To Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran,
President of the Pontifical Council
for Inter-Religious Dialog
and Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi,
President of the Pontifical Council for Culture
I wish, first of all, to express my sincere appreciation for the joint initiative of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialog and the Pontifical Council for Culture, in organizing a Day of study dedicated to the subject "Cultures and Religions in Dialog" as the participation of the Holy See in the European Union initiative, approved in December 2006, to declare 2008 as the European Year for Inter-Cultural Dialog.
I greet cordially, along with the Council Presidents mentioned, the cardinals, the venerated brothers in the E[Episcopate, the excellencies of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, the representatives of other religions and all the participants in this important meeting.
For many years now, Europe has become aware of its substantial cultural unity, despite the constellation of national cultures that have shaped its face.
It is good to underscore this: contemporary Europe, facing the Third Millennium, is the fruit of its 2000 years of civilization. That civilization is deeply rooted in the enormous and ancient patrimony of Athens and Rome as well as, and above all, in the fecund soil of Christianity, which has shown itself capable of creating new cultural patrimonies even as it accepts the original contribution made by every civilization.
The new humanism, which emerged from the spread of the evangelical message, exalts all the elements of the human being and his transcendental calling, purifying it of the wastes which obscure the face of the man created in the image and likeness of God.
Thus, Europe appears to us today like a precious fabric, whose warp and woof is formed by the principles and values drawn from the Gospel, even as the national cultures have been able to embroider it with an immense variety of perspectives which manifest the religious, intellectual, technical, scientific and artistic capacities of
homo Europeus.
In this sense, we can affirm that Europe had and still has a cultural influence on the entire human species, and cannot fell less than particularly responsible not only for its future but for that of all mankind.
In the context of today, when our contemporaries are more often asking themselves the essential questions on the sense of live and its value, it seems more important than ever to reflect on the ancient roots from which have flowed abundant lymph in the course of centuries.
The subject of inter-cultural and inter-religious dialog emerges as a priority for the European Union and is of interest across the board to all sectors of culture and communications, of education and science, of migrants and minorities, and those of young people and work.
Once diversity is accepted as a positive given, persons must accept not only the existence of the other's culture, but that they also wish to be enriched by that culture.
My predecessor, the Servant of God Paul VI, addressing Catholics, expressed his profound conviction about this in these terms: "The Church should enter into dialog with the world in which she lives. Let the Church give its word, let the Church deliver its message, let the Church enter into conversation" (Encyclical
Ecclesia Suam, N. 67).
We live in what is now usually called 'a pluralistic world', characterized by the rapidity of communications, the mobility of peoples and their economic, political and cultural interdependence.
Even in these often tragic times - even if many Europeans unfortunately seem to ignore the Christian roots of Europe - these roots are alive, and they should mark the way and nourish the hopes of millions of citizens who share the same values.
Believers should therefore be always ready to promote initiatives of inter-cultural and inter-religious dialog with the end of stimulating collaboration on areas of reciprocal interest, such as the dignity of the human being, the search for the common good, the construction of peace, development.
To this end, the Holy See wished to highlight its own participation in the 'high-level dialog on understanding among religions and cultures and on cooperation for peace' at the 62nd General Assembly of the United Nations (Oct. 4-5, 2008).
In order to be authentic, such a dialog must avoid yielding to relativism and syncretism, and must be animated by sincere respect for others and a generous spirit of reconciliation and brotherhood.
I encourage all those who are dedicated to the construction of a Europe that is welcoming, fraternal and ever more faithful to its roots, and in particular, I call on believers to contribute not only to jealously preserve the cultural and spiritual heritage which distinguishes them and are an integral part of their story, but also to be even more committed to finding new ways to adequately meet the great challenges that mark the post-modern world.
Among these, I will limit myself to cite the defense of human life at every stage, the protection of the rights of individuals and of families, the construction of a just and fraternal world, respect for creation, and inter-cultural and inter-religious dialog.
In this perspective, I wish success for the Day of Study and I invoke on all of its participants the abundant blessings of God.
From the Vatican
December 3, 2008
