(Simona Mengascini, SIR’s correspondent in Cyprus) It takes "a strong word, that shows how to heal violence, that points at the path humanity must cover to overcome one of the saddest moats that run through it. The path to peace starts from prayer". It was said this morning by the Spanish Catholic Biblicist Armand Puig, as he took the floor in Nicosia at the workshop on "Prayer at the root of peace", promoted as part of the meeting on "Religions and cultures" of Comunità di Sant’Egidio. After the opening celebrations, this morning the meeting got to the heart of discussions, with a number of workshops with religious leaders. "Men of religion said the Biblicist can share without hesitation those words full of prophecy that Jesus speaks to the operators of peace: ‘Everything is possible for those who believe’. The confidence that the God of peace is stronger than any force of hatred and destruction, of revenge and death joins the wills of those who rebel to the resignation and indifference of a world that tolerates violence". And even when "one might conclude that peace is unattainable", men of religion cling to their own faith in the God of peace not to bend to the fatigue that goes hand in hand with a big fight. They known they have a weapon in their hands that was given them by God Himself: friendship and intimacy with Him".
