
testify together that the journey of the spirit is always a journey of peace. 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, 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!