Peace is a culture Concluding his interview, Cardinal Pizzaballa remarked that everyone can contribute to peace. “Peace is a culture, it is not something that one has to do, it is politics, it is education, it is the commitment of the media, it is working in all aspects of life, in a globalized world where no one is an island,” he said.
The current negotiations are the last train
During the opening conference he held on Tuesday along with the President of the Rimini Meeting Foundation Bernard Scholz , Cardinal Pizzaballa recounted his 35 years in the Holy Land and his experience of interreligious dialogue. Referring to the latest developments, he confirmed that the current talks are decisive: “War will end and I hope that the negotiations will resolve some problems: I have my doubts, but this is the last train,” he said.
The Patriarch of Jerusalem acknowledged that the risk of the conflict further “degenerating” is real: “The language of mutual rejection,” he said, “has become a part of daily life thatis absorbed by the media, and it is something truly dramatic.”
In the face of this situation, Cardinal Pizzaballa called for prayers above all to counter “those attitudes of hatred, mistrust and deep contempt” of people. “Rebuilding tomorrow will require everyone’s commitment,”, he noted.
Regarding interreligious dialogue, the Patriarch admitted that it is difficult at this moment. “This situation – he explained – has created a divide. There are no public meetings and at the institutional level we struggle to talk to each other. We are unable to meet”.
Concluding, Cardinal Pizzaballa suggested promoting dialogue at communal rather than at elite level. Religious leaders,, he said, have a great responsibility to create communities that do not close themselves but instead lift their gaze.
By Benedetta Capelli – Rimini / vaticannews
