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Pope Benedict XVI- Apostolic Journey to the Holy Land |
"Peace
Itself Is a Gift From God, Yet It Cannot Be Achieved Without Human
Endeavor"
Address at Nazareth Interreligious Meeting
H.H. Benedict XVI
Auditorium of the Annunciation Shrine in Nazareth
May 14, 2009
Dear Friends,
Grateful for the words of welcome offered by Bishop Giacinto-Boulos
Marcuzzo and for your warm reception, I cordially greet the leaders
of different communities present, including Christians, Muslims,
Jews, Druze and other religious peoples.
I feel particularly blessed to visit this city revered by Christians
as the place where the Angel announced to the Virgin Mary that she
would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit. Here too Joseph, her
betrothed, saw the Angel in a dream and was directed to name the
child "Jesus". After the marvelous events surrounding his birth, the
child was brought to this city by Joseph and Mary where he "grew and
became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon
him" (Lk 2:40).
The conviction that the world is a gift of God, and that God has
entered the twists and turns of human history, is the perspective
from which Christians view creation as having a reason and a
purpose. Far from being the result of blind fate, the world has been
willed by God and bespeaks his glorious splendor.
At the heart of all religious traditions is the conviction that
peace itself is a gift from God, yet it cannot be achieved without
human endeavor. Lasting peace flows from the recognition that the
world is ultimately not our own, but rather the horizon within which
we are invited to participate in God's love and cooperate in guiding
the world and history under his inspiration. We cannot do whatever
we please with the world; rather, we are called to conform our
choices to the subtle yet nonetheless perceptible laws inscribed by
the Creator upon the universe and pattern our actions after the
divine goodness that pervades the created realm.
Galilee, a land known for its religious and ethnic diversity, is
home to a people who know well the efforts required to live in
harmonious coexistence. Our different religious traditions have a
powerful potential to promote a culture of peace, especially through
teaching and preaching the deeper spiritual values of our common
humanity. By molding the hearts of the young, we mold the future of
humanity itself. Christians readily join Jews, Muslims, Druze, and
people of other religions in wishing to safeguard children from
fanaticism and violence while preparing them to be builders of a
better world.
My dear friends, I know that you accept cheerfully and with a
greeting of peace the many pilgrims who flock to Galilee. I
encourage you to continue exercising mutual respect as you work to
ease tensions concerning places of worship, thus assuring a serene
environment for prayer and reflection here and throughout Galilee.
Representing different religious traditions, you share a desire to
contribute to the betterment of society and thus testify to the
religious and spiritual values that help sustain public life. I
assure you that the Catholic Church is committed to join in this
noble undertaking. In cooperation with men and women of good will,
she will seek to ensure that the light of truth, peace and goodness
continue to shine forth from Galilee and lead people across the
globe to seek all that fosters the unity of the human family. God
bless you all.
© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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