Daniel del Castillo González
Interfaith dialogue has been a priority for the Church since the Second Vatican Council. In 1964, Paul VI created what was then known as the Secretariat for Non-Christians, now the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
And that history includes KAICIID. The platform was born after a 2007 meeting between Benedict XVI and Saudi King Abdullah. Its structure brings together governments and religious leaders from different traditions.
H.H. EMMANUEL OF CHALCEDON
Metropolitan of Calcedonia
A dialogue is based on people's exchange who have different visions, but who come together for one purpose.to continue talking to each other, to consider the other not an enemy, but someone with whom can build and stay and continue this dialogue.
And Saudi Arabia remains a key factor: public practice of religions other than Islam is still prohibited, and there are no non-Muslim places of worship.
H.H. EMMANUEL OF CHALCEDON
Metropolitan of Calcedonia
The solutions are definitely in the hands of politicians. But for us, from the side of religions, I think we... needed to bring a soul to this work and this soul this hope is to keep the solution for peace and common ground for everyone in the area and especially in this area of the Middle East.
But one question is inevitable: what comes after sitting down for dialogue?
FR. LAURENT BASANESE
Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue
This is one of the problems actually of meetings, interreligious or intercultural meetings, is that we gather and after we go back to our homes and nothing changes or very... It's true that these kind of dialogues, these dialogues are kind of... We promote changes but sometimes... these changes are archaeological changes so it changed very slowly in the time.
That question reached St. Peter’s Square. The meeting concluded with a general audience with Pope Leo XIV.
The pope thanked members of the platform for their cooperation and expressed his support for their work promoting peaceful coexistence in the Arab world.
For the next stage, they hope dialogue can help prevent conflicts and strengthen peaceful coexistence.
ANTÓNIO DE ALMEIDA-RIBEIRO
Secretary General KAICIID
If we think that 80% of people around the world have a connection to a religion, we see that... religious leaders are important. When they speak, they speak to 80% of the world's population. The pope, for example, when the pope speaks, he is not speaking only to Catholics. His words are heard around the world.
A platform seeking common ground amid religious differences.
