Oct 8, 2007 / 09:29 am
The necessity of religious freedom and cooperation between religions were among several themes stressed by the Holy See's Secretary for the Relations with States in a Friday address to the Sixty-second session of the UN General Assembly.
Archbishop Dominique Mamberti's speech, titled "High-level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace," explored the influence of religion in the contemporary world. Archbishop Mamberti referenced the past gatherings of religious leaders at Assisi, which declared "violence and terrorism are incompatible with authentic religion."
The archbishop also quoted from Pope Benedict XVI's condemnation of religion "expressed in violence and intolerance" and the pope's endorsement of religious faithfulness that appeals to freedom and reason "while committed to peace and reconciliation."
Archbishop Mamberti denied an intrinsic connection between religion and violence, declaring "The use of violence cannot be attributed to religion as such, but to the cultural limitations in which religions are lived and develop in time." He criticized political manipulations of religious identity and nationalist exploitations of religious differences. He also condemned those violent protests of real injustices that used religion as a justification.