Ecumenical Meeting in Lisbon (14 May 1982)
ShareOn Friday, 14 May 1982, the Holy Father spoke at an Ecumenical Meeting in Lisbon, addressing representatives of the Christian communities, Judaism and Islam. In his Address, the Pope observed that “contemporary society appears to us to be distracted, or even willing on a large scale to ‘disregard’ God and religion, and very much focused on the material and earthly dimensions of man and life [but] … by recognizing and proclaiming spiritual and religious values we will certainly be able to arouse and guide a general vital intuition and, among people in normal conditions, a certain conceptual glimmer of the reality of a subsisting Creator.”
Gentlemen and my brothers.
1. Grateful for the deferential words and good wishes addressed to me, I wish to greet the representatives of the Christian communities, Judaism and Islam, present here, expressing fraternal respect and esteem to all. Today, being able to commonly affirm faith in a single God, creator of all things, alive, omnipotent and merciful, would already be enough to make this meeting pleasant for me; I am pleased that we have been offered this opportunity to bear witness, which is both homage and an act of submission to our God.
In some way, we are united by faith, and by a commitment, similar in many points, to demonstrating with good works the coherence of our respective religious position; and also the desire that, by honoring the Creator of all things as Lord, our example serves to help others in the search for God, in the openness towards transcendence, in the recognition of the spiritual value of the human person and, at times, in identification of the foundation and permanent source of his rights. This - let us know well - is the condition for there to exist criteria of esteem for the human person himself, which are not limited to "practical usefulness", but which can safeguard his intangible dignity. In addition to this, as far as Christians are concerned, the common faith in Christ the Savior constitutes a special reason for unity and testimony.
2. Contemporary society appears to us to be distracted, or even willing on a large scale to "disregard" God and religion, and very much focused on the material and earthly dimensions of man and life: admirable progress in all fields brings great benefits, but they seem to favor an inversion and replacement of values in some. By recognizing and proclaiming spiritual and religious values we will certainly be able to arouse and guide a general vital intuition and, among people in normal conditions, a certain conceptual glimmer of the reality of a subsisting Creator.
On the other hand, in fidelity to the religion embraced, there is always a space for human solidarity, because, convinced as we are of the good that believing in God constitutes for us, the desire to share this good of ours with others comes spontaneously. With all due respect, we can make ourselves a sign of the Almighty: he who for many is the "unknown God"; for others, falsely indicated in temporal powers, inexorably marked by the end and transience.
3. These contacts of ours, the dialogue and appreciation for the undeniable treasures of spirituality of every religion, Christian community and, when possible, common prayer, can lead to a convergence of efforts to overcome the illusion of building a new world without God, and to the vanity of a purely anthropocentric humanism. Without the religious dimension and, even worse, without religious freedom, man is impoverished or defrauded of one of his fundamental rights. And we all want to avoid this impoverishment of man.
Thus, when, also motivated by human solidarity, we move from prayer, from obedience to the commandments and from the observance of justice to concretely living religious coherence, helping the search for God, we will be contributing to the good of our neighbor and to the good common of humanity. And this can be verified:
- through personal honesty and the discipline of morals, in private and public life, slowing down the advance of the relaxation of the principles of morality and justice, and of ethical permissiveness;
- with respect for life and for the family and its values, favoring the elevation, in humanity and dignity, of our fellow men, and the consolidation of the irreplaceable foundations of orderly coexistence in society;
- with the cult of the authentic meaning and generous practice of human work, and with courageous and wise social and political participation, seeking the well-being of all and the construction of societies and the world increasingly in accordance with the plans and decrees of God, throughout the earth, because only in this way can there be a more just, peaceful world imbued with brotherly love.
4. I come to Portugal, as you know, on a pilgrimage, mainly to celebrate the mercy of God. I have within me the profound conviction that the merciful God wishes to see this attribute of his reflected more fully in the entire human family: authentic mercy appears to me as something indispensable to give shape and solidity to relationships between men, inspired by the deepest respect for everything that is human and for brotherhood.
Christians, in fact, are exhorted to imitate the Lord Jesus, model of mercy. Judaism also considers mercy as a fundamental commandment. And Islam, in its profession of faith, attributes this epithet to God. And Abraham, our common ancestor, teaches everyone - Christians, Jews and Muslims - to follow this path of mercy and love.
Allow me to conclude these words of mine by raising my spirit in prayer to the merciful God:
Ineffable,
of whom the entire creation speaks,
O Almighty, who never forces,
but only invites and orients
humanity towards good,
O Compassionate,
who desires mercy
among all men:
may he always guide us in his ways ,
fill our hearts with his love,
peace and joy,
and bless us!
Copyright © Dicastery for Communication - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
