Pope wants to continue 'building bridges of friendship'
A day after reaching out to other Christians and to Jews in his installation Mass, Pope Benedict XVI met with members of the Muslim community today and assured them the church wanted to continue “building bridges of friendship”.
Benedict made the comments in a meeting with religious leaders who attended his installation ceremony, saying he was particularly grateful members of the Muslim community were present. “I express my appreciation for the growth of dialogue between Muslims and Christians, both at the local and international level,” he said.
He noted the world was currently marked by conflicts, but said it longed for peace.
“Yet peace is also a duty to which all peoples must be committed, especially those who profess to belong to religious traditions,” he said. “Our efforts to come together and foster dialogue are a valuable contribution to building peace on solid foundations.”
The Vatican didn’t say which Muslim leaders attended the meeting, which was closed to the press.
“I assure you the church wants to continue building bridges of friendship with the followers of all religions, in order to seek the true good of every person and of society as a whole,” he said.
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