Ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος ομίλησε σήμερα το πρωί, Δευτέρα 26 Φεβρουαρίου 2018 στο διεθνές συνέδριο,με θέμα: «Promoting peacful coexistence and common citizenship», που διοργανώνει το Διαθρησκειακό Ίδρυμα «ΚAICIID Dialogue Center» στην Βιέννη της Αυστρίας.
In an opening address, Ecumenical Patriarch His All-Holiness Bartholomew I offered greetings and thanked those who traveled for this important historic endeavor. “It is indeed an extraordinary joy for us to be in the presence of so many tireless workers for peace, who have travelled to be in Vienna this week in order to participate in this conference and address the increasing threats that affect human dignity, understanding, openness and peace in today’s world,” he said. “May our work here bear fruit during a confusing and challenging time in our history.”
In spite of the struggle for human rights over many decades, many governments around the world continue to legislate discriminatory laws and use force in order to suppress and deny their citizens’ freedom of religion or belief, continued Bartholomew I.
“Over the last few years, the percentage of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities against religious minority groups has steadily increased around the globe,” he continued. “Conditions in many parts of the world are far from ideal.” The contribution of religion is crucial to overcoming the worldwide crisis, he concluded.
“Love surpasses human capacity. It is a divine gift,” he said. “Therefore, we strongly believe that to achieve it demands much more than our human spontaneous response. It requires something much more than our simple will to follow God’s invitation. It implies a lifelong and continuous response, a commitment through faith, prayer, and spiritual struggle–in other words, through religion.”
