For there to be peace, people need to expand their horizons, engage in dialogue and work with each other in a way that sets aside selfishness and ambition, Pope Francis said.
Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations
In Bahrain, pope sees joy of Catholic minority, deepens ties with Muslims
Traveling as a “sower of peace” to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Pope Francis further strengthened ties with the Muslim world and witnessed the joy and vitality of its minority and predominately expatriate Christian population.
Source of evil is rejecting God, one’s neighbor, pope tells Muslim scholars
Conflicts and evil in the world are all rooted in people rejecting God and their brothers and sisters, Pope Francis said to international Islamic scholars and experts.
Religious leaders must build community, unity, peace, pope says
A true love for the divine Creator means acting on behalf of his children who are neglected by the powerful: the poor, the unborn, the elderly, the infirm and migrants, Pope Francis told representatives of different religious faiths and international leaders.
Focus on Dialogue: Papal trip to highlight importance of opening doors
Pope Francis is set to make a four-day visit to Bahrain, a journey that will make him the first pope to visit the Arab kingdom just off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf.
Cries for peace can’t be ignored, pope says at interreligious meeting
Standing in front of an ancient symbol of violent battles, Pope Francis and religious leaders from around the world echoed “the cry for peace” of people suffering the impact of conflicts around the world, but especially in Ukraine.
Pope hails new Catholic-Jewish study center in Poland
Pope Francis expressed his hope that a new center for Catholic-Jewish relations in Poland will “foster appreciation of the common heritage, not only of the two religions, but also of the two peoples.”
Vatican calls Catholics, Hindus to work together to counter tensions
At a time when tensions are growing, fueled by “blatant misuse of social media” and by political manipulation, Catholics and Hindus are called to teach personal responsibility for civilized behavior and to promote “respect, love and trust” among people, a Vatican office said.
Cardinal prays at queen’s funeral, signaling Charles’ openness to dialogue
An English cardinal took part in the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in an indication of openness of the British Royal family to ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.
Documents detailing Portuguese Inquisition to become available online
Rare documentation of the Portuguese Inquisition with detailed information about the sentencing trials which took place 500 years ago have been digitized for the first time in the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People Jerusalem’s National Library of Israel.
U.S. citizens have responsibility to promote religious freedom, speaker says
Violations of religious liberty are increasing around the world, and U.S. citizens have a special responsibility to stand up for the religious freedom of all believers in all nations, said Samah Norquist, former chief adviser for international religious freedom to the administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development.
Pope confirms plans to meet Russian patriarch in Kazakhstan
Pope Francis said he plans to meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in September at an interreligious meeting in Kazakhstan.