{"id":20818,"date":"2016-11-17T10:05:37","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T10:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.acnmalta.org\/?p=18795"},"modified":"2016-11-17T10:05:37","modified_gmt":"2016-11-17T10:05:37","slug":"pope-urges-religious-leaders-to-condemn-acts-of-violence-acn-malta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acnmalta.org\/_oldsite\/2016\/11\/17\/pope-urges-religious-leaders-to-condemn-acts-of-violence-acn-malta\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope urges religious leaders to condemn acts of violence &#8211; ACN Malta"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\"><\/style><h2><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Pope calls on religious<\/strong><strong> leaders<\/strong><strong> to condemn acts of terrorism<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As the Year of Mercy drew to a close, Pope Francis met with around 200 representatives of different religions at the Vatican including Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims who all work in fields related to charity and mercy. The Pope expressed his sadness at the many attacks on religious freedom and told the religious leaders that acts of violence and terrorism must be very clearly condemned:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u201cSadly, not a day passes that we do not hear of acts of violence, conflict, kidnapping, terrorist attacks, killings and destruction,\u201d Pope Francis said, adding that \u201cit is horrible that at times, to justify such barbarism, the name of a religion or the name of God himself is invoked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMay there be clear condemnation of these iniquitous attitudes that profane the name of God and sully the religious quest of mankind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Francis \u00a0said love and mercy, which are at the heart of true religion, must be promoted while \u201cthe aimless paths of disagreement and closed-mindedness\u201d should be rejected and replaced with a \u201cpeaceful encounter\u201d among believers. However, he emphasised that mercy can\u2019t be proclaimed through words alone, but must be demonstrated in action and above all, \u201cby a truly merciful way of life marked by disinterested love, fraternal service and sincere sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Church increasingly desires to adopt this way of life,\u201d he said. \u201cThe religions are likewise called to this way of life, in order to be, particularly in our own day, messengers of peace and builders of communion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Emphasizing that compassion is the \u201cauthentic spirit\u201d of religion, the Pope said we must \u201cdraw near to all those living in situations that call for our concern, such as sickness, disability, poverty, injustice and the aftermath of conflicts and migrations.\u201d He added \u201cThis is a summons rising from the heart of every genuine religious tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Francis warned against the error of \u201creligious syncretism\u201d, which blends different religions together. Instead he advocated the promotion of unity through dialogue and encounter as a way to combat division and intolerance around the world. \u201cThis is pleasing to God and constitutes an urgent task, responding not only to today\u2019s needs but above all to the summons to love which is the soul of all authentic religion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Pope Francis stated that to become \u201cfully reconciled\u201d by the mercy of God we must forgive others, because we receive God\u2019s forgiveness in order to share it. \u201cForgiveness is surely the greatest gift we can give to others, because it is the most costly,\u201d he explained, yet \u201cit is what makes us most like God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Francis concluded by urging those present to reject disagreement and closemindedness, praying that religions may never again, \u201cbecause of the conduct of some of their followers,\u201d convey a \u201cdistorted message, out of tune with that of mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMay there instead be fostered everywhere the peaceful encounter of believers and genuine religious freedom,\u201d he said. \u201cHere, our responsibility before God, humanity and the future is great; it calls for unremitting effort, without dissimulation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><em>ACN Malta<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pope calls on religious leaders to condemn acts of terrorism &nbsp; As the Year of Mercy drew to a close, Pope Francis met with around 200 representatives of different religions at the Vatican including Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims who all work in fields related to charity and mercy. 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