His Holiness Pope Francis in Bahrain: Prayer and fraternity are our modest but effective weapons
His Holiness Pope Francis encourages members of the Muslim Council of Elders in Bahrain to embrace fraternity, prayer and common efforts to help humanity rediscover the hidden sources of life, foster peace and promote care of the disadvantaged in society.
By Benedict Mayaki, SJ
His holiness Pope Francis met with the members of the Muslim Council of Elders, in the presence of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb in the mosque of the Sakhir Royal Palace on Friday afternoon.
Addressing the members, the Holy Father wished the peace of God upon them, who desire to foster reconciliation in order to avoid divisions and conflicts in Muslim communities, who see in extremism, a danger that corrodes genuine religion and who are committed to dispelling erroneous interpretations that do a disservice to religious belief.
"May peace come down and remain upon you: upon you, who wish to spread peace by instilling within people’s hearts the values of respect, tolerance and moderation; upon you, who seek to encourage friendly relations, mutual respect and trust with those who, like myself, are followers of a different religious tradition; upon you, who strive to provide young people with a moral and intellectual education that opposes all forms of hatred and intolerance."
God of peace
His Holiness Pope Francis said that “God is the source of peace” and as such he “never brings about war, never incites hatred, never supports violence.” In fact, we, who believe in him are also called to “promote peace with tools of peace, such as encounter, patient negotiations and dialogue, which is the oxygen of peaceful coexistence.”
He upheld the spread of a culture of peace based on justice as one of the objectives of the Council and stressed that it is the only path, inasmuch as “peace is the effect of righteousness.”
“Peace is born of fraternity; it grows through the struggle against injustice and inequality; it is built by holding out a hand to others.””
He insisted that peace cannot simply be proclaimed, but it must be helped to take root, and this is only possible by eliminating the forms of inequality and discrimination that give rise to instability and hostility.
Brother and pilgrim of peace
“I have come among you as a believer in God, as a brother and as a pilgrim of peace,” the Pope said. “I have come among you so that we can journey together, in the spirit of Francis of Assisi, who liked to say: “As you announce peace with your mouth, make sure that greater peace is in your hearts.”
The Pope noted that in these lands, it is customary to shake hands of guest and place one’s own hand on one’s chest as a sign of affection, as if to say, “you do not remain distant from me, but you enter into my heart, into my life”.
“I also place my hand on my heart with respect and affection, as I look out at each of you and bless the Most High for making it possible for us to encounter one another,” he said…
This report was originally published on the Vatican News official website. Please click here to read the full text.