Rome, Italy, Oct 26, 2007 / 08:39 am
The president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, said during an interview with Vatican Radio that the proposed creation of a “United Nations of religions” to promote dialogue for peace makes no sense.
“Now there are just as many possibilities as there are creeds for achieving peace,” the cardinal stated. “Personally, my first reaction is not one of enthusiasm,” he said about proposal launched by a group of participants at the Ecumenical Meeting for Peace which ended this week in Naples.
“On the one hand we have diplomacy, with its techniques, and on the other, religions with prayer. Prayer is the language of religion, and therefore, before thinking about a great UN of the religions, men of religion must instruct their faithful in the prayer for peace and their young people to listen to others and to their convictions,” Cardinal Tauran explained.
He stressed that there is “always a need for dialogue and talking,” but each conversation must take place in its own context and form.