Hawzah News Agency - The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan and the holy festivity of Eid al Fitr, in a statement to world Christians and Muslims urged them to protect and preserve the worship centers.
According to public relations Department of Islamic Culture and Relations organization (ICRO), the message reads as follows:
The month of Ramadan plays a central role in your faith and therefore this month is very valuable for you, your family and community. Ramadan is a month of regaining spirituality, self-improvement, helping the needy and strengthening ties with family members and friends.
For us as your Christian friends, the month of Ramadan is an opportunity for paying respect and sending our greetings and having meeting and if possible breaking fast with you. That"s why the Eid Al Fitr is a special occasion to promote brotherhood among Muslims and Christians. In such a spiritual atmosphere, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue wishes the best and prays and send its greeting to you.
What we would like to share with you this year which a valuable tradition, is preserving and safeguarding the worship places. As you know, places of worships have an especial status among Christians, Muslims and followers of other religions, places such as churches, mosques that are places of worship and taking care of personal and social affairs. Such places are built in a manner that provide an ideal atmosphere for tranquility, meditation and thinking, places where people can delve deep into their own being and become qualified to experience the knowledge of God in a serene atmosphere. Therefore, such places are special locations for praying and worship.
Places of worship are a place for spiritual and friendly contacts because people of other faiths can appear in such places at special occasions such as weddings, obituaries and festivities. In this respect, I would like to recall the words of Pope Fransice on Oct. 7, 2016 during his visit to Heydar Aliev Mosque in Baku who wisely said places of worship are best possible place for coordination for followers of various religions to organize their personal relations based on benevolent aspirations.
Referring to the recent attacks on churches, mosques and synagogues by those who find such places as an appropriate and easy target for their blind attacks, the message says in a document signed by Pope Francis and the grand Mufti of Al Azhar Mosque, in Feb. 2019 in Abu Dhabi during a ceremony held for "Global Coexistence for Peace and Brotherhood", protecting and safeguarding places of worship is a duty that has been underlined by all religions, human values, and international laws and regulations and any attack or threat to attack, bombing and destruction of such premises are sacrilegious and a flagrant violation of international laws.
The Council meanwhile has praised international efforts to protect places of worship and has expressed hope that by mutual respect and cooperation, the world community create the opportunity for these places of worship to be well preserved for transferring them to next generation and a heritage.
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue extends its respect, brotherhood and well wishes to world Muslim community on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid Al Fitr festivities.
The Chairman of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, while praying for almighty God and expressing his well wishes has called for spiritual and brotherly unity among all religions and showing coexistence among humanity that these days are suffering from pandemic of Coronavirus and has prayed for recovery of those who have fallen ill by this infectious disease and ending of ongoing problems.