Sarajevo, September 12, 2001 (IKA) — In the name of the Council of the Bishops Conferences of Europe (CCEE), one of the organizers of an international conference entitled Christians and Muslims in Europe: Responsibility and Religious Engagement in a Plural Society, held in Sarajevo from September 12 to 18, the first vice president, Archbishop Josip Bozanić of Zagreb, said that religion has a great responsibility for peace and that no act of hatred should ever be permitted to occur in the name of God.
Representing the CCEE, Archbishop Bozanić said that one of the tasks of that Catholic council was to foster inter-religious dialogue. Recalling joint projects with the other organizer of the meeting, the Conference of European Churches (KEK), that have already been implemented, Msgr. Bozanić said that the goal of the Sarajevo conference was “for us as believers to reflect upon our own responsibility in society and develop ways for us to take responsibility together in the secular and pluralistic world.” Referring to current conditions in Europe, especially since communism has disappeared from the historical stage, Archbishop Bozanić said that it is necessary to review all the consequences of that time and perceive the new realities such as great migrations and the large number of refugees. “A symbol of this path is certainly the fact that in many large European cities next to the churches and synagogues we also encounter mosques,” said the archbishop, asserting that religions have a great responsibility for peace in the world and for building a world in which the foundations start with justice and love. “As representatives of religions, we are heirs to the dark sides of history that speak of hatred, and this even in the name of God. This should never again be permitted to occur in history.” Today religions are called upon to seek mutual dialogue, attempt to understand each other and discover the riches of other religious communities. “The Holy Scriptures in Christianity remind us that God is peace, and in Islamic tradition one of the names of God is Salam — Peace. I am convinced that the conference in Sarajevo will be a contribution and sign of hope for the co-existence of peoples,” said Msgr. Bozanić in concluding his greetings, also noting that such a conference was taking place in Sarajevo, “in a symbolic place where Christians and Muslims live together.”