Muslims and Christians, precisely because of the burden of our common

history so often marked by misunderstanding, must today strive to be known

and recognized as worshippers of God faithful to prayer, eager to uphold and

live by the Almighty's decrees, merciful and compassionate, consistent in

bearing witness to all that is true and good, and ever mindful of the common

origin and dignity of all human persons, who remain at the apex of God's

creative design for the world and for history.

The resolve of Jordanian educators and religious and civic leaders to ensure

that the public face of religion reflects its true nature is praiseworthy. The

example of individuals and communities, together with the provision of courses

and programs, manifest the constructive contribution of religion to the educa-

tional, cultural, social and other charitable sectors of your civic society. Some of

this spirit I have been able to sample at first hand. Yesterday, I experienced the

renowned educational and rehabilitation work of the Our Lady of Peace Centre

where Christians and Muslims are transforming the lives of entire families, by

assisting them to ensure that their disabled children take up their rightful place

in society. Earlier this morning, I blessed the foundation stone of Madaba Uni-

versity where young Muslim and Christian adults will side by side receive the

benefits of a tertiary education, enabling them to contribute justly to the social

and economic development of their nation. Of great merit too are the numerous

initiatives of inter-religious dialogue supported by the Royal Family and the

diplomatic community and sometimes undertaken in conjunction with the Pon-

tifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. These include the ongoing work of the

Royal Institutes for Inter-faith studies and for Islamic Thought, the Amman

Message of 2004, the Amman Interfaith Message of 2005, and the more recent

Common Word letter which echoed a theme consonant with my first encyclical:

the unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbor, and the funda-

mental contradiction of resorting to violence or exclusion in the name of God.1

Such initiatives clearly lead to greater reciprocal knowledge, and they

foster a growing respect both for what we hold in common and for what

we understand differently. Thus, they should prompt Christians and Muslims

to probe even more deeply the essential relationship between God and his

world so that together we may strive to ensure that society resonates in

harmony with the divine order. In this regard, the co-operation found here

in Jordan sets an encouraging and persuasive example for the region, and

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Acta Benedicti Pp. XVI 513

1 Cfr. Deus Caritas Est, 16.