Vatican City, Sep 19, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Pope John Paul II received the Letters of Credence of Nevine Simaika Halim Abadia, new ambassador of Egypt to the Holy See on Saturday and spoke of the role of religion in the creation of a culture of peace and the importance of inter-religious dialogue.
"As the Holy See continues to repeat in this turbulent age," said the Pope, "there can only be lasting peace in international relations when the desire for dialogue prevails over the logic of confrontation.”
“Whether this is in Iraq, where a return to civil peace seems so difficult to establish, or the Holy Land, unfortunately marred by an endless conflict that is fuelled by hatred and a reciprocal desire for vengeance or in other countries where terrorism has so cruelly struck the innocent, everywhere violence reveals its horror and its incapacity to resolve conflicts,” he continued.
“Once again,” stressed the Holy Father, “I remind the international community of its responsibilities to promote a return to reason and negotiation, the only possible solution for conflicts among human beings.”