“The world is tired of living in fear”: that’s the message being sent out from Washington by scores of exponents of religions and cultures from all over the world, who met at Georgetown University on 26-27 April for a meeting promoted by the St. Egidio Community to mark the 20th World Day of Prayer for Peace. “Our world – says the final appeal for peace that closed the event – seems to have forgotten that human life is sacred. God has compassion on those who are suffering, those struck by war, and the victims of blind terrorism. The world is tired of living in fear. Fear humiliates the better part of us. Fear and pessimism at times seem the only way out, but they lead to a dark road. Religions do not wish violence, war or terrorism; don’t believe those who say the opposite!”. Signed by cardinals, rabbis, imams and exponents of the world of culture, the appeal stresses that the world “is made better not by violence and by terror, but by faith and love”. From the debate in Washington, which follows in the path of the interfaith dialogue launched by John Paul II at Assisi in 1986, it has re-emerged once again – says Mario Marazziti, spokesman of St. Egidio – that dialogue “is not a choice of the weak and the timorous, but is the courage of those who know there is no future without it”. The world “desperately needs peace”, said the Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, at the end of the meeting, “perhaps even more so today than twenty years ago. I hope that many will return to their countries from here convinced that dialogue is a good idea, it’s a great novelty”.
