Vatican City, Jun 24, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Holy Father has written a letter on the virtues of sports and tourism and the contribution they make to life and culture. The message, written for the the occasion of the 25th World Day of Tourism which will take place on September 27 on the theme "Sports and Culture: Two vital forces for mutual understanding, culture and development among countries," was made public today.
Tourism "contributes to improving relationships between persons and groups of people which, when it is cordial, respectful and unified, is like a door open to peace and coexistence,” writes the Pope in the letter dated May 30, the Solemnity of Pentecost.
“In effect, much of the violence in our age is due to misunderstanding and even the rejection of the values and identity of other cultures. For this reason, misunderstanding can often be overcome through greater reciprocal knowledge,” he said.
“In this context, I also think about the millions of immigrants who must become part of the society that accepts them, based above all on the appreciation and recognition of the identity of each person or group.”