Speech of Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, Head of the Holy See Delegation, Honorary President of Pontifical Council "Justice and peace"

Mr. President,
Mr. Chairman of the Secretariat of the II Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions",
Dear Religious Leaders,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is both an honor and a joy for me and other members of the Holy See Delegation to participate in this II Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. We give thanks to God, Creator and Father of the human family, for having brought us to this noble and hospitable country, to explore together ways leading to peace, security and a social order which best reflects the will of God and of His plan that there should be peace and prosperity for each and everyone.

I want to thank the President of the Republic, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, for having taken a special interest in the promotion of dialogue between religious groups, not only within his own country, with its own "rich diversity" (Pope John Paul II, Speech to the new Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Holy See, 17 September 2001), of ethnic and cultural groups, languages and religions, but also in other parts of the world. Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory, from the very beginning of this laudable initiative, had given assurance of the support and active co-operation of the Holy See.

It is particularly agreeable for me, finding myself in Kazakhstan at this Congress, to evoke the feelings of esteem and friendship, in which Pope John Paul II supported this noble country. The Pope of inter-religious dialogue came on a pastoral visit to Kazakhstan from 22 to 25 September 2001, just a few days after the tragic events of the 11^th of September that same year in the USA.

The importance of this Pontifical visit went beyond the bilateral relationship between the Holy See and Kazakhstan to become an event rich in potential for relations in central Asia in particular, in the continent of Asia in general, and indeed in the whole world: good relations between different ethnic, religious, and cultural groups are possible and are necessary for peace, security and world development. Like Pope John Paul II, we are all called to be instruments of peace, reconciliation and prosperity according to the individual mission, which God had entrusted to each of us.

The present Congress follows the first one, which took place in the new capital of Kazakhstan in September 2003, "with a view to developing the constructive dialogue between different religions and confessions". It was an occasion for the participants of the Congress to discuss the role of religion in the modern world, and the "human character" of religious values.

The Final Declaration affirmed "religions must aspire to greater co-operation, recognizing mutual tolerance and acceptance as the necessary tools for peaceful co-existence of peoples". The document spoke of the availability of participants not to tolerate the use of religious differences as means for feeding hatred and discord, so that mankind might be saved from an eventual global conflict between religions and cultures. That which you affirmed three years ago is now more urgent and important than ever for our world today.

You also decided, during the First Congress, to hold the Second Congress in Astana, "a city of peace" in three years time. I would like to thank the members of the Secretariat of the Congress, which with the generous help of the Government, have prepared this meeting. Without their assiduous work the wonderful encounters of these days would not have been possible. I would also like to thank the Kazakh Government for building a permanent office for the Secretariat.

The theme, around which we are concentrating our attention "Religion, society and international security" and the sub-themes related to it, has led me to make the following reflections which I would now like to share with you.

The relationship between religion and society

Religion is the relationship between man and God, who is known through faith as Lord and is adored through worship. In this all religions are similar. However, permit me to present briefly the understanding Christianity has of itself, whilst respecting the different conceptions, which other religions have of themselves.

For Christians, Christ "was not limited to speaking "in the name of God" like the prophets, but was God Himself speaking through His own eternal Word made flesh" (John Paul II, Tertio millennio adveniente, Apostolic Letter for the Preparation of the Jubilee of the Year 2000, 10 November 1994). "In Christianity, the starting point is the Incarnation of the Word, who declares himself to be "the Way, the Truth and the Life". It is no longer man seeking God, but God Himself comes in person to speak to mankind and to show him the way to reach Him ... In Christ, religion no longer seeks by "feeling its way towards God" (cf. Ac 17, 27), but is a response in faith to God who has revealed Himself: a response in which man speaks with God as his Creator and Father" (Ibid.)

Society is made up of human individuals grouped together and governed by both natural law and by positive laws which each individual society has agreed upon in general, nowadays, by democratic means and, sometimes, according to secular traditions. Within societies, religions undoubtedly have a role to play to the degree and according to modalities, which vary from country to country.

For Christians, the role of religion in society, to borrow images from the Gospels, is like the yeast in the dough and the lamp, lit to show the way to all those, who wish to enter the house. It follows from this that to be able to play the role of pacification and illumination, religions, or more importantly, the followers of the different religions, must above all understand each other, respect each other and work together for the common good. The role of religion in society does not, and must not go against a human reason, but try to enrich the spiritual and moral values, which are also genuinely human.

It is difficult, however, to speak of the relationship between society and religion without speaking of that between politics and religion.

The Catholic Church understands the importance of distinguishing between politics and religion, and this is equally good for both religion and politics. In promoting the distinction between the two, the Church is in perfect harmony with the teaching of Jesus who said, "render to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, and to God that which belongs to God". A confusion of religion and politics is a hindrance to both and paves the way to an instramentalization, which is harmful to both.

The distinction between politics and religion, which the Church promotes is a "sound secularism", that distinguishes the two domains, not in order to set one against the other, but so that each might have a proper respect for the other, both within their own spheres of influence and in order to work together for the good of both individuals and society as a whole. For Pope Benedict XVI such a "positive distinction between politics and religion" is "of the greatest importance".

The Pope encourages "a sound State secularism in accordance with which temporal realities are ruled by their own norms, and where ethical questions find their basis in the very essence of man.

"Among them, continues the Pope, "religious sense" has a leading importance: it is here that man's opening to the Transcendent is expressed. It follows logically that a healthy secular state must recognize this fundamental dimension of the human spirit within its legislation. It is a matter of making a "positive secularism", which guarantees to every citizen the right to practice a religious faith in genuine freedom and in the public domain as well".

It is a matter of a secularism which should not be interpreted as "hostile to religion, but, on the contrary, is engaged in guaranteeing to everyone, both individuals and groups, respect for the requirements of the common good, the possibility of living and demonstrating one's own religious convictions" (Benedict XVI).

Among the distortions of secularism one can find several which one could call "secularist", which would like the State to control and even manipulate religion. From one point of view, one can see this in a State, which sets itself up like a "religion" in the degree to which it imposes itself as an "absolute" value. This is not the sort of secularism we are called to support!

Freedom of worship

The world, in which we live, is marked by a great religious and confessional diversity. Respect of the right of each individual to religious freedom is fundamental for the peace of societies, countries and the whole world.

I would like to draw attention to one of the 21 documents of the Second Vatican Council, Dignitaries humane, promulgated on 7 December 1965. This Declaration is entirely devoted to the question of religious freedom. The Fathers of the Council confirmed that: "The Council declares that the individual human being has the right to religious freedom. This freedom consists in that all human beings must be free from all coercion on the part of individuals and groups of whatever human agency in religious matters; nothing should be done to force them to act against their conscience nor prevented from acting, within legal limits, according to their conscience, in private or public, singly or in a group. It also declares that the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the dignity of the human individual along with knowing the Word of God and reason itself (n. 1).

Popes have been defenders and promoters of religious freedom. It is particularly pleasing to me to be able to quote Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory, on this subject in reference to this very country. Receiving the newly-appointed Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Holy See, on 17 September 2001, a few days before he was due to make his Apostolic Visit to the country, the Pope confirmed: "In effect, in a state ruled by laws, religious freedom is a precious possession, an expression of fundamental human dignity, in which an individual can choose freely, according to his or her conscience, which religion to follow. Undoubtedly, such freedom invites both individuals and religious communities to compete for the common good, within the limits of mutual respect and of the laws of the country".

Before leaving Kazakhstan on 22 September 2001, the venerated Pontiff addressed the people of the country: "Dear peoples of Kazakhstan! Shaped by the experiences of your past, both distant and more recent, and in particular by the tragic events of the XX^th century, you must know how to put the protection of freedom, that inalienable right and deep aspiration of all mankind, at the base of your civil commitment. In particular, you know how to recognize the right to religious freedom, through which each individual expresses the convictions most dear to him or her". This is a sort of testament that Pope John Paul left to the Kazakhs, who are our hosts for this important initiative, but also to us all.

It is of the greatest importance to point out that freedom of worship is a part of religious freedom, but it is not the whole of it. Religious freedom is much wider. It also includes the right to freely choose a religion for oneself and therefore it includes the right to change one's religion. To prevent an individual from freely choosing a religion constitutes a serious attack on this freedom and a source of tension within society and within the wider world. The most serious attack on religious freedom is limiting another religion for religious reasons. Religions have a vocation to defend and promote religious freedom, not only for their own followers, but also for the whole of humanity.

Respect for other religions

The Second Vatican Council document Nostra cites on the relationship between the Catholic Church and non-Christian religions speaks of these religions with objectivity and respect. It affirms "from their different religions men expect the answer to the enigmas of human life" (n. 1). After having mentioned Hinduism and Buddhism, the document goes on to speak of the "other religions to be found throughout the world", affirming that they "endeavor to anticipate, in different ways, the anxieties of the human heart by proposing ways and means, that is to say, doctrines, rules of life and sacred rites" (n. 2).

The Council Fathers paid especial attention to the two monotheistic religions, which make reference to Abraham, Islam and Judaism given the particular relationships which both of them have with Christianity.

The text of Nostra citation concerning Muslims has become an obligatory reference for Christian relations with them: "The Church also holds those Muslims in esteem, who adore the One God, living and subsisting, Merciful and All-powerful, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who has spoken to mankind. Muslims seek to submit themselves totally to the decrees of God, to which Islam willingly refers, even though they are concealed, just as Abraham submitted himself to God. Even though Jesus is not recognized as God, He is venerated as a prophet; Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, is also honored, and invoked with piety. Furthermore, they are also waiting for the Day of Judgment when God will reward all mankind resurrected from death. Muslims also value a moral life which renders worship to God, above all through prayer, charity and fasting" (n. 3).

Without denying their history, Christians and Muslims must not remain prisoners of it: "If, during the course of centuries, numerous disagreements and enmities between Christians and Muslims have been evident, the Council exhorts everyone to forget the past and to commit themselves to work sincerely for mutual understanding, as well as protecting and promoting together social justice, moral values, peace and freedom for all mankind" (n. 3).

As far as the Jewish religion is concerned, "the Council recalled the link which binds the people of the New Testament with the descendants of Abraham" (n. 4). And it continues: "The Church of Christ, thus recognizes that the beginnings of their faith and their favour are to be found, according to the divine mystery of salvation, in the patriarchs, Moses and the prophets". "On account of the great spiritual inheritance common to Christians and Jews, the Council wishes to encourage mutual esteem and understanding between them, which arises above all from biblical and theological study and as well as from fraternal dialogue".

The Council text recalls that "We cannot invoke God, Father of all mankind, if we refuse to conduct ourselves fraternally towards other men made in the image of God. The relations between a man and God the Father, and the relations between a man and his human brothers are so linked that Scripture says: "Anyone who fails to love can never have known God". (I John 4, 8) (n. 4).

Discrimination is thus categorically denied: "The foundations of all theory and practice, which aim is to introduce peoples to one another, are undermined by discrimination in which human dignity and the rights, which follow from it, are concerned.

"The Church therefore condemns, as it is contrary to the spirit of Christ, all discrimination or vexations which affect men and women on account of their race, their colour, their class or their religion" (n. 4).

The role of religious leaders in the reinforcing of international security

You are undoubtedly very aware of the important role and, consequently, the great responsibility, which falls on religious leaders with regard to their respective communities. They have the duty to guide, clarify, sustain and, sometimes, to correct erroneous interpretations of their religion or certain behavior carried out in the name of religion. In our world, which is changing so rapidly, where communication has become so easy, the role of religious leaders has become even more important. It is good to know that there are places, where co-operation between religious leaders is a reality and works in favour of the promotion of peace and harmony. A good example of this is the "Bishops and Ulamas forum" in the Philippines. Another, I am pleased to be able to tell you about, is the colloquium "Priests and Imams: role, formation and cooperation" being organized jointly by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the World Islamic Call Society of Tripoli, in Libya. There have been also meetings between imams and rabbis in Seville and in Brussels.

Religious leaders are witnesses to the Absolute, Whose name is Justice and Peace.

Dear Participants,

This Congress is a sign of hope for us and for humanity. It is a message that the world expects and has urgent need of. We pray God that the expectation of mankind is realized as well and as quickly as possible. Let us each bring our own stone for building the peace of the world by means of peace and cooperation among religions.

How can we not mention here among ourselves with great emotion and concern the worst troubles and anxieties of these times, the prospects for peace in the Near East, and particularly in the Holy Land? The whole world talks of peace, but very few believe it to be still possible. Nevertheless, the forces in favour of peace are present there everywhere, and Jews, Christians and Muslims, all children of the same Father Abraham, can bring witnesses together to the message of peace entrusted to them by God of love and mercy.

I would like to end by quoting, as did Pope John Paul II on his arrival in Astana on 22 September 2001, a great Kazakh author, Abai Kunanbayev: "Mankind has love and justice as principles. They are the crowning of the work of the Most High".