VATICAN CITY, AUG. 19, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sent a message to Muslims, underlining the spiritual dimension of the human person.
The message, published today by the Vatican, was sent to all Muslims on the occasion of the end of Ramadan, which this year will take place Aug. 29.
The spiritual dimension of the person, the letter states, «concerns a reality which Christians and Muslims consider to be of prime importance, faced as we are with the challenges of materialism and secularization.»
«The relationship that every human person has with the transcendent is not a moment in history, but is part of human nature,» the text continues. «We do not believe in fate; we are convinced – moreover it is our experience – that God guides us on our path!»
The letter, titled «Working together for mankind’s spiritual dimension,» notes that Christians and Muslims both «recognize the dignity of the human person endowed with both rights and duties.»
«This is why the transmission of such human and moral values to the younger generations constitutes a common concern,» it continues. «It is our duty to help them discover that there is both good and evil, that conscience is a sanctuary to be respected, and that cultivating the spiritual dimension makes us more responsible, more supportive, more available for the common good.»
«Christians and Muslims are too often witnesses to the violation of the sacred, of the mistrust of which those who call themselves believers are the target,» the message states. «We cannot but denounce all forms of fanaticism and intimidation, the prejudices and the polemics, as well as the discrimination of which, at times, believers are the object both in the social and political life as well as in the mass media.»
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full text: www.zenit.org/article-33228?l=english
