Church brings religious leaders together for Pope Francis’ 10th birthday: ‘The only enemy is hatred’

The journey to Iraq who did the dad francisco the first week of March 2021 served Monsignor Oscar Ojeapresident of the Argentine Episcopal Conferenceto summarize the transversal friendship that united this Monday, March 13, the religious leaders who gathered in the main hall of the palace located in Suipacha street, in the downtown area of ​​the city of Buenos Aires, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the cardinal hypothesis Jorge Mario Bergoglio as head of the Catholic Church.

Referring to the pope’s homily that time in Ur of Chaldeathe land of Abraham 300 kilometers from Baghdadthe Bishop of San Isidro recalled: “We are his descendants, Jews, Christians and Muslimswith the sisters and brothers of other religions”, and welcomed during the Interreligious and ecumenical encounter which celebrated the 10th anniversary of the accession to power of the Sovereign Pontiff.

In turn, the director of the Latin American Jewish Congress, Claudio Epelmanthe President of the Islamic Center of the Argentine Republic, Fabien AnkahBishop Emeritus of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Kisag Mouradianthe pastor of the Evangelical Methodist Church, Nestor Miguez, and the pastor of the evangelical pentecostal church, Norberto Saraccofollowed one another during the meeting, sharing anecdotes and gestures that they experienced with the Holy Father during his years in Buenos Aireswith which they traced their penchant for the reconciliation of different beliefs.

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The Chancellor cafe santiagoMeanwhile, he stood beside the hosts, as an envoy of the national government, and lifted the gauntlet based on the message of unity against divisions that was common to all speakers at the meeting. “Diversity must work in unity, not to unite us but to enrich us, this is what we must apply in our country, in politics too”, he said in a brief dialogue with GlobeLiveMedia.

After 6 p.m., a screen projected the historic moment that took place in the St. Peter’s Square on March 13, 2013 and gave way to the perceptible emotion of the guests when everyone saw the Dad asking you to pray for him.

The representative of Judaism, Claudio Epelman, recalled that in November 2022, the World Jewish Congress, which brings together leaders from more than 100 countries, was held for the first time in history at the Vatican. “It was in the synod where the bishops build the future of the Church,” he stressed.

Ankah, president of our country’s Islamic Center, said he kissed a taxi driver that afternoon in 2013 when he heard the announcement after the white smoke. “I prayed for him,” he said.

“My friendship with him began after the Cromagnon tragedysaid the Bishop Emeritus of the Armenian Church, Kisag Mouradian, and thanked Francis for recognizing the armenian people as the first Christian country in the world, the one that accepted Christianity in the year 301, “12 before Rome”.

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“The people of God are built with broad criteria,” said Methodist Church pastor Néstor Míguez and recalled how in 2007, at the historic Episcopal Conference held in apartecidaa municipality of BrazilCardinal Bergoglio at the time included some paragraphs written by him, “recorded on a floppy disk and then printed on three sheets”, as part of the final document which ratified the friendship between the Catholic Church and the other confessions.

Before concluding, the Chairman of the Committee on Ecumenism and relations with Judaism, Islam and religionsMy lord Peter Xavier Torresbishop of Rafaela, took another important step from the papacy of Francisco and said “i will make a mess”.

“Stop and look at each other,” he instructed guests at the historic building between Santa Fe Avenue and Alvear Street in downtown Buenos Aires.

After that, he described, “Look at each other and observe, as Francis said, that unity is not uniformity but diversity reconciled.”

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