The Land of freedom

The “courage” of taking “decisions” to promote religious freedom in the world and denounce all forms of discrimination on religious grounds in Europe and across the world. Addressing the Assembly in Strasbourg on April 12 His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue spoke of the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue, in the framework of the Spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). In his speech the Vatican dignitary spoke of “The humanism that sprang from Christian faith” that made possible the relationship between “faith and reason”.Defending religious freedom. “A humanism – the cardinal said – open to transcendence and which still today, despite secularism and relativism enables Christians and the faithful in general to bear in mind the ethical priorities over contemporary ideologies, the primacy of the human person and the superiority of the spirit over matter”. “In Europe – added Cardinal Tauran – no religion could hope to hold sway through force. Religion was now not only inherited, but also chosen. Religions are also cultures and Europe is a crossroads of religions and cultures of which Strasbourg is a laboratory and a symbol. This is why it is important to have places where people can exchange and share. These places give us the chance to know the true face of religions. I hope that the Council of Europe will always have the courage to make concrete decisions necessary to promote – and, if needed, defend – freedom of religion and condemn all forms of persecution, violence and discrimination in Europe and in the world. There are many fields in which we are called, as believers, to work together, in a context of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue with all those who are heading towards the Absolute”. “Let us ensure that the name of God is never invoked to justify discrimination and violence”, he concluded.A culture of coexistence. There is the need to promote a “culture of coexistence that will prevent diversity from turning into adversity and identity into isolation”, underlined His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania. The Patriarch referred to the ongoing upheavals in North Africa and to the violence against Christians in the Middle East. “These events – he said – prioritize the urgent need for solutions to heavy migration into Europe of populations from different cultural and religious traditions. It is a phenomenon that risks undermining social cohesion in European countries”. “Education to diversity should be promoted in families, schools and religious communities”. The Patriarch thus referred to the experience of the Orthodox Romanian diaspora in Italy and Spain, countries with approximately one million Romanian citizens.A “golden thread”. “As much as we see our differences and as much as we see the things on which we do not get along sometimes, we are all part of the same family. There must be things on which we can find an understanding and a common language”, pointed out the Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar. Taking Russia as an example, the Rabbi underlined the need for religious leaders to cooperate and for religious communities to “combat and prevent hate speech”, he said commending Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland for his views of multiculturalism. ” Religion was and is a golden thread in the fibre of our societies. It is part and parcel of our individual and collective identity. It is in our interest to value what unites us, notwithstanding our mutual differences”, claimed Bernhard Felmberg, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany to the Federal Republic of Germany and the EU. Underlining the principle of the “supportive neutrality” of the State towards religion, taking as an example the intercultural week in Germany, Felmberg reiterated the importance of “the cultural dimension of dialogue” and the importance of “fostering mutual engagement, tolerance and understanding”. In presenting her report, Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg ADLE) advanced the proposal of a “dialogue platform” with the Council of Europe, religious faiths and the main humanitarian organizations, involving also the EU as a whole.