he
week of January 31 to February 5, two world meetings were taking place at the
same time, one far apart from the other.
We are called to preach
Peace
in a violent world
Justice
in a satisfied society
Love
in a selfish culture
Faith and Hope
in a cynical world
Bishop James W. Malone
Retired Bishop of Youngstown and Former president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
The 32nd World Economic Forum brought together 3,000 corporate, religious, and political leaders. Questions of poverty, the economic dimension of fighting terrorism, and security dominated the gathering, moved to New York from its customary alpine home in Davos, Switzerland, to show solidarity with the city after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Among the speakers, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, president of the Philippines, said that the military fight should be replaced by a battle against “the handmaiden of terrorism, poverty.” And US Secretary of State, Colin L. Powell, agreed that “we have to go after poverty. We have to go after despair. We have to go after hopelessness.” Meanwhile Ireu Khan, secretary general of Amnesty International, strongly cautioned that this ‘battle’ must not be fought at the expense of human and civil rights of any person or people.
Meanwhile, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, took place the Second World Social Forum. Some 51,000 people coming from 130 nations met to seek and propose an alternative social order where priority is given to the human being and not to the international economy which seeks hegemonic gains at the expense and social exclusion of millions of people.
Individuals who are symbols of the struggle for a “new world” passed through Porto Alegre to witness to their hopes. There were present three Nobel Prizes, Adolph Perez Esquivel, Rigoberta Mancho Tum, and Rony Brauman who represented the organization of Doctors Without Borders. The concerns of the Church were voiced by outstanding Brazilian Bishops as Dom Luciano Mendes de Almeida and Dom Mauro Morelli.
A third gathering, however, had taken place only a few days before, on Jan. 24 Answering to a convocation sent out by Pope John Paul II, more than 200 spiritual leaders, including 16 from Christian churches and communities, 30 Muslim clerics from 18 nations, 10 rabbis, and representatives from Buddhism, Tenrikyo, Shintoism, Jainism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism and traditional African religions, gathered in Assisi, Italy. Sheiks, muftis and cardinals, monks and ministers, grand priests and rabbis, coming from the four corners of the world, met to pray for peace with the Holy Father.
The primary objective of the convocation was to proclaim, that religion cannot ever again be used to justify violence. It was said: “The world will not have pace if religions do not learn to dialogue and cooperate to create a culture of peace, justice, and defense of creation. In this task, the Christian Churches must take the initiative, they who, so many times, were intolerant and cruel with dissidents and believers of other cultures.”
John Paul II, indeed, has always stressed the need for peace, tolerance, reconciliation and mutual respect among believers of all religions.
(From Xaverian Mission Newsletter)