968 Acta Apostolicæ Sedis - Commentarium Officiale

offer assistance to the region, at the same time, we call on all those who

bear responsibility for the destiny of peoples to deepen their commitment

to suffering communities, and to enable them, including the Christian ones,

to remain in their native land. We cannot resign ourselves to a Middle East

without Christians, who have professed the name of Jesus there for two

thousand years. Many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and

have been forced violently from their homes. It even seems that the value

of human life has been lost, that the human person no longer matters and

may be sacrificed to other interests. And, tragically, all this is met by the

indifference of many. As Saint Paul reminds us, « If one member suffers,

all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together ».2 This

is the law of the Christian life, and in this sense we can say that there is

also an ecumenism of suffering. Just as the blood of the martyrs was a

seed of strength and fertility for the Church, so too the sharing of daily

sufferings can become an effective instrument of unity. The terrible situation

of Christians and all those who are suffering in the Middle East calls not

only for our constant prayer, but also for an appropriate response on the

part of the international community.

The grave challenges facing the world in the present situation require

the solidarity of all people of good will, and so we also recognize the im-

portance of promoting a constructive dialogue with Islam based on mutual

respect and friendship. Inspired by common values and strengthened by

genuine fraternal sentiments, Muslims and Christians are called to work

together for the sake of justice, peace and respect for the dignity and rights

of every person, especially in those regions where they once lived for cen-

turies in peaceful coexistence and now tragically suffer together the horrors

of war. Moreover, as Christian leaders, we call on all religious leaders to

pursue and to strengthen interreligious dialogue and to make every effort

to build a culture of peace and solidarity between persons and between

peoples. We also remember all the people who experience the sufferings

of war. In particular, we pray for peace in Ukraine, a country of ancient

Christian tradition, while we call upon all parties involved to pursue the

path of dialogue and of respect for international law in order to bring an

end to the conflict and allow all Ukrainians to live in harmony.

2 1 Cor 12:26.