"No to religious fundamentalism and absolute nationalism," said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the International Meeting of Religions and Cultures in Rome.
Late yesterday afternoon, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew spoke at the international meeting organised in Rome by the Catholic community of Saint Aegidos, on "Brothers peoples, the land of the future. Religions and cultures in dialogue."
The Primate of Christian Orthodoxy, among other thing stressed:
"Can we go back to the previous period, as if nothing happened? Our answer to this question is only one: the former world no longer exists and we have in our hands the ability to build a new beginning, a beginning that can only be done together."
The Ecumenical Patriarch addressed people of faith, economists, philosophers, ecologists, scientists, men and women of good will and pointed out three main principles for the future.
"We begin by declaring again what the pandemic made clearer: that we belong to a single human family, of all the peoples of the earth, with a need to pay attention to Creation. It is necessary, therefore, that we all recognise, at every level, not only human rights, but that we belong to a single humanity, with all its particularities, cultures and identities. A new beginning in the post-pandemic era, can not ignore all this by eliminating any perception of diversity and helping us to recognise ourselves as a single family.
The second principle, according to the Patriarch is to recognise each others unique identity and listen to each other, "not to become one with an international identity, but to understand each other's uniqueness."
The last principle pointed out by the Ecumenical Patriarch is mutual respect: "Respecting each other, dialogue and listening to each other make the above possible. By overcoming religious fundamentalism and absolute nationalism. "Proclaiming just justice at every level of human society and creating moments of mutual enrichment," said Bartholomew.
Because "the main goal is for the people to live in peace" and "to protect the creation of God and everything connected with it". Otherwise, "the consequences will be worse than the world we left behind."
Today the Patriarch will pray for Peace at the Colosseum. An initiative in which Pope Francis will also participate.
