>Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 14:41:23 +0700 >From: Komisi HAK-KWI <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Logo: Pontifical Council For Interreligious Dialogue > >MESSAGE FOR THE END OF RAMADAN 'ID AL-FITR 1419/1999 > >Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of God's Love and Mercy > >Dear Muslim Friends, > >1. The great feasts, such as 'Id al-Fitr which you celebrate at the end of >Ramadan, are special times both for God and for humanity. They are a special >time for God, reminding us with more force, and in a community fashion, of >God's presence and action in human history and in our own personal and >family life. Such feasts are also a special time for us human beings, a time >of rest from daily work, a time for prayer and reflection, a time for >ourselves and also for meeting our relatives, friends and neighbours. > >2. God loves all human beings, excluding no one. He is the source of all >love in the family, in society, in the world. It is from God that we learn >to love one another in a gratuitous manner, without expecting any reward >here below. God is the Merciful One. He is close to his servants. He hears >their prayers. So we can say that belief in God impels us to an attitude of >good will towards our brothers and sisters. > >3. There are many ways of showing love, expressions of our faithfulness to >the Merciful One: almsgiving - the alms on the occasion of 'Id al-Fitr have >special importance for you -, care for orphans, the aged, the sick, for >strangers, as also the commitment to promote human dignity and in favour of >human rights, commitment to development, to the fight against many evils of >our societies such as illiteracy, the influence of drugs, the abuse of >minors, violence against women. Pardon, reconciliation, reopening dialogues >that have broken down, the promotion of peace, education in respect for >others - all these are different ways of expressing love. There exists, >between our two religions, a considerable degree of agreement with regard to >effectively showing mercy to one's neighbour. Is there not here a wide field >for collaboration between Christians and Muslims which needs to be developed ? > >4. Offences against the love of neighbour are also numerous: ignoring the >needs of others, refusing the duty of solidarity, hatred, discrimination >based on sex, race or religion, injustice in all its forms. There is great >convergence between our two religions in condemning such faults. > >5. God's love for humanity is universal, going beyond political frontiers, >beyond the differences of race, culture or religion, beyond political or >ideological options, independent of any particular social situation. We are >therefore invited, on the basis of our belief, to love one another. True >love is indeed at the heart of the believer's way of acting. > >6. I am addressing to you this message fully conscious that we, both >Christians and Muslims, have not always loved and respected one another as >God requires of us. Unfortunately this lack of mutual love is not only a >fact of past history, but is also part of present reality. Nevertheless it >is important at the same time to note and to make known the numerous >situations where Christians and Muslims live peacefully and fruitfully >together. Such examples encourage us to do all we can so that Christians and >Muslims everywhere may live together in this way. We are invited to examine >the nature of our relations, both in the past and in the present, and above >all to make a decision to become more and more what God calls us to be: >witnesses of his goodness and mercy, especially towards the weaker members >of society. > >7. Wishing you, my dear Muslim Friends, an abundance of divine blessings, on >my own behalf and on behalf of Catholics throughout the world, I renew my >expressions of friendship and esteem. > >Cardinal Francis Arinze >President > @)&$%#@*(^%#$" FATAL ERROR! SYSTEM HALTED! - Press any key to do nothing... kj - ICQ 23276722 ______________________________________________________________________ To subscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ** Jadual puasa Ramadhan @ http://www.indoglobal.com/puasa.html ** Indonesia without violence!
