(From our correspondents in Sydney) "Wisdom is not the prerogative of Christians alone, but of all believers, whose faith contributes to the knowledge of God and of ourselves". Welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the interreligious meeting that is taking place in the Chapter Hall of St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, cited the tenth anniversary of John Paul II’s encyclical “Fides et ratio” and his teachings on faith and reason: the Pope reminded us "that not only do faith and reason both conduce to the truth, but that reason needs faith to widen its own horizons and to offer a complete account of the human experience". Recurring to the question of "wisdom", the cardinal said that "only a few people today, and perhaps most strongly in the English-speaking countries", reject it, interpreting "faith as the cradle of fundamentalism, fanaticism, violence, as a threat to genuine freedom, as an incitement to violence and as an obstacle to science". Such voices "ought to be silenced by the excellent relations existing between the different religions here in Australia”. But, continued Cardinal Pell, "it’s not only a question of good manners or friendly meetings. Today, as believers, we must demonstrate that genuine faith in God is at the basis of union and harmony, and not of division and hatred".
