Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale330

God, I will praise him still; my Savior and my God''.5 Spiritual leaders have a

special duty, and we might say competence, to place the deeper questions at

the forefront of human consciousness, to reawaken mankind to the mystery

of human existence, and to make space in a frenetic world for reflection and

prayer.

Confronted with these deeper questions concerning the origin and destiny

of mankind, Christianity proposes Jesus of Nazareth. He, we believe, is the

eternal Logos who became flesh in order to reconcile man to God and reveal

the underlying reason of all things. It is he whom we bring to the forum of

interreligious dialogue. The ardent desire to follow in his footsteps spurs

Christians to open their minds and hearts in dialogue.6

Dear friends, in our attempt to discover points of commonality, perhaps

we have shied away from the responsibility to discuss our differences with

calmness and clarity. While always uniting our hearts and minds in the call

for peace, we must also listen attentively to the voice of truth. In this way,

our dialogue will not stop at identifying a common set of values, but go on to

probe their ultimate foundation. We have no reason to fear, for the truth

unveils for us the essential relationship between the world and God. We are

able to perceive that peace is a ''heavenly gift'' that calls us to conform

human history to the divine order. Herein lies the ''truth of peace''.7

As we have seen then, the higher goal of interreligious dialogue requires a

clear exposition of our respective religious tenets. In this regard, colleges,

universities and study centers are important forums for a candid exchange of

religious ideas. The Holy See, for its part, seeks to carry forward this im-

portant work through the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the

Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, and various Pontifical

Universities.

Dear friends, let our sincere dialogue and cooperation inspire all people to

ponder the deeper questions of their origin and destiny. May the followers of

all religions stand together in defending and promoting life and religious

freedom everywhere. By giving ourselves generously to this sacred task -

through dialogue and countless small acts of love, understanding and com-

passion - we can be instruments of peace for the whole human family.

Peace upon you all!

5 Ps 42:5, 11; cf. Ps 43:5; 62:5. 6 Cf. Lk 10:25-37; Jn 4:7-26. 7 Cf. Message for the 2006 World Day of Peace.