Serving the Wounded World - Interreligious solidarity
Vatican City and WCC, 28 August 2020 -- The Vatican 'Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue' together with the World Council of Churches (WCC) released a joint appeal for reflection two days ago, and a call to all Christians in these times of the Covid19 pandemic and beyond. The recommendations give a special place to the involvement of young people! In the vast and multi-cultural and multi-religious East Asia-Oceania region these few pages shed light on our daily Salesian solidarity praxis.
It is one result of 'our belief in the importance of walking (this) path together - reflected in the fact that the WCC and the Pontifical Council wrote this document together.:.. "We believe that both the process and its content mirror our openness and responsibility as Christians to engage in dialogue with followers of other religious traditions."
The short 24-page document contains five (5) basic parts - about the Current Crisis (pandemic times read with Gospel eyes), Solidarity Sustained by Hope, Our Basis for Inter-religious Solidarity, Principles and Recommendations. Full text is available also on Boscolink:
Joint principles
1. Humility and vulnerability
2. Respect to each unique human person
3. Community, compassion and the common good
4. Dialogue and mutual learning (learning from each other)
5. Repentance and Renewal (recognize our guilt in many systems of oppression)
6. Gratitude and generosity
7. Love - called to show the face of God-Love
Recommendations "We call upon all Christians to serve our neighbours, and to serve alongside them, taking into consideration the recommendations below:
1. Find ways of bearing witness to suffering...
2. Promote a culture of inclusivism which celebrates difference as God's gift
3. Nurture solidarity through spirituality
4. Widen the formation of clergy, religious communities, orders, lay, pastoral workers
5. Engage and support young people, whose idealism and energy can be an antidote to the temptation of cynicism, in the endeavour to heal the wounded world of which we are part.
6. Create space for dialogue (learn from members of other religions)
7. Restructure projects and processes for inter-religious solidarity
