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Pope Benedict XVI - World Youth Day 2008 |
"Schools
Could Do Even More to Nurture the Spiritual Dimension"
Address at Interreligious Meeting
His Holiness Benedict XVI
Sydney, Australia
July 18, 2007
Dear Friends,
I extend cordial greetings of peace and goodwill to all of you who
are here representing various religious traditions in Australia.
Grateful for this encounter, I thank Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence and
Sheikh Shardy for the words of welcome which they expressed in their
own name and on behalf of your respective communities.
Australia is renowned for the congeniality of its people towards
neighbour and visitor alike. It is a nation that holds freedom of
religion in high regard. Your country recognizes that a respect for
this fundamental right gives men and women the latitude to worship
God according to their conscience, to nurture their spirits, and to
act upon the ethical convictions that stem from their beliefs.
A harmonious relationship between religion and public life is all
the more important at a time when some people have come to consider
religion as a cause of division rather than a force for unity. In a
world threatened by sinister and indiscriminate forms of violence,
the unified voice of religious people urges nations and communities
to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and with full regard for
human dignity. One of the many ways religion stands at the service
of mankind is by offering a vision of the human person that
highlights our innate aspiration to live generously, forging bonds
of friendship with our neighbours. At their core, human relations
cannot be defined in terms of power, domination and self-interest.
Rather, they reflect and perfect man's natural inclination to live
in communion and accord with others.
The religious sense planted within the human heart opens men and
women to God and leads them to discover that personal fulfilment
does not consist in the selfish gratification of ephemeral desires.
Rather, it leads us to meet the needs of others and to search for
concrete ways to contribute to the common good. Religions have a
special role in this regard, for they teach people that authentic
service requires sacrifice and self-discipline, which in turn must
be cultivated through self-denial, temperance and a moderate use of
the world's goods. In this way, men and women are led to regard the
environment as a marvel to be pondered and respected rather than a
commodity for mere consumption. It is incumbent upon religious
people to demonstrate that it is possible to find joy in living
simply and modestly, generously sharing one's surplus with those
suffering from want.
Friends, these values, I am sure you will agree, are particularly
important to the adequate formation of young people, who are so
often tempted to view life itself as a commodity. They also have an
aptitude for self-mastery: indeed, in sports, the creative arts, and
in academic studies, they readily welcome it as a challenge. Is it
not true that when presented with high ideals, many young people are
attracted to asceticism and the practice of moral virtue through
self-respect and a concern for others? They delight in contemplating
the gift of creation and are intrigued by the mystery of the
transcendent. In this regard, both faith schools and State schools
could do even more to nurture the spiritual dimension of every young
person. In Australia, as elsewhere, religion has been a motivating
factor in the foundation of many educational institutions, and
rightly it continues to occupy a place in school curricula today.
The theme of education frequently emerges from the deliberations of
the Interfaith Cooperation for Peace and Harmony, and I warmly
encourage those participating in this initiative to continue the
conversation about the values that integrate the intellectual, human
and religious dimensions of a sound education.
The world's religions draw constant attention to the wonder of human
existence. Who can help but marvel at the power of the mind to grasp
the secrets of nature through scientific discovery? Who is not
stirred by the possibility of forming a vision for the future? Who
is not impressed by the power of the human spirit to set goals and
to develop ways of achieving them? Men and women are endowed with
the ability not only to imagine how things might be better, but to
invest their energies to make them better. We are conscious of our
unique relationship to the natural realm. If, then, we believe that
we are not subject to the laws of the material universe in the same
way as the rest of creation, should we not make goodness,
compassion, freedom, solidarity, and respect for every individual an
essential part of our vision for a more humane future?
Yet religion, by reminding us of human finitude and weakness, also
enjoins us not to place our ultimate hope in this passing world. Man
is "like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow" (Ps 144:4).
All of us have experienced the disappointment of falling short of
the good we wish to accomplish and the difficulty of making the
right choice in complex situations.
The Church shares these observations with other religions. Motivated
by charity, she approaches dialogue believing that the true source
of freedom is found in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Christians
believe it is he who fully discloses the human potential for virtue
and goodness, and he who liberates us from sin and darkness. The
universality of human experience, which transcends all geographical
boundaries and cultural limitations, makes it possible for followers
of religions to engage in dialogue so as to grapple with the mystery
of life's joys and sufferings. In this regard, the Church eagerly
seeks opportunities to listen to the spiritual experience of other
religions. We could say that all religions aim to penetrate the
profound meaning of human existence by linking it to an origin or
principle outside itself. Religions offer an attempt to understand
the cosmos as coming from and returning to this origin or principle.
Christians believe that God has revealed this origin and principle
in Jesus, whom the Bible refers to as the "Alpha and Omega" (cf. Rev
1:8; 22:1).
My dear friends, I have come to Australia as an ambassador of peace.
For this reason, I feel blessed to meet you who likewise share this
yearning and the desire to help the world attain it. Our quest for
peace goes hand in hand with our search for meaning, for it is in
discovering the truth that we find the sure road to peace (cf.
Message for World Day of Peace, 2006). Our effort to bring about
reconciliation between peoples springs from, and is directed to,
that truth which gives purpose to life. Religion offers peace, but
more importantly, it arouses within the human spirit a thirst for
truth and a hunger for virtue. May we encourage everyone -
especially the young - to marvel at the beauty of life, to seek its
ultimate meaning, and to strive to realize its sublime potential!
With these sentiments of respect and encouragement, I commend you to
the providence of Almighty God, and I assure you of my prayers for
you and your loved ones, the members of your communities, and all
the citizens of Australia.
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