Pope Francis and the Roman Curia on December 21, 2017.
Photo: Vatican website, Christmas address to the Roman Curia.
Pope Francis addressed the Roman Curia with his Christmas message on December 21, 2017. He reflected on the Curia in its relationship with the nations, “with the Particular Churches (i.e. dioceses), with the Oriental Churches with ecumenical dialogue, with Judaism, with Islam and other religions – in other words, with the outside world.
Near the end of the address, the pope remarked:
The relationship of the Roman Curia to other religions is based on the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and the need for dialogue. “For the only alternative to the civility of encounter is the incivility of conflict”.[26] Dialogue is grounded in three fundamental lines of approach: “The duty to respect one’s own identity and that of others, the courage to accept differences, and sincerity of intentions. The duty to respect one’s own identity and that of others, because true dialogue cannot be built on ambiguity or a willingness to sacrifice some good for the sake of pleasing others. The courage to accept differences, because those who are different, either culturally or religiously, should not be seen or treated as enemies, but rather welcomed as fellow-travellers, in the genuine conviction that the good of each resides in the good of all. Sincerity of intentions, because dialogue, as an authentic expression of our humanity, is not a strategy for achieving specific goals, but rather a path to truth, one that deserves to be undertaken patiently, in order to transform competition into cooperation”.[27]
My meetings with religious leaders during the various Apostolic Visits and here in the Vatican, are a concrete proof of this.
In this passage Pope Francis refers to his Address to Participants at the International Peace Conference held at the Al-Azhar Conference Centre in Cairo, Egypt on April 28, 2017. Readers will be interested in this important text.
Wishing all who celebrate a very blessed and joyous Christmas!
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